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Crystal Falls is located behind the Fortis facility on the
Lyonsdale Road on a stretch of the Moose River that is very
popular with kayakers. The best views of it are from the
north bank of the river.
From the Lyonsdale Road, proceed north on the Shibley
Road. The first gravel road on the right after crossing the
bridge takes you in to a hydroelectric facility. We have
been told that the yellow gate may be locked so walking may be
necessary. Otherwise drive to the parking area at the end of
the road. It is a very short distance in. From there
proceed up the riverbank to an island which might be more
accurately described a a huge rock in the middle of the
river. The falls are just above this.
We were there in late August. We spoke to the station
operator at the hydro facility. Sidebar ... in our
conversation, it was learned that he and I grew up in towns not
far apart. He actually knew one of my friends that was in my
wedding over 33 years ago ... small world! After parking at
the area up the road, a man came by on an ATV. We approached
him and learned that he owned the camp just upstream. He
offered to let us traverse his property to access the island where
you are almost in the falls. You will need water-shoes and
we did locate poison ivy on the island.
As for the falls, they are a series of steps that drop and
tumble over dozens of boulders and rock formations in the
river. In fact, it appears that most of this island is part
of this formation. Since we were there in August, it could
be assumed that the water flow is relatively less than in the
spring. During high water, there is probably a good chance
that much of this formation is under water.
As with many areas such as this, the water once powered mills
that were there decades ago. There is evidence at this site
of a structure that probably once was a sawmill or similar
facility. In addition, there were several holes in the rocks
that had been carved by centuries of erosion.
The Moose River flows into the Black River just a few miles
downstream from this location in Lyons Falls. The Black
empties into Lake Ontario in the Jefferson County community of
Dexter.
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