Salmon River Falls is a huge waterfall in the rural side of Upstate New York near Pulaski. This is one of my favorite summer day trip destinations, and a spot that I show my friends from out of state when they come visit me!

In this blog, I’m going to share how to find Salmon River Falls, and give you tips for exploring and swimming at the base of the falls.

How to Find Salmon River Falls

Salmon River Falls is located in Oswego, just east of Pulaski. To reach the parking lot, you’ll take exit 34 from Route 81 and drive about 15 minutes through the back country. The parking lot is small but it is usually quiet here so you should have no problem finding it.
Coordinates: 43.548, -75.941.

Explore the Falls

You can view the falls from two spots: at the top and at the bottom. The hike to the top of the falls is fairly easy. When you reach the top, you can explore upstream and also near the edge of the waterfall (carefully). That is how I got the picture you see to the left. It’s honestly one of my favorite pictures I’ve taken! My friends and I picnicked at the top for lunch. It was super peaceful and there were only a few other people there.

After our picnic we made our way to the base of the falls. And getting to the base, on the other hand, is a little trickier. There is a path created to get to the bottom but it isn’t professionally done. Meaning, it’s not paved and you can lose your footing easily. Despite the fact the path is barely there, the hike down is definitely worth it! Once we neared the bottom we encountered signs about “no swimming allowed”, however, people swim there all the time. So we continued on past the signs as if we didn’t notice them and jumped in! The water was so refreshing. I definitely recommend adding this to your summer day trip bucket list in Upstate New York!