Glen Falls, known locally as Holley Falls, is a 30-foot horsetail waterfall in the Village of Holley, Orleans County, New York, where overflow from the Erie Canal pours over a natural scarp into the East Branch of Sandy Creek. The falls sit in Holley Falls Park, next to the village's Canal Park.
The falls
The water drops in a single horsetail over red Medina sandstone, framed by woods. A lidar estimate puts the height at about 30 feet; Orleans County Tourism gives 35 feet. The scarp is natural, but the flow is man-made: water comes from a wasteway that returns surplus canal water to the creek, which then runs north toward Lake Ontario. Without the canal overflow, there would be no waterfall.
Getting there
From Public Square in Holley, follow Frisbee Terrace to Holley Falls Park Road. Paths link the falls with Holley Canal Park. The park is run by the Village of Holley, which takes reservations for the picnic pavilion.
When to go
Because the falls depend on canal overflow, the flow follows how much water the Erie Canal is carrying. Holley Canal Park hosts Friday evening concerts at the gazebo from June through August, and Holley June Fest takes place on the first Saturday of June.
On site
Holley Falls Park has a picnic pavilion, a footbridge and walking trails. The village invites people to picnic, walk, fish or simply sit by the falls. Restrooms, showers, a playground, a boardwalk and boat docking with water and electric hookups are in the adjacent Canal Park.
History and name
Glen Falls is the official name, with Holley Falls and Holley Canal Falls as alternatives. A state planning document for Holley places the canal-fed falls within the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor.
Nearby
Clarendon Falls on Sandy Creek is about 3.3 miles away, Oak Orchard Falls about 13.2 miles and Medina Falls on Oak Orchard Creek about 18.4 miles.
Distances are straight-line.