EXPLORING PRATTS FALLS

Hike #2 for the Savich family as we explored another beautiful place in Upstate NY. Pratt's Falls are located in Manlius, NY which is only 25 minutes from our house. The location seems like its in the middle of NoWhere, because it is tucked behind a hill some where in Manlius. These year all of the falls are flowing really well in the area because of the frequent rain. 

Upon entering the park there is a small box for a $2.00 parking fee. It's an honor based system. 

We the parents were also very excited to try out the new Insect Repellent made by Young Living. It repels all insects really well, especially ticks. The soaring tick population in the Northeast has become a major problem so this is one way to protect our family from a potential bite.  

Ariana has been doing really well in her carrier and doesn't mind the bouncy ride on daddy's back. We are in full force this summer, training our young kids for the greater and more rewarding hikes in the Adirondack's. Out of the 3, Adrian has showed the most interest, with Alexis slowly becoming more interested. 

Pratt's Falls is one of the shortest hikes to the falls in the area. However, we decided to explore the park little more and instead of turning left to the lower falls we turned right on the blue trail. This trail goes around the rim of the gorge. We didn't go the full length but its something to consider in the future. We did take a small trail of the trail which lead to camp that is rented out separately. This added another mile to our trip. 

Due to the rain, there were several wet and muddy spots on the trail. Adrian was the most tempted to keep on marching through the mud as he has done in the past but this time it was a great teaching opportunity that muddier is not better. 

To avoid a larger mud pool we had to go off-trail a little bit and it was a nice challenge for the kids. 

After we got to the falls and enjoyed them all to ourselves for a few minutes, a few more groups arrived shortly thereafter and we had the opportunity to get a family photo.

The lower falls is one of two outlooks. The other one is at the top along the road just before entering the parking lot. 

STATS:

Distance: 1.22 miles

Duration: 40 minutes with 3 kids

Difficulty Level: Beginner but with plenty of stairs