Spier Falls was a waterfall on the Hudson River in New York, on the line between Warren and Saratoga counties east-southeast of Corinth, where the Spier Falls hydroelectric dam now stands. The natural falls were destroyed by the dam.
The falls
The dam, built of concrete and granite around a rubble core, replaced the falls. Some bare bedrock of the old ledge is still visible on the north side of the dam, though water seldom runs over it. Behind the dam, the Hudson forms a reservoir about 5 miles long and up to 135 feet deep.
Getting there
The dam sits between the towns of Moreau and Lake Luzerne and is a working power plant, owned by Brookfield Power as of 2013. Moreau Lake State Park maintains a small gravel boat launch on the Spier Falls reservoir. A paved pull-off about 0.25 mile north of the launch serves as an access point for the park's Western Ridge trail.
When to go
With the river held behind the dam, the old ledge carries water only rarely.
On site
A major fire struck the building housing the turbines and generators on September 14, 2024, and a replacement control house was under construction in 2025.
History and name
The dam was built from 1900 to 1903, with up to 1,500 workers at the peak, and began generating power in September 1903. It is named for William E. Spier (1848–1901), head of the Glens Falls Paper Company. In March 1903 a ferry carrying workmen capsized near the dam works; a newspaper of the time reported more than a dozen dead.
Nearby
Palmer Falls, also on the Hudson, is about 3.4 miles away, Curtis Falls is about 3.7 miles away, and Glens Falls is about 7.6 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.