Barberville Falls
Rensselaer County, New York
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Rensselaer County, New York
- Access status
- Short steep preserve trail from a dedicated lot
- The walk
- About a quarter mile return
- Ground & access
- Short but steep descent with steps and placed stones; careful footing is needed, especially in snow. Often muddy.
Barberville Falls is a 92-foot waterfall on the Poesten Kill in the Barberville Falls Preserve, Poestenkill. The Nature Conservancy owned the preserve until 2019, when it passed to the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance (now merged into Hudson Taconic Lands). From the main lot, the yellow-marked Falls Trail soon begins a steep traversing descent to the bottom of the falls, past stonework from an unfinished mill. Return the same way. The old Falls Trail from the bridge on Blue Factory Road is closed.
Plan your visit
Main lot at 23 Blue Factory Road, yellow-marked Falls Trail down to the bottom of Barberville Falls
Wikipedia gives the Falls Trail round trip as approximately a quarter mile. The separate Ridge Trail loop is about 1.3 miles.
Short but steep descent with steps and placed stones; careful footing is needed, especially in snow. Often muddy.
Where to start
Main parking area at 23 Blue Factory Road, room for 16 vehicles. Limited parking for the separate Creek Trail is across from the cemetery at 280 Plank Road.
Timing & water
Open dawn to dusk. Flow is strongest in spring snowmelt. Private property borders the preserve; obey the signs.
Before you go
No fee is mentioned.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Wynants Kill FallsPartial guide: roadside view only; adjoining land status not statedRensselaer County, NY4.0 miS
- Upper Burden FallsPartial guide: informal urban trail; which falls carries the name Upper Burden Falls is not settledRensselaer County, NY7.3 miW
- Smart's CascadeRensselaer County, NY7.3 miW
- Lower Burden FallsPartial guide: preserve trail past several Wynantskill falls; which drop is Lower Burden Falls is not statedRensselaer County, NY7.3 miW
Poesten Kill FallsPartial guide: views only; the city prohibits access into the gorge, and park overlook rules are not publishedRensselaer County, NY7.4 miW- Piscawen FallsPartial guide: public city park; walking route to the falls not describedRensselaer County, NY7.6 miNW
Upper Burden Falls26 ft (8 m) · Rensselaer County, NY7.7 miW
Lower Burden FallsRensselaer County, NY7.9 miW- Corning Cascade FallsRensselaer County, NY7.9 miW