Jamestown Falls

Colton , Saint Lawrence County, NY , USA

No Known Alternate Names

Jamestown Falls is a short wide waterfall on the powerful Raquette River in Colton. The access is a one lane narrow rutted drive into the woods. The woods open up, there is a small sandy beach, and there are signs that this is a popular fishing spot. You hear the roar of the falls, and off in the distance, you see a flat, wide stripe of whitewater. To reach the falls, there is a rough fisherman's path up the side of the river. The rounded rocks near the base of the falls are slippery and potential ankle-turners, so be wary. Across the river, there is a small cabin. I saw no roads on the map leading to the area of the cabin. The access is probably via 4wd track. The owner must be pretty happy with his or her slice of paradise.

You'll need telephoto if you're shooting from the end of the one lane road, but you'll need a wide angle if you're near the base of the falls. A polarizer here is key, as the pool below the falls is broad. Composing the falls with the pool in the foreground will eliminate the sky, unless it's a sunny day in which case you may wish to include the sky. Lighting here is quite even as the falls have a wide open exposure facing north.

The access requires a little trial and error. About 2.5 miles north of Sevey Corners, the intersection of Routes 3 and 56, a small dirt road leads east off Route 56.

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