Devil's Hole State Park — Attraction in Town of Lewiston

A beautiful place full of history and adventure. The trail is rather old so is well marked by wear, the stairs are sometimes steep with loose points but if you pay attention it's not unsafe. I smoke cigarettes and am not a athlete lol but the hike is definitely do able. on the way back up you have plenty of spots to stop and rest, just make sure you let others past if they are moving faster! The real treasure of this hike is about .2 miles after the second set of stairs going back up. You will find large flat Rocks along the rapids you can lay out on, fish off of, watch the jet boats roar by whatever your doing it's a beautiful spot. Some spots are full of loose rocks so and is rather difficult to navigate if you have bad ankels or shoes on but I have done it in flip flops which is not advised but gives you a idea of the terrain. People do fall and die almost every year but because they are going off the trail so it's very important you STAY ON THE TRAIL you will find plenty of smaller trails leading to the Waters edge along the way so no need to make your own. One water fountain is at the entrance of the trail so Bring water as you will need it especially for the hike back up. Leave no trace of your presence so others can enjoy its natural beauty the same way you did and have...

One of the best hiking spots I've found in Western NY that's a short, easy drive from Buffalo. If there's one piece of advice I'd give, it's to be prepared for the climb back up. Going down the stairs and doing the entire trail from the Devil's Hole stairs all the way down to what looks to be the ruins of an old concrete pier, and then back to the stairs is a relatively moderate exercise. The trail has very easy level portions and near the far side is advanced rock falls to climb over that can be tricky. However after all of that, the climb back up can be BRUTAL. I'm a youngish person in ok condition and I have to stop frequently to rest up to continue the climbing. By the time I get back up, I'm utterly exhausted, but it's an exhausted in the best possible way and despite that, it's well worth the trip and effort you put in. You can take either the DH stairs back up or about halfway back you can take the Whirlpool Park stairs. The Whirlpool stairs are easier to do than the DH stairs, but they're still tough. Keep that in mind if you're running low on energy on the way back from the far end. Lastly, be sure to take...

I would call this one of the local secrets around the falls. Most tourists come to the falls and either look at the falls, go on the Maid of the Mist boat tours, the trail behind the falls, or the casinos on the Canadian side. Few people talk about Devil's Hole State Park though.

The park itself isn't really remarkable. At first glance, it looks like a regular vista point that over looks the river. However if you adventure a bit more, you'll fine a trail that will bring you down to the river. The hike down involves navigating your way through some man made stairs that are stable but not fully flat. The hike is definitely worth the effort because the hike gets easier and the view gets better. The hike from the trail to the whirlpools is approximately 4 miles each way. The are parts that are well shaded and some that are open to the sun. So be sure to bring some sun block, some water, and wear some good shoes for a long trip.

Note: some of the other trails that lead down to the river are closed for maintenance so be sure to stay on...