Horseshoe Falls is a 15-foot series of cascades on Horse Creek in the village of Chaumont, Jefferson County, New York, a few yards before the creek empties into Sawmill Bay, an arm of Chaumont Bay on Lake Ontario. It sits on private land in the middle of town and is closed to the public.
The falls
Lidar data puts the cumulative drop at about 15 feet, while the Northern New York Waterfalls guide, which calls it Horse Creek Falls, estimates about 25 feet. Above the NY 12E bridge the creek makes only very small steps. Below it, the water drops in a number of steps over and between large boulders. The cascades may be shaped by boulders rather than bedrock.
Getting there
The falls are just downstream of the NY 12E bridge in downtown Chaumont, between the public library and a hardware store. The site is privately owned and closed to all public access, set among buildings and homes. The main part can be glimpsed from the road, with street-side parking, though the creek has been reached only with a landowner's permission.
On site
The view from the bridge is partial. The creek banks are extremely steep and overgrown, and they are private property.
History and name
Horseshoe Falls is an unofficial name. It is not related to the Horseshoe Falls at Niagara.
Nearby
Catfish Falls on the Chaumont River is about 5.9 miles away, Sperrys Falls about 8.2 miles and Beaver Falls about 11.2 miles.
Distances are straight-line.