Description

Wetumpka Falls is a moderately large, yet little-known waterfall located in Watchung Township. Cascading through a gap in the First Watchung Mountain, it is one of the largest waterfalls in the Watchung Mountains. Its obscurity largely stems from limited visibility and tricky access; while technically visible from the sidewalk, the view from the road is almost nonexistent. Reaching a clear viewpoint requires a short but steep climb down an unmarked path to the water.

The waterfall drops across three distinct tiers, with its largest section in the middle, where the trail ends. To view the upper and lower tiers, visitors must carefully scramble along the rocky edges flanking the water. To fully take in the waterfall, visitors must cross Stony Brook, which can be challenging depending on water levels.

Parking

There is no parking at Wetumpka Falls itself, but visitors have numerous options if they are willing to walk a little. I recommend parking at one of the numerous public parking spaces in and around the Watchung Traffic Circle. On either side of the circle are Watchung Lake and Best Lake, which offer large parking areas. In the center of the circle is parking at the Texier House Museum. My favorite parking area is at Watchung Lake on Stirling Road. This parking is convenient and avoids having to cross the busy circle, as required if parking at the museum.

Wetumpka Falls is located across Somerset Street from the town public works, police station, and courthouse. While you could theoretically park there, Somerset Street is busy, and there is no crosswalk. For a safer visit, I do not recommend parking here.

Directions

1. From the traffic circle, walk down Somerset Street. There is a sidewalk here, walk on the side of the street featuring the sidewalk (walking with traffic).
2. Follow it until you reach a singular, fenced-in bench. It’s across the street from the town public works building.
3. At the bench, cross a guardrail to the left of the fence and follow the faint path. The path soon clears out and steeply takes you the bottom of Stony Brook where you can see Wetumpka Falls.

Posts Featuring Wetumpka Falls

Galley