| Directions
Located on NYS Route 73, this site is just south of the
hamlet of Saint Huberts, which is on the stretch between
the village of Keene Valley and the northern intersection
of routes 73 and 9. Look for the signs for the Giant
Mountain Wilderness Area. The parking area for AMR
is directly across the road.
|
| County: |
Essex |
| Town: |
Keene |
| USGS Map: |
Mt Marcy |
| Waterway: |
Gill Brook |
| Latitude: |
N 44° 05' 59" |
| Longitude: |
W 73° 49' 14" |
| Drop: |
90' |
| Type: |
Ribbon cascade |
| Region: |
Off NY 73 near the hamlet of St. Huberts |
| Parking: |
Unpaved lot |
| Trail type: |
Dirt/rock |
| Length of hike: |
About 4.2 miles, one way |
| Difficulty: |
Moderate |
| Accessibility: |
Access by easement |
| Name: |
Official |
|
Fairy Ladder Falls is not actually within the Adirondack Mountain Reserve.
It is located on Gill Brook, which does contain a number of
other drops that we discuss on this website.
Access can be made through the AMR as allowed by an easement agreement.
Also, be aware that it is possible to get to Fairy Ladder Falls
through state land without entering the AMR. We have not
made that trip and we understand that it is a vigorous hike so
we are not including that here.
It
has come to our attention that the owners of this land are
becoming increasingly annoyed by those who show up with
inadequate information trying to access it. It should be
noted that the listings for all of the locations within the AMR
have been on this website for well over ten years. We have
clearly stated the status of the locations here, including many
of the restrictions and conditions for access. In an
effort to reduce the increasing friction between the owners and
the public hikers, we are urging people to refer to our page for the general information on
The Adirondack
Mountain Reserve. This includes information on
the reservation process which is currently in effect. It is one click and will only
take a minute or so to read, but it may save a significant
amount of grief to everyone involved.
From the guard shack at the AMR, take the Lake Road until reaching
the Gill Brook Trail. From there, it is about a 2.3 mile hike
up the trail and then a 0.2 mile bushwhack
It is said that, of all of the Adirondack waterfalls, this
one is the highest above sea level. It is the only
waterfall in this area that we have not yet been to.
According to Tony Goodwin, Executive Director of the ATIS,
"Fairy Ladder Falls was named by Verplanck Colvin and is best
seen at high water. It is a stiff hike and a very thick
bushwhack to get to the base of the falls, although hikers can
get glimpses of the falls from the marked trail - again at high
water."
All of our photos have been contributor submitted. Our
thanks to Robin Salvatore and John Holmes for that. The
last photo in the array contains a hiker to show the size of
this waterfall.
The Gill Brook empties into the East Branch of the Ausable River
not far downstream from here. The east branch joins forces
with the west branch at Au Sable Forks to form the Ausable River,
which empties into Lake Champlain in the town of Peru.
Last update: October 30, 2022
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