This is a very beautiful and agrestal area. This park is not very developed but the scenery is fantastic. If you are looking to step up your hiking game, this is the place to do it. Both Carpenter Falls and Bahar Nature Preserve can be reached from the same small parking lot on Route 41A just outside of Skaneateles. The two attractions of the unique area are in opposite directions and each trail is not very long but together make a great excursion. If you want to really challenge yourself, you can hike all the way down to Skaneateles Lake from here.
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Carpenter Falls
Bear Swamp Creek flows out over the steep drop-off, creating Carpenter Falls, a 90-foot-tall, single-drop waterfall. This waterfall was fairly unknown until recently. Carpenter Falls is exceptionally pretty, with moss-covered walls in the summer and ice-covered walls in the winter.
The trail to Carpenter Falls has received a major upgrade. What once was a slippery muddy path, is now a flat boardwalk that leads to a viewing platform. This wonderful new addition has made this gorgeous waterfall accessible to everyone.
There is a staircase that leads down from the boardwalk, so people can get a closer look at the falls from the bottom. This trail is steep, and I wouldn’t recommend the hike down if you have bad knees. If you decide to climb down to the falls, or up around them, be especially careful, two people fell from the top of the falls during the Summer of 2020. Neither died, but they were severely injured.
Bahar Nature Preserve
Bahar Nature Preserve trail travels in the opposite direction from Carpenter Falls and leads down to Skaneateles Lake. I have heard that people carry and launch their canoes and kayaks from here, but honestly, I can’t even begin to imagine that. This isn’t the easiest trail to hike without having to haul a kayak with you.
There are several waterfalls in the creek, but to see them properly requires a dangerous descent to the bottom of the ravine. We were able to descend by the top to the waterfalls, but getting back up the hill was nothing short of exhausting. However, the falls were completely gorgeous and worth all the effort. I only recommend this to experienced hikers.
The trail follows the cliffside for most of the trail. Visitors are warned not to deviate from the trail due to the steep terrain. Regardless, the preserve is absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it down to the lake because we found the snow-covered trail too slippery, and as it was close to the edge, we thought that it would be safer to return in late spring or early summer. Which we absolutely plan to do.
When we returned again in the summer, we decided to forgo the Lake and check out the amazing waterfalls that are down in the ravine. Not an easy hike but definitely worth it. Make sure that you wear proper footwear. This is not a place for flip-flops even if you do plan to go down to the creek. This is a fantastic hike for a hot day. The waterfalls are magnificent.
Trails
These trails are not for beginning hikers. The trails are primitive and not what you would call family-friendly. I would not feel comfortable bringing young children here. Much of the trail hugs the ravine’s edge and when muddy, wet, or snow-cover, it is very slippery. Proper footwear here is an absolute must.
While these trails aren’t long, they are steep in some areas. If you are up for an adventure, you couldn’t ask for a better one. This is a beautiful and wild environment that is incredible to hike through. If you want to visit a place to truly connect with nature, this is the greatest place.
The trail that leads down to Skaneateles Lake isn’t well marked; we lost it a few times. The hike down to the lake is totally worth it. Be warned: the trail ends on a road around private cottages. There is a stairway that leads down to a small beach on the Lake. It is really pretty, but please remember to respect the land of the homeowners around you.
Wintertime at Carpenter Falls and Bahar Nature Preserve
Our last visit to Carpenter Falls and Bahar Preserve was just after a big snowfall. The fresh fallen snow was absolutely exquisite along the boardwalk and throughout the woods.
We were the first people to visit after the snow and were able to walk through the undisturbed snow not only on the boardwalk but through the forest.
I love waterfalls, but I love them even more in the wintertime when the ice and snow transform them into something truly magical. Even though we had had a fairly warm winter up until this point, it didn’t take long for the icicles to begin to form around the falls and ice around the pool below.
After visiting Carpenter Falls, we decide to hike down to Skaneateles Lake through the Bahar Nature Preserve. The hike on this trail is difficult to follow normally, but it was even harder in the snow. We played it safe and didn’t attempt to reach the other waterfalls in the preserve.
I think the best part of our visit was reaching the shore of Skaneateles Lake. It was so silent and calm. Vastly different from the summertime when the lake is bustling with the traffic of boats.
Getting to Carpenter Falls
Take 41A south from the Town of Skaneateles. Turn left on Appletree Point Rd. The parking area is a little bit past the bridge, which, if you walk back, will give you a great view of the falls from the top. (warning: be careful looking over the bridge. Two teenagers fell from the bridge not too long ago.)