Barberville Falls is a 92-foot waterfall on the Poesten Kill in Rensselaer County, New York, dropping over broad stepped ledges at the western edge of the Rensselaer Plateau. It is the centerpiece of the 140-acre Barberville Falls Preserve, where a short, steep trail leads down to a viewing platform facing the falls.
The falls
A single drop of 92 feet carries the stream over stepped slabs into a pool about 70 feet wide on average and up to 95 feet wide. The rock is red shale and gray Rensselaer Graywacke, and at low water a glacial pothole shows in the streambed. The Poesten Kill drains about 35 square miles above the preserve.
Getting there
The preserve is managed by Hudson Taconic Lands, with its main parking area at 23 Blue Factory Road, Averill Park. The Falls Trail is 0.3 mile round trip with 156 feet of descent and climb back, steep enough that hiking poles and boots with good traction are recommended. The longer Ridge Trail runs 1.3 miles with 239 feet of gain. Parking is free and the preserve is open dawn to dusk.
When to go
The Poesten Kill flows all year, with the heaviest flow and spray in spring and autumn. The preserve is open year-round. In winter, groundwater seeps glaze parts of the Falls Trail with ice and can make it impassable.
On site
Swimming is prohibited: dangerous currents at the falls have caused deaths, and a student drowned here on July 7, 2024. Dogs are allowed. Land beyond both ends of the Creek Trail is private, so stay on the marked trails and follow posted signs. The preserve's hemlock and hardwood forest carries spring wildflowers.
History and name
The Nature Conservancy protected the falls in 1967 and transferred the preserve to the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance in 2019. Stonework from a mill that was never finished still stands near the top of the falls.
Nearby
On the same stream, Eagle Mills Falls is about 4.4 miles away and Mount Ida Falls about 7.5 miles. Burden Falls on the Wynants Kill is about 7.7 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.