Skinny Dip Falls

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Location / Directions / Maps

Update May 2023: As per the Village of Westfield, access to this gorge is restricted to Hunting and Fishing only. No casual hikes are allowed. No public Nudity is allowed.

Location: South of the village of Westfield; town of Westfield; Chautauqua County; New York.

Maps: Google Map; Topographic; Interactive map.

GPS Locations:

Skinny Dip Falls: N 42.25389 / W 79.57527
Parking (east side): N 42.25049 / W 79.57005

Directions: Take I-90 to NY-394 toward Westfield/Mayville.
Take exit 60 for NY-394 toward Westfield/Mayville.
Turn left onto NY-394 E/N Portage St (signs for NY-20/Westfield/Mayville).

To get to the west trailhead:
The west trailhead is now private property.

To get to the east trailhead:
Keep south on NY-394 E/N Portage St for 5.5 miles.
As you approach Mayfield, take a right onto Beaujean Rd and follow it for 2 miles.
Turn left onto Crawford Rd and head down it for about a mile.
Turn right into Bloomer Rd and park in the dirt area near the end of the road.

Google Directions to : West trailhead, East Trailhead

Parking: For each side of the gorge, there’s roadside parking at the end of the road. Do not drive or park your car beyond the dead end signs, as the area is very steep beyond that point. A dirt road goes down into the gorge. Don’t drive down.

Weather

WESTFIELD WEATHER

Information / Accessibility / Accommodations

Update May 2023: As per the Village of Westfield, access to this gorge is restricted to Hunting and Fishing only. No casual hikes are allowed. No public Nudity is allowed.

Number of falls: 4 falls, if you are hiking to Skinny Dip Falls. If you explore further up or down the gorge, you can find several more, but property access may be restricted.

Size/Types: Small cascades with nice pools below them. They vary in height from 2-6 ft depending on how high the (water flow) pool is.
There is a seasonal cascade near where the trails enter the creek that is roughly 33 ft in height, but it doesn’t always flow.

Best time to visit: Spring and fall. Avoid the summer if you don’t want to see naked people.

Flow: Moderate.

Waterway: This is a section of Chautauqua Creek known as “The Gulf.” Chautauqua Creek rises south of here in the town of Sherman, flowing 10 miles north through Westfield and then emptying into Lake Erie at Barcelona.

Time: About 30 minutes to an hour.

Seasons/Hours: Nothing posted. It looks like some people camp overnight in the gorge.

Admission: Free.

Handicap Accessibility: None.

Pets: No rules are posted, but pets need to be on a leash in public.

Accommodations: Trails, bathing pools in the creek. There are some random picnic tables on the west trailhead side.

Description

As you may have guessed from the name, this waterfall lies within a once popular nudist bathing area in “The Gulf,” a 3-mile long gorge carved out by Chautauqua Creek as it descends over the glacial Lake Erie ridge into present day Lake Erie. While the 6 ft tall Skinny Dip Falls and the few other small cascades you can find here are nothing spectacular, the deep pools, refreshing water, and scenic gorge are the big draw.

Don’t let the “nudist area” label scare you. The 2/3 mile trek is mostly a mild creekwalk. While there’s usually enough exposed stone to keep dry, stomping and splashing up the creek while you hike is why so many people (with and without clothes) love this trail. before you venture out balls-out, note that public nudity is officially prohibited in this area, and that is police enforced.

History

I could not find any information as to what led to this area becoming a nudist area. Feel free to use your imagination.

Hiking / Walking Trails

Difficulty: Moderate. The hike down, downstream and back upstream is not bad at all. You will probably need to get your feet wet and balance on some stones. The steep walk back up to your car is exhausting.

Markings: The trailhead is marked. There are some boulders in the creek bed notifying visitors of the nudist area.

Distance: About 3/4 of a mile to Skinny Dip Falls.

Description: At this time, the west trailhead is on private property and the only access seems to be via Bloomer Rd. I do not have details for the trail on this end, but sources say it’s well-blazed leading from the end of Bloomer Rd down into the gorge.

If the water is flowing well, you should cross directly over the creek and look for a small trail heading up a tributary gorge. Here is Shadow Falls, a 30+ ft high cascade. If Chautauqua Creek is pretty dry, this one definitely will be, so you can skip it.

Hike downstream for about 2/3 of a mile to reach Skinny Dip Falls. You will pass some very small falls along the way. There are also at least two more after Skinny Dip Falls. Turn around whenever you feel comfortable (or if you come across a POSTED sign). Keep in mind, you will have to walk back up that 300 ft at the end. Save your energy and some daylight for that climb.

Map: Interactive.

Skinny Dip Falls Interactive Map

Contributor Photos & Art

At this time I have not been able to get out to this site and photograph yet. In the meantime, those with suitable photos or original works of art, who would like to be featured here, please contact me. Photos, paintings, and illustrations would be subject to quality review, and not all will be accepted. Your work can be accompanied by a link to your site/store/insta.

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