On the surface, JP Nicely looks like the run of the mill town park with baseball diamonds and open spaces. It isn’t until you take the footpath into the woods, that you discover a trail that takes you to a peaceful sylvan retreat with a beautiful waterfall along an enchanted creek.
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Trails
Located at the far end of the park, is the beginning of a loop trail that takes you down to Cazenovia Creek and a lovely waterfall. This is a fairly easy hike through the woods, but if it has rained in recent days, it can be a muddy one. We visited in early winter, and the trail was covered by leaves, making it hard to see, and the trail isn’t as clearly marked as one would like. Trail blazes are few and far between. We found that if we hadn’t looked for particular landmarks, we might have missed the trail completely.
When we visited, we had the entire park to ourselves. It was incredibly peaceful here, as we walked amongst the trees. This is a place that I really want to visit again during summer and autumn, just to see the effect that the leaves have on the area. I can only imagine how beautiful it can be with the brilliant colors of fall.
Cazenovia Creek & Falls
There is a long stretch of trail that runs along Cazenovia Creek, and it is beautiful. The embankment on the park side is flat and wide. The scenery is dramatically different across the creek, where the embankment is high with a steep drop-off.
The real treat at this park is the waterfall. I particularly like this one because of the way this waterfall stands out across the creek, flowing down the embankment. The stark contrast between the flat beach-like ambiance of one side of the creek and the vast cliff that run the length of the opposite shore is splendid.
Unfortunately, you can only get to the base of the falls when the weather is warm enough to permit crossing the creek. Incidentally, this creek is a great place to cool down in the summer.
Getting to JP Nicely Park
Address: 401 W Falls Rd, West Falls, NY