Honeoye Falls is a broad 15-foot cascade on Honeoye Creek in the center of the village of Honeoye Falls, Monroe County, New York, which takes its name from it. A small dam crowns the ledge and a viewing platform stands beside Mendon Town Hall.
The falls
The falls form a wide steep cascade. Lidar data puts the drop at about 15 feet including the dam, of which the natural falls probably account for about 10; the creek's flow is regulated. NYFalls, which counts the dam differently, gives 30 feet. The upper part of the drop is the man-made dam and the lower part natural rock, with a red mill on the far bank. A second, much smaller drop of about 3 feet, formed by a broken dam, lies downstream in Harry Allen Park.
Getting there
Public parking is behind the falls next to Mendon Town Hall, with more on the street along West Main Street and East Street. The falls can be seen from the platform near Town Hall and from the East Street bridge, and there is no fee. For the lower drop, a small lot serves Harry Allen Park on Main Street, just north of Monroe Street.
When to go
The creek flows all year. Summer flow is weaker, and the falls are at their strongest with winter snowmelt.
On site
Both the platform and the East Street bridge are wheelchair accessible, and the area has benches and paved paths. Leashed dogs are allowed. Walking in the creek is not permitted, and the red mill across the water is a private home. The lower falls in Harry Allen Park are not accessible.
History and name
Zebulon Norton, a Revolutionary War veteran from Connecticut, settled here in 1791 and built a gristmill and a sawmill at the falls; the settlement was first called Norton Mills. Mendon Town Hall now occupies the former Upper Mill. Hiram Finch built the Lower Mill in 1827, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Honeoye comes from the Seneca ha-ne-a-yah, "where the finger lies." In Harry Allen Park, the Zebulon Norton Trail follows the old mill race.
Nearby
Paper Mill Falls on Conesus Creek is about 10.2 miles away, Triphammer Falls about 10.8 miles and Mertensia Falls about 11.3 miles.
Distances are straight-line.