Monroe County, New York

Waterfalls Near Rochester, NY

7 named waterfalls lie within 30 miles of Rochester, 3 of them inside 10 miles. High Falls is the closest at 0.5 miles to the north. Fall Brook Falls earns the best visitor rating nearby (4.2 stars from 27 Google reviews). Most of the falls are south of Rochester.

Distances are straight-line from the town center. Driving routes are longer.

Photo of Buttermilk Falls in Genesee County, New York
Pictured: Buttermilk Falls, NY

Best Waterfalls Near Rochester at a Glance

Illustrated featured image for High Falls in Monroe County, New York
Closest

High Falls

0.5 miles north of Rochester.

7 Waterfalls Near Rochester, Ranked by Distance

  1. High Falls

    Rochester, NY · Monroe County · 0.5 mi north of Rochester

    High Falls is the closest named waterfall to Rochester, 0.5 miles to the north in Monroe County. USGS notes: Southernmost of three large waterfalls on the Genesee River in the City of Rochester, New York. The city cites the height as 96 feet.

    Address
    Monroe County, NY (GPS 43.1614, -77.6134)
    View details Directions

  2. Middle Falls

    Rochester, NY · Monroe County · 1.6 mi northwest of Rochester

    Middle Falls lies 1.6 miles northwest of Rochester in Monroe County, number 2 of 7 by distance. USGS notes: The central of three large waterfalls on the Genesee River in Rochester, N.Y. The falls is approximately 25 feet in height. The nature of the falls has been altered over time by structures to divert water to the penstock of a hydroelectric power station.

    Address
    Monroe County, NY (GPS 43.1764, -77.6280)
    View details Directions

  3. Lower Falls

    Rochester, NY · Monroe County · 1.8 mi north of Rochester

    Lower Falls lies 1.8 miles north of Rochester in Monroe County, number 3 of 7 by distance. USGS notes: Northernmost of three large waterfalls on the Genesee River in Rochester, N.Y. The city lists its height as 85 feet.

    Address
    Monroe County, NY (GPS 43.1796, -77.6280)
    View details Directions

  4. Honeoye Falls

    Honeoye Falls, NY · Monroe County · 14 mi south of Rochester

    Honeoye Falls lies 14 miles south of Rochester in Monroe County, number 4 of 7 by distance. Its own nearest town is Honeoye Falls.

    Address
    Monroe County, NY (GPS 42.9519, -77.5914)
    View details Directions

  5. Buttermilk Falls

    Le Roy, NY · Genesee County · 21 mi southwest of Rochester
    2.9 (28 reviews)

    Buttermilk Falls lies 21 miles southwest of Rochester in Genesee County, number 5 of 7 by distance. It draws more Google reviews than any other waterfall near Rochester. Its own nearest town is Le Roy.

    Rating
    2.9 (28 Google reviews)
    Address
    Le Roy, NY 14482
    View details Directions

  6. Triphammer Falls

    Avon, NY · Livingston County · 22 mi south of Rochester
    2.6 (12 reviews)

    Triphammer Falls lies 22 miles south of Rochester in Livingston County, number 6 of 7 by distance. It ranks 3rd for review count among waterfalls near Rochester. Its own nearest town is Avon.

    Rating
    2.6 (12 Google reviews)
    Address
    Avon, NY 14414
    View details Directions

  7. Fall Brook Falls

    Geneseo, NY · Livingston County · 28 mi south of Rochester
    4.2 (27 reviews)

    Fall Brook Falls lies 28 miles south of Rochester in Livingston County, number 7 of 7 by distance. It ranks 2nd for review count among waterfalls near Rochester. Its own nearest town is Geneseo.

    Rating
    4.2 (27 Google reviews)
    Address
    Geneseo, NY 14510
    View details Directions

Where the Waterfalls Are

Rochester sits in or near the Finger Lakes and Western New York area of New York. Few places pack in waterfalls like the Finger Lakes. Around Ithaca, Ithaca Falls lies within walking distance of downtown, Taughannock Falls drops into a deep amphitheater in its state park, and Lucifer Falls tumbles through the gorge of Robert H. Treman State Park. In Schuyler County, Shequaga Falls drops right in the village of Montour Falls and Hector Falls can be seen from a bridge on Route 414. Carpenter Falls in Cayuga County spills off a limestone overhang. Farther west, the Genesee River descends through deep gorges in Livingston and Wyoming counties, and Niagara County holds American Falls and the rest of Niagara Falls. Read the New York waterfall guide.

By direction from Rochester: 3 to the south, 2 to the north, 1 to the southwest, and 1 to the northwest. They are spread across Monroe County (4), Livingston County (2), and Genesee County (1). The average distance is 12.7 miles.

By Distance

Within 10 miles of Rochester

High Falls (0.5 mi), Middle Falls (1.6 mi), Lower Falls (1.8 mi)

10 to 20 miles of Rochester

Honeoye Falls (14 mi)

20 to 30 miles of Rochester

Buttermilk Falls (21 mi), Triphammer Falls (22 mi), Fall Brook Falls (28 mi)

Nearby Towns With Waterfalls

Waterfalls Near Rochester: FAQs

How many waterfalls are near Rochester, NY?

7 named waterfalls lie within 30 miles of Rochester: 3 within 10 miles, 1 10 to 20 miles, 3 20 to 30 miles. Distances are straight-line from the town center.

What is the closest waterfall to Rochester?

High Falls in Monroe County is the closest, about 0.5 miles north of Rochester.

What is the best-rated waterfall near Rochester?

Fall Brook Falls has the highest Google rating among nearby falls with at least 10 reviews: 4.2 stars from 27 Google reviews. The most reviewed is Buttermilk Falls.

Which counties are the waterfalls near Rochester in?

Monroe County (4), Livingston County (2), and Genesee County (1).

How does Rochester compare with other New York towns?

Rochester ranks 76th of the 88 New York towns in our directory for the number of waterfalls within 30 miles.