Adirondack Mountains are rich in waterfalls but not many of them are really easy to access, especially if you are with kids.
Shelving Rock Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Adirondacks which is also (luckily) easy to hike to.
How Far is Shelving Rock Falls?
Shelving Rock Falls is located near Fort Ann, New York, on the Eastern side of Lake George.
If you are driving from Albany, it will take you about an hour and a half to get to there, and about four hours if you are driving from New York City.
How High is Shelving Rock Falls?
Shelving Rock Falls is 50 foot (~15 meters high).
While it is not too high, it is definitely picturesque with all the rocks its waters are cascading on.
Shelving Rock Falls Trail Map
Finding a way to Shelving Rock Falls is not an easy task. There’s no signs that would point to the waterfall, so we had to do a little bit of a research before going.
You should keep driving the Shelving Rock road until you see a sign to Shelving Rock. This is where you park but instead using that trail, cross that road you were driving, walk a few steps down and turn to the left, across the road. You will see a trail taking you to the forest.
Walk that unmarked trail until you see the waterfall crashing down right from your feet. You will find yourself on top of the roaring waterfall. In summer months you should be able to cross the brook and find a trail down to the base of the waterfall.
Here I’ve marked the trail in yellow, as always:
We were there in winter, so we didn’t venture out across the half-frozen brook. Instead we just found our way down without a trail. It wasn’t too difficult but don’t try it unless you have spikes. It can be quite slippery in winter.
How Long is the Shelving Rock Falls Trail?
The Shelving Rock Falls trail is less than a mile long (back and forth). It is very short and very easy.
Again, you will find conflicting information on the web. This article is only about accessing the waterfall. The trail itself is longer, albeit not difficult. We were there in winter, with kids, so we just visited the waterfall and didn’t hike any further.
Overall, Shelving Rock Falls turned out to be an awesome place. It is not a widely popular destination, so we were all alone there, yet it was definitely breath-taking! Highly recommended!
Another beautiful and easy-to-access waterfall in Adirondacks not to miss is Roaring Brook Falls (Here is the video of frozen Roaring Brook Falls).
