Dam at Veterans Memorial Park, Rush

Dam at Veterans Memorial Park in Rush, NY

Support this site NYFalls.com relies on donations to pay the bills and add more content. support us with Patreon or Donate with Paypal.

Gorgeous Nature Scenes from across New York State Shop prints, cards, mugs, stickers, shirts, more

Location / Directions / Maps

Location: Town of Rush, Monroe County; New York.

Maps: Google Map; Topographic; Interactive map.

GPS Coordinate: Dam: N 42.99275 / W 77.64458

Directions: Veterans Memorial Park is located just off of NY-15A (East Henrietta Rd). The entrance to the park is just south of Honeoye Creek and at the intersection of NY-15A and Lehigh St.

The park is also accessible from the Lehigh Valley Trail.

Parking: There is a parking lot for about 10 cars at the intersection of NY-15A and Lehigh St.
A parking lot for the Lehigh Valley Trail serves as additional space. It’s a short way down Lehigh St. at the bend in the road.

Weather

RUSH WEATHER

Information / Accessibility / Accommodations

Number of falls: 1

Size/Types: A gentle cascade over a man-made dam of about 6 ft in height and up to 25 ft across.

Best time to visit: Year-round.

Flow: Moderate. It’s usually flowing well all year. In early spring there may be flooding conditions in this area.

Waterway: Honeoye Creek, which is the outlet of Honeoye Lake. It starts in Richmond, Ontario County and flows 12 miles north to Honeoye Falls, then heads 5 miles northwest to this dam. From here it heads west about 5 miles to the Genesee River. The Genesee River flows north, through Rochester, and into Lake Ontario.

Time: It’s a roadside falls that can be seen from NY-15A, but since that road is fast and usually busy, take a few minutes to park and see the falls from a different angle. The Lehigh Valley Trail is 15 miles long and you can certainly spend more time if you are up for a walk in addition to seeing the falls.

Seasons/Hours: Open all year. Daylight hours only.

Admission: Free.

Handicap Accessibility: There is no paved area leading to the falls or viewing area. It’s all lawn, but it’s flat.

Pets: Allowed, on a leash.

Accommodations: Gazebo; benches; war memorial; concrete viewing platform; a few eateries adjacent to the park; some shops in town.

Veterans Memorial Park Mill Stone Plaque

Closeup of the waterfall over the Rush Dam at Veterans Memorial Park in Rush

Description

This small town park is less than an acre and features the dam, a small gazebo, and a monument in tribute to local veterans. The dam, once part of a large mill complex, now serves to keep flooding at bay. The dam creates a steep drop of about 5-6 ft, which doesn’t create much turbulence on its way down. A wide concrete platform below the main drop, creates another drop of only a few inches. It’s not one of the most exciting man-made dam waterfalls, but it’s far from the worst and one of the few in the area.

While it doesn’t have much to offer, the park does have a small concrete viewing platform that provides the best view of the dam and falls. The Lehigh Valley Trail passes through here so it’s also a great spot to start a hike, picnic, or cross one more waterfall off your list as you travel along NY-15A.

Veterans Memorial Park - Dam on Honeoye Creek, Rush, New York

History

John Webster first settled in what was called East Rush in 1810 and constructed a dam and flour mill on this site. At the time, the settlement was referred to as Webster’s Mills. Benjamin Weaver took over ownership at some point. This mill burned in 1847. Rebuilt shortly after, mill operations expanded under Weaver and Hiram Smith’s ownership under the name “Weaver & Smith Mills.” In 1898 it was sold and became known as the “Rush Milling Company.” The mill complex changed hands several more times, and eventually burned to the ground in September of 1941. For years after, the chimney of the mill still stood on the site.

The Rush Improvement Association acquired the land and gifted it to the Township on April 2, 1948 with the intent on transforming it to a park. The mill site, and the gifted land is on both sides of the creek, but the park seems to have only been developed along the south side.

vintage photo of a Flour Mill in Rush, NY

Flour mill c.1917

Rush Dam (Veterans Memorial Park) Interactive Map

Rush Dam Media

Videos

More coming soon…

Gazebo at Veterans memorial Park in Rush, New York

Interesting Stuff

Kinsey Store

The white building across the street at 6081 is the former Kinsey General Store.

Blue Heron at Rush Dam at Veterans Memorial Park

Photography Tips

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.