If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind Upstate New York adventure, this hidden gem checks a box no other place on Earth can.
Located just outside Buffalo and a scenic road trip from NYC, Eternal Flame Falls offers one of the world’s most surreal natural phenomena: a roaring 35-foot waterfall with a bright, flickering fire burning directly behind the cascading water. Even more–it’s the only one of its kind on the planet!
Here’s why this rare spot needs to be on your NY bucket list—and how to plan your visit.
See a waterfall with an actual flame burning inside it
Eternal Flame Falls is split into two cascading sections, but the real showstopper isn’t the water—it’s what sits inside a small grotto to the right of the cascade.
Tucked into the shale rock is a natural gas leak that keeps a 3- to 9-inch flame continuously burning behind the falling water. While most natural gas leaks across the globe emit methane, the gas at Eternal Flame is composed of roughly 35% ethane and propane. That rare chemical mix makes the phenomenon extraordinarily unique.
Local legends once attributed the blaze to everything from ancient Native American fire rituals to local folklore about forest spirits and sightings of elves in the area.
For decades, scientists believed hot bedrock was cooking the shale and releasing gas—a theory that was later disproved. To this day, researchers still don’t fully understand how the deep rock layers below stay warm enough to keep the gas flowing.
Hike the flame-marked trail through Chestnut Ridge Park
You don’t need to be an expert mountaineer to reach the falls. The site features a dedicated parking lot and a streamlined trailhead built specifically to handle visitor interest.
The walk from the lot to the falls is roughly half a mile each way. To keep visitors on track, the trail is clearly marked with small flame icons stamped along the route.
- Trail Distance: ~1 mile round-trip
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate (can get very muddy after rainfall)
- What to wear: Sturdy hiking boots or shoes with good grip
Plan your visit from NYC
Eternal Flame Falls makes for an ideal weekend road trip from New York City or a quick side quest if you’re visiting Buffalo or Niagara Falls.
It’s located in Chestnut Ridge Park’s Shale Creek Preserve, roughly a 6- to 7-hour drive from New York City and just 25 minutes outside of Buffalo.
The park is open daily year-round from 7 am to 9 pm. While summer brings full green foliage and easy hiking conditions, early spring is the best time to visit if you want to see the waterfall cascading at full volume.
During late summer and early fall, the water flow often dries up to a trickle—though the flame itself burns year-round.
Pro tip: Winds can occasionally blow the flame out, so pack a long lighter just in case you need to reignite it!