Death Brook Falls

If you are looking for a VERY easy hike with a great payoff, Death Brook Falls is the one for you! This is a .6-mile round trip in and out hike to a small but beautiful waterfall. Death Brook Falls is located past Raquette Lake, on the right-hand side of the road, if you are coming from Inlet. There is not an actual parking lot, but rather a pull-off big enough for 3 or so vehicles.

When you enter, you will walk a short distance through the woods, then come to a large clearing. After walking through the clearing, you will come to the woods again where there will be a fork. Venture to the left. At this point, you will easily hear the falls. There is a small hill, but you only gain/lose 20 feet of elevation on this hike. You will see a small stream and some wooden planks you can cross.

The waterfall itself has a 70-foot drop. It's more likely to be stronger during the spring after the snow melts or after a hard rain. The entire area can be kind of marshy and muddy, so make sure to wear older clothing and shoes that you don't mind getting dirty. In the winter, the waterfall freezes into ice in most places which is very pretty to look at and listen to as well. When it is sunny, it is known to throw off a lot of rainbows.

We did climb up the sides of the waterfall, in the woods and looked down from the top. The left side path was steep and hard to climb through, but the right-side path was easier to navigate. I am not saying you should do this. It felt dangerous at times. But it was a nice view from the top.

Based on various internet sources, the waterfall itself is also called Hidden Falls and the trail is also known as Death Falls and Secret Falls. It is near the hamlet of Raquette Lake, and a few sources said the waterfall flows into Death Brook, but I am not sure if that is accurate. Death Brook Falls is part of the Adirondack Waterfall Challenge.