When one hears mighty and waterfall in one sentence around here the topic usually is Niagara Falls. This morning though that is what immediately came to my mind as I approached the Lower Akron Falls. There was so much rumble, there was so much noise! And most of the rocks I use in the fall to hop across the creek were not there! The few days leading to this morning had below freezing temperatures resulting in an icicle paradise, a true Western New York winter wonderland.

While the waterfall, especially with its low summer and fall flow, is quite a romantic place, the name of the creek it is on is less so. Akron Falls are on Murder Creek and there is a legend behind the name, as well as a later actual tragedy.

Akron Falls is part of the Erie County Park System located along Murder Creek in the town of Akron, not far from Buffalo, NY. It actually offers two natural waterfalls, Upper & Lower Akron Falls. Upper Akron Falls is generally inaccessible. The Lower Akron Falls, about 40 feet in height at the upper shelf, can be viewed either by following the dirt trail along the creek and later up into the woods and a viewing area, or by branching off the trail where it starts heading up and following the creek to the Falls. Here, conditions vary significantly with season and weather. In Spring after snow melts the waterfall is rather strong at both its lower portion and also the top. In summer, it can be reduced to trickles and the whole upper portion dries up entirely.