Location: Rochester, NY
This waterfall is located right in the city of Rochester, NY in Seneca Park. I hiked this trail on October 30th. We parked at the Wegman Lodge and started walking the paved road behind the parking lot. We then turned left into the woods when we saw an orange trail marker on a tree. This path led down a small hill to a small wooden bridge. The pictures below show this.
Picture 1: The road we walked down
Picture 2: My finger pointing at the left turn off onto the trail
Picture 3: The start of the trail going down to the tiny bridge.
We then followed the trail (Olmstead Trail North) going northward for about 0.5 miles. This path crossed some wooden bridges, past the creek and some cascades, and then led to some stairs. We took the stairs down to the riverside with nice views of the Genesee River and then followed the path south a tiny bit to the wooden platform with a view of Zoo Falls. It was really peaceful and pretty. The waterfall could also be reached by starting on the Olmstead Trail at a different point in the park, but I think starting at the Wegman Lodge is the shortest route to the falls.
The Wegman Lodge parking area is also a short walk to Trout Lake. There are restrooms, a porta potty, a playground, and more picnic areas and benches around Trout Lake.
Trail Map: Park Map & Trail Descriptions; Trail Map
AllTrails: Zoo Cascade & Zoo Falls (The waterfall is at the northern point of the trail where it curves toward the river. To shorten the hike, you can start from Wegman Lodge)
Official Website: Monroe County Parks; City of Rochester
Other Websites: NYFalls; Ruth’s Waterfalls
