Indian Falls (Lockport)

LOCKPORT WEATHER

Number of falls: 1 natural waterfall. One man-made dam upstream.

Size/Types: 6–8-ft high, 20-ft wide curtain cascading into a shallow plunge pool framed by moss-covered dolostone ledges. Although most of the time, flow is so low that the falls is limited to just one thin cascade on the north end. The man-made dam is a 2 ft tall concrete structure, likely for flood control.

Best time to visit: April – June for strongest flow; ideally after snowmelt or a week of rain. Ice curtains form mid-winter.

Flow: Low. It’s typically dry by summer. Even in spring, the falls isn’t very “full” unless it has been raining for more than 3 days.

Waterway: Eighteen-Mile Creek West Branch rises in the wetlands southwest of Lockport near Hinman Rd through a series of tributaries around the GM plant and stone quarries. It flows 4.8 mi northeast, breaching the Niagara Escarpment at the park here, and meets the main stem of Eighteen-Mile Creek just north of downtown. Eighteen-Mile continues 15 mi to Lake Ontario at Olcott Harbor.

Time: About 15 minutes to see the falls. 2 hours to explore the entire park and its trail loops.

Seasons/Hours: Open all year, from sunrise to sunset.

Admission: Free.

Handicap Accessibility: None. Trails are narrow, rocky, and include stream fords. Gradients leading down to the falls are steep and often muddy in spring.

Pets: Allowed on a leash.

Camping: Nearest campground is on Lake Ontario at Wilson-Tuscarora State Park 

Accommodations/Attractions: This park has little beyond trails. There were 2 trash cans, some informational signs highlighting local wildlife and that’s it.

Hidden in the steep, wooded gulf that slices into The Niagara Escarpment on Lockport’s north side, Indian Falls drops 6 ft down uneven sandstone blocks into a shallow pool.  Forested gorge walls rise 60-plus feet, creating a surprisingly wild scene only yards from city streets. The falls is a difficult one to shoot, let alone catch it when flowing enough to cover more than a third of the streambed. Upon subsequent visits, even in early spring after a bout of rainstorms, I always happened to catch it with a less than stellar flow.

Still, the surrounding Rollin T. Grant Gulf Wilderness Park it worth exploring. The park preserves roughly 125 acres of escarpment ravine, upland plateau, and flood-scoured bottomland where the west branch winds toward Eighteen-Mile Creek. Three intersecting loop trails weave through the preserve, crossing small footbridges, glacial erratics, old stone farm walls, and a former trolley grade that once hauled stone from nearby quarries up to Olcott’s resorts.

The gorge was carved as melt-water from retreating glaciers (about 12,000 years ago) exploited bedrock fractures along the escarpment. This erosion created a natural ramp down the escarpment that was no doubt used by the Seneca for travel north and south.

In the 1800s Lockport’s growth was tied to the Erie Canal and local limestone quarries; a short-lived trolley line paralleled Gulf Creek to move stone north to Olcott where it was used to build resorts and attractions during its tourism boom, but also ship out to other cities along Lake Ontario. A part of this line now serves as a trail through the park.

Rollin T. Grant (1914-1989), Lockport Rotarian and amateur naturalist, lobbied for preservation of the gulf. Using funds from his estate and with the city’s match, Lockport acquired the first parcels in the early 1990s, opening the park in 1995. Volunteer crews continue trail work, most recently installing wood bridges and trash receptacles.

Industrial dumping along Upper Mountain Rd. contaminated lower Gulf Creek in the mid-20th century; EPA clean-ups (OU-1 to OU-3) are ongoing but upstream segments around Indian Falls remain unaffected.

Difficulty: Moderate. A short hike, but downhill on a narrow dirt trail and requiring scrambling down into the creek bed.
Markings: All trails in the park are well marked. White and Blue blazes are what you’ll need to follow to get to the falls.
Distance: Just under a mile one way.

How to get to Indian Falls in the Rollin T. Grant Gulf Wilderness Park

1. Start at the W. Jackson St. parking area. Pass the circular concrete “mill stone” and pass the junction with the yellow trail.

2. In a short distance turn left onto the white trail heading downstream for about 500 ft. It will head downhill parallel to the creek and to the base of the falls.

3. Better views may be had from the other side of the creek. You can ford here if conditions are right.

4. Head back the way you came or backtrack and continue west on the white trail to the footbridge which will take you a half mile southwest to another footbridge and loop back along the blue trail.

Maps: Interactive; Trail Map (PDF).

Niagara History Center

The Niagara History Center is a multi-building museum campus in downtown Lockport that traces 200 years of Niagara County life. Its 1863 Outwater Memorial Building anchors exhibits ranging from a Victorian parlor and Civil War gallery to rotating local-history shows, while the nearby Erie Canal Discovery Center uses working lock models and multimedia to tell the canal story. Additional historic structures—including the 1824 Bond–Hawley House and an 1835 land office—round out the complex, giving visitors an immersive look at domestic life, industry, and transportation along the Niagara Frontier. 215 Niagara Street, Lockport, NY 14094

Flight of Five

The Flight of Five Locks in downtown Lockport is a restored, five-step staircase lock (Locks 67-71) that once hoisted canal boats 60 ft up the Niagara Escarpment on the 19th-century Erie Canal. Three of the wooden-gated chambers have been rebuilt and are hand-cranked during seasonal “Lock Tender” demonstrations, giving visitors a front-row seat to authentic 1840s engineering. Interpretive panels line the towpath, and 45-minute guided tours run June–September through the Lockport Locks Heritage District.

Kenan Center & Gardens

Set on a beautifully landscaped 25-acre estate, Kenan Center & Gardens surrounds an 1850s Italianate mansion with formal gardens, a year-round art gallery, the 153-seat Taylor Theater, classrooms, and a multi-use sports arena. The non-profit campus stages rotating exhibits, concerts, craft fairs, and its signature “100 American Craftsmen” show—making it the cultural heartbeat of Lockport. More info.

Shoot wide and from the side

• Bring a wide angle lens to have a chance of capturing both waterfalls, the bridge, and the pool all in one scene.
• Most compositions are straight on. Try a new angle and shoot perpendicular to the falls, looking past one to the other.

Get your feet wet

• Angles from the trails are great, but just one or two steps into the creek make them better. You may have to in order to capture the falls from the other side of the creek in higher water levels.

Make a winter stop

• This is an easy one to visit in winter, and flow is often high on warmer winter days.

Silky water effect

• To get that smooth cotton-candy look to the falls, you need to use a Neutral Density (ND) filter on your lens. The ND filter will block some of the light from entering the lens without altering the color, and thus allows your shutter to stay open longer. This blurs the water and creates a soft white gloss to the foamy areas of the falls.  Check out the article for all of the details.
• For larger falls with ample water flow, shoot shorter shutter speeds, or you risk softening the feel of power. 1/5 to 1/3 of the second is just enough for this one.

More tips

• See the Articles for more photography tips.

City of Lockport
Youth & Recreation
Phone: 716-439-6665