New York’s Capital Region Backyard Gems: Cohoes Falls

As much as we love the trips that have us ‘wheels up’ headed to some tropical paradise, sometimes…just sometimes, its those hidden gems located right in your backyard that offer some of the best opportunities. The appeal of travel destinations and vacationing can often make one take for granted some of the hidden wonders close to home. We are fortunate enough to live in an area where there is a great deal to see and do, so on days where our schedule permits we often plan out a field trip. Our goal fun in the sun with some learning to match. Today’s itinerary (about 5 hrs) included a trip to the Cohoes Falls, some recess at Craner Park, and Brown’s Brewery for lunch.

The boys are still at an age where any body of water excites them, so naturally they were pretty stoked about the idea of going to see a waterfall. Personally, I have driven past this area on numerous occasions and I didn’t have the slightest clue about this place, not only was this the location of a waterfall but was also a culturally historic landmark.

We followed the GPS directions to the Cohoes Falls which took us to a side street just off the main road that connected Cohoes and Troy. We made our way to the area that overlooked the falls which was literally a stones throw away. I must admit at this point I was like hmm…is that it!? We did see some people down below much closer to the Falls so we knew there must be another entry where we can get a little closer to the action.

We got back on track with a 5 minute walk to the main entrance. Sure enough this is where we were supposed to be, there was even a designated parking for those who were visiting the Cohoes Falls.

There was a bridge and a path that lead down to the Falls and the hydro-electric plant located on site.

Along the way there were many signs that gave some of the historical context of the area, we made sure to read each and every one, asking questions to the boys along the way.

With all the amazing gadgets in the palms of our hands it can be easy to overlook some of the wonders of yesteryear. This is exactly why we love taking the boys to museums and historical sites, we feel it can be liberating, on some level, to look at the world from a slightly different vantage point, even if only for a moment.

Upon entering the Cohoes Falls View Park we read about how important this area was and how the Canals & Waterways streamlined a thriving industry via factories, mills, and even became home to the largest cotton manufacturing establishment in all of North America (Harmony Manufacturing Company). This was all news to me but what we learned next may come as an even bigger surprise.

This location also happened to mark the site of “One of the Great Events in Human History”, as its touted. The Kanyanerekowa (Great Law of Peace) was brought to the Kanyenkehaka (aka Mohawk) peoples long before the foreign invaders arrived on Turtle Island (America) and this truce/ peace treaty led to the formation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy), the world’s oldest union of free nations. A tree of peace was planted to commemorate the event, it’s truly fascinating how much history there is all around us.

We made our way across the bridge and down toward the falls, snapping plenty of photos along the way.

Even got to teach a little horticulture along the way, stopping to enjoy the huge lambs ear plants growing everywhere!

Once we had our fill of the falls we headed over to the playground to let the boys run free.

Oh how they love the playground!

We spent a about 1.5 hrs on the playground then decided it was time to go have some lunch at one of our favorite restaurants Brown’s Brew Pub located in Troy, New York.

Eating some good food, enjoying the gorgeous day from the outside patio, and waiting out that I-87-N  rush hour traffic, whats not to love.

In the end we learned a lot, played a lot, and most importantly enjoyed another family venture. A few tips that may be helpful for you if this trip is up your alley. There were a few picnic tables scattered around the park, perfect for a small lunch and/or boardgames. There were also portable bathrooms available on site. We suggest comfortable walking shoes/sneakers for this trip (you must be able to climb stairs to get to the lower portion of the falls), we did observe that the majority of the park was handicap accessible as well. Cohoes Falls View Park is worth a visit and with 3-5 hours you can make a nice little day trip out of it… perfect for a family with small children.

Let us know about your favorite day trip location below!