Back in June we were took a little expedition up to Cohoes to explore the Erie Canal a little bit at The Flights. A short side-track route back to HQ caused use to pass by Cohoes Falls.
The Cohoes Falls are about 1000 feet wide and range between 75 high at one side to about 100 feet high at the other. They were a significant hindrance to navigation on the Mohawk River. One of the primary reasons that the Erie Canal was built was to get around these falls.
Although the Cohoes Falls are famous locally, their are not particularly well-known these days outside of the Capital Region. In fact, the Cohoes Falls were, at one time, nearly as popular as Niagara Fall at the other end of the state.
Water flow over the falls varies depending on the time of the year. Much of the Mohawk is diverted through the Erie Canal at Lock 6 or through the generators at the hydroelectric dam. On the day we visited the flow was, as you can see, quite scenic.
There are two places to easily see the falls. One is the North Mohawk Street at School Street in Cohoes. The other is the Falls View Park at .