West Falls
Location: In the hamlet of West Falls, town of Aurora; Erie County; New York.
Maps: Google Map; Topographic; Interactive map.
GPS Coordinates: West Falls dam and falls: (N 42.70200 / W 78.68192)
Directions: NY-240 runs North-South from US-20A down to somewhere near Ellicottville and bisects the hamlet just south of East Aurora.
To get here, just find your way to NY-240 and follow it until you get to the hamlet of West Falls.
Use Google Maps for more precise directions.
Parking: There’s a parking lot along NY-240/Davis Rd, right next to the falls and just north of Bridge St. It’s tough to miss. There’s a historic sign and a small park and memorial right next to it.
There’s room for a dozen cars.
Weather
Information / Accessibility / Accommodations
Number of falls: 1
Size/Types: It’s a man-made concrete dam with some small natural ledges below it. The dam appears to be 4 or 5 ft tall. The ledges below add up to about 1 or 1.5 ft.
Best time to visit: Year-round.
Flow: Good. Usually flowing.
Waterway: West Branch Cazenovia Creek. The East and West branches of Cazenovia Creek come from the southern edge of Erie County, join together in the town of Aurora, and become just Cazenovia Creek. It continues northwest into the city of Buffalo and empties into the Buffalo River just before the Buffalo River empties into Lake Erie near the Erie Basin Marina, Naval & Military Park, and the Buffalo Lighthouse Park.
Time: A few minutes.
Seasons/Hours: Daylight hours, year-round.
Admission: Free.
Handicap Accessibility: Views can be had from the paved parking lot.
Pets: Allowed on a leash.
Accommodations: A park; historical sign; some nearby restaurants and shops.
Description
While there are some natural features to this waterfall, and the dam was supposedly built on top of a natural cascade, it really is just a concrete dam for all intents and purposes. So if that’s your thing, or you are looking to check all the Cazenovia Creek waterfalls off your list, it’s not a bad stop. It’s quick, and easily visible right from the parking area with a nice little park next to it.
The dam is about 5 ft high and doesn’t have any particularly outstanding characteristics. It’s basically a cement wall. Below it are a few natural drops, very short and spread out pretty far from the dam. There’s not much in the way of a mill pond or any historic buildings on site.
History
Abram Smith and Lawrence Read where some of the first settlers here around 1807. Smith built the first gristmill and Read the first general store.
The Crocker family was among the first settlers, leading to the village being originally known as Crockershire. It was later changed to Florence, but upon obtaining its first post office, was forced to choose a more unique name: West Falls.
By the late 1800s there were no less than 4 sawmills in the village. 1886 and 1909 maps show one saw mill erected just downstream from the falls, with a mill race leading through it and through a gristmill further downstream.
West Falls Interactive Map
West Falls Media
Videos
Coming soon…
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.
Who to Contact
No contact information
