The Cohoes Falls

Last Sunday i woke up, and the sky was clear, and the sun was shining, so i grabbed my camera, and went to take some pictures of The Cohoes Falls to share with you... My little city has been working hard to improve it's looks, and one of the bigger projects was to build a park near the falls, and highlight the natural beauty that is right in our own backyards. And literally folks, this is right down the street from my house! I've gone by a zillion times and wished i remembered to bring my camera along. So on this day, i was on a mission... You enter the park by crossing this bridge

That leads to this overlook

to see this.... The Cohoes Falls. And on this day, after a few days of hard rains, they were very impressive!

This is the far side of the falls

The foliage was a little past peak, but still beautiful

the far side

from a distance The water was rushing so hard that the spray was creating the perfect environment for rainbows... and more rainbows

and more rainbows

and more

another shot of the cliffs and the foliage...
This year the city opened a staircase so that you could climb down to the water's edge and get closer to the river

You know, i got halfway down and got so dizzy! (I get dizzy just looking at this picture!) This is a very steep stairway

But it does give you a whole new way to experience the falls

You get so close you get sprayed with the mist from the falls and you can feel the water pounding the ground thru your body

This is a shot of the river just below the falls

I stood and looked at the water and felt the spray and the pounding and crashing and couldn't get this silly smile off my face. It was Awesome!

another rainbow

Ok, so it was chilly, the sun was going down, and i was getting wet and i turned around and this is what i had in front of me ~ a zig zagged pathway and the steep staircase again. And let me tell you, it is more work to get up the stairs than it is to get down!

almost all the way up....

The rapids before the falls

Another view of the lookout

and the rusty colored hills across the river

As you leave the park you face the old Erie Canal that has always run thru our city

and cross the bridge over the canal to the parking area. The park will be closed for the season in another week. But it will reopen in Spring during the Spring thaw, when the falls are really magnificent. I hope you enjoyed this little "tour" of one of the more magical places in my city. I know i did!