Lyons Falls is a 63-foot waterfall on the Black River in the village of Lyons Falls, Lewis County, New York, just below its meeting with the Moose River. A dam and a working hydroelectric plant sit at its brink, and over the years the falls have powered a series of mills.
The falls
Both the Northern New York Waterfalls guide and the village's own history page give different heights, 63 and 70 feet respectively. It is classed as a rectangular block falling just below the retaining dam.
Getting there
From NY Route 12, follow the boat-launch signs into the village to the lower launch, which has the best view. Parking there is an unpaved lot, and the walk to the viewpoint is an easy minute on a dirt path. New York's Department of Environmental Conservation lists two hand-carry launches on the Black River here: the Lower Lyons Falls launch, run by Brookfield Renewable Energy, and the municipal Upper Lyons Falls launch above the falls. The state lists neither as accessible.
When to go
Seasonal flow and winter conditions aren't documented.
On site
The lower launch looks up at the falls from below, and a spot upstream looks toward the top of the drop and the dam. The hydro plant still runs, but the other mill buildings are badly run down.
History and name
The place was first called High Falls. French Royalists settled there in 1794 but left because of the climate and isolation. Caleb Lyon, who arrived in 1819 as a land agent, built mills and a bridge over the Moose River, and the settlement was renamed for his family. His son Lyman Rasselas Lyon owned the water power of the High Falls and campaigned for the Black River Canal; the local historical association calls him the village's namesake. The Gould Mansion in the village served as headquarters of the Gould Paper Company.
Nearby
On the Moose River, Goulds Mill Falls is about 1.1 miles away, Magilla Falls about 1.3 miles, Agers Falls about 2.3 miles and Lyonsdale Falls about 2.6 miles.
Distances are straight-line.