Updated July 2026
Eternal Flame Falls
A two-tiered, roughly 30-foot shale cascade in Chestnut Ridge Park whose base grotto emits natural gas that can be lit into a small flame visible behind the falling water. The trail to the creek bed includes box steps and railings added during a 2023 rebuild.
Before you go
Waterfalls are hazardous by nature — wet rock, cold water, and unstable edges — and flow varies enormously with season and recent rain. Trail figures here describe the route as documented, not conditions today. Check Erie County Parks for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Eternal Flame Falls drops about 30 feet. That makes it the 558th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 23% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.
The Eternal Flame Trail reaches it about 1.1 miles (out-and-back) with roughly 134 feet of elevation gain, rated moderate. The nearest town is Orchard Park. That describes the route as documented, not conditions on the day — check with Erie County Parks for closures and current conditions.
spring. Waterfall flow swings enormously with snowmelt and recent rain, so a fall that roars in spring can be a trickle by late summer.
More New York waterfalls
- Awosting Falls · 60 ft
- Bastion Falls · 70 ft
- Beaver Meadow Falls · 60 ft
- Buttermilk Falls (Ithaca) · 165 ft
- Buttermilk Falls (Long Lake) · 20 ft
- Buttermilk Falls · 165 ft
- Carpenter Falls · 90 ft
- Chittenango Falls · 167 ft
Sources
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