Rexford Falls is a 35-foot horsetail waterfall on Mad Brook in New York's Chenango County, in a small town park on NY-80 just east of the village of Sherburne. A historic metal bowstring truss footbridge spans the gorge above the falls, and the park has been public land since the 1870s.
The falls
Mad Brook slides through a chute and drops into a narrow rocky gorge. Lidar data puts the fall at a single drop of about 35 feet, though it has not been surveyed on site; NYFalls gives about 75 feet. A pedestrian bridge crosses the gorge just above the drop.
Getting there
The park is run by the Town of Sherburne and is free. A U-shaped driveway off NY-80 has room for about 15 cars, plus a small dirt pullover on Rexford Falls Road. The bridge is about 100 feet from the parking area across a lawn, with no paved path. The trail is a 0.4-mile out-and-back path on the south side of the brook with 120 feet of gain, rated moderate. The town installed no-parking signs and signs stating that the park closes at dusk in 2024.
When to go
The park is open year-round during daylight. Late, dry summers are best avoided.
On site
The bridge gives the easiest view; reaching the gorge floor means another few hundred feet on a steeper dirt path. The trail sits in a very steep gorge; stay back from the edge, and hazards include rockfall, ticks and poison ivy. A wading pool sits at the base. Dogs are welcome on a leash.
History and name
The falls carry the name of Nelson C. Rexford, who left the grounds to the town. An 1880 county history records that Sherburne accepted the bequest and adopted the name by resolution on February 15, 1876. The bridge was rehabilitated in 2006 at a cost of $40,000, $30,000 of it from the Herbert H. & Mariea L. Brown Trust Foundation.
Nearby
Lost Pond Outlet Falls is about 7.2 miles away, Greens Gulf Falls about 7.8 miles and Button Falls about 12.9 miles.
Distances are straight-line.