Ausable Chasm

Ausable Chasm, on the Ausable River near Keeseville in northeastern New York, is one of the oldest tourist attractions in the United States and one of the most geologically dramatic landscapes in the Adirondack region — a 2-mile gorge carved 100 feet deep into 500-million-year-old Potsdam Sandstone, with sheer canyon walls sculpted by the fast-moving Ausable River into fluted columns, potholes, and sculpted rock galleries that earned it the nickname “the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks.”

First opened to tourists in 1870, Ausable Chasm has been a family attraction for over 150 years, offering a guided walking tour along the canyon rim and into the gorge, a whitewater tubing adventure through the lower chasm rapids, and rappelling experiences on the sandstone walls. The gorge is a geological showcase of Cambrian-age Potsdam Sandstone, one of the finest exposures of this formation in the northeastern United States.

Summer (late June through August) is the peak season — the whitewater tubing operates at full capacity, the canyon walks are fully staffed, and the Ausable River is at a safe and enjoyable tubing level. Late June and July offer the best tubing conditions (water level is optimal and temperatures are warm enough for the river experience). August is the most crowded month; weekends require advance tickets. Fall (September and October) offers spectacular foliage visible above the canyon rim, smaller crowds, and excellent walking conditions (the chasm walls are at their most dramatic in horizontal fall light). Spring brings high water (the tubing may be suspended during flood conditions; the gorge walk is excellent). Check ausablechasm.com for current seasonal availability and booking requirements.

Ausable Chasm was opened to the public in 1870 by William Lay, making it one of the oldest continuously operating tourist attractions in the United States (older than Yellowstone National Park, which was established in 1872). The chasm drew visitors by carriage from Lake Champlain steamboat landings in the 19th century; the Erie Canal and the railroad subsequently brought tourists from New York City and New England to experience the dramatic gorge. The Ausable Chasm Company has operated the attraction continuously since 1870, making it a remarkable example of multi-generational private management of a natural attraction. The chasm is a beloved multi-generational family destination for northeastern New York and Vermont visitors — grandparents who tubed the chasm in the 1960s now bring their grandchildren. The chasm sits adjacent to the Ausable River’s confluence with Lake Champlain.

Ausable Chasm is carved in the Potsdam Sandstone — a Cambrian-age quartz arenite (pure quartz sandstone) deposited approximately 500 million years ago in a nearshore marine environment when a warm, shallow sea covered northern New York. The Potsdam Sandstone is one of the most geologically significant formations in the northeastern United States — its well-rounded, well-sorted quartz grains record one of the earliest Paleozoic marine transgressions across the ancient Precambrian basement of the Canadian Shield. The Ausable River’s rapid erosion into the sandstone (accelerated by glacial meltwater floods at the end of the Pleistocene) created the chasm’s sheer walls, potholes (circular depressions carved by rotating stones in the river current), fluted columns, and sculpted formations. The gorge exposes 500 million years of sandstone in 100 feet of wall height — a geological clock visible in the layered canyon walls.

Ausable Chasm’s gorge and river corridor support distinctive canyon wildlife — cliff swallows (nesting in the sandstone wall crevices, with entire colonies visible from the gorge walkways in summer), belted kingfishers (hunting the clear Ausable River from perches on the chasm walls), American dippers in the fast-water sections, common mergansers in the river pools, peregrine falcons (nesting on the higher sandstone cliffs near the chasm rim), white-tailed deer in the surrounding forest, and wild brook trout in the cold Ausable River headwaters upstream. The Ausable River is one of the finest wild-trout rivers in New York State; the cold, clear water supports exceptional brook and brown trout populations in the upper reaches.

The Ausable Chasm microclimate creates a distinctive ecological niche — the gorge bottom is significantly cooler than the surrounding landscape (10-15 degrees cooler on summer days as cold air drains into the canyon floor), supports moisture-loving fern and moss communities on the canyon walls, and acts as a refugium for cool-adapted species in an otherwise warming Adirondack edge landscape. The Ausable River upstream of the chasm is managed as a prized wild-trout fishery by the DEC; the chasm section is a designated Exceptional Quality cold-water fishery. The surrounding northern hardwood and mixed-conifer forest transitions to the Champlain Valley agricultural landscape at the chasm’s eastern edge, creating an ecotone of notable biodiversity.

Ausable Chasm holds a unique and cherished place in the cultural heritage of northeastern New York — one of the oldest tourist attractions in the United States (open since 1870), a landscape that predates the National Park System and has been drawing visitors for more than 150 years, a multigenerational family destination with an intensity of personal memory for northeastern New York and Vermont families, and one of the most dramatic geological showcases in the Adirondack region. The chasm’s combination of whitewater tubing, gorge walking, rappelling, and the sheer visual drama of the Potsdam Sandstone walls creates an experience unavailable anywhere else in the northeastern United States.

Ausable Chasm is located at 2144 US Route 9, Ausable Chasm, NY 12911, about 12 miles south of Plattsburgh via US-9 south. From I-87 (the Adirondack Northway), take exit 34 (Keeseville/Ausable Chasm) and follow US-9 north 1 mile. The attraction has a large parking lot. Ticket purchase and advance reservation are strongly recommended for summer weekends (check ausablechasm.com for current pricing and booking). Plattsburgh (12 miles north) has full services; the Champlain Valley has numerous lodging options. The ferry across Lake Champlain to Vermont at Port Kent (4 miles east) connects the chasm to the Vermont shore. Check ausablechasm.com for current hours, availability, and any seasonal schedule changes.

The Ausable Chasm Company manages the attraction as a private natural area with strong conservation stewardship — the sandstone canyon walls, potholes, and formations are irreplaceable geological features; do not scratch, carve, or collect any material from the canyon walls. Stay on designated walkways and trails; the sandstone edges can be unstable. The Ausable River below the chasm flows into Lake Champlain; the river is protected as an Exceptional Quality water body. The adjacent DEC-managed Lower Ausable River is a quality wild-trout stream; respect all fishing regulations. The peregrine falcon nesting sites on the upper cliff faces are monitored seasonally; heed any posted nesting-season closure signs.

The whitewater tubing experience is a true river adventure — participants will get wet from head to toe; wear clothes that can get wet and be prepared for the cold water temperature (the Ausable River is fed by Adirondack snowmelt and remains cold into July). Life jackets are provided and mandatory for tubing; non-swimmers and weak swimmers should assess their comfort level before booking the tubing experience. The canyon walkways involve ladders, stairs, and uneven surfaces; sturdy closed-toe shoes with good traction are required (sandals are not appropriate for the gorge walk). The rappelling experience requires following all guide instructions precisely; no prior experience is necessary but physical comfort with heights is essential. The gorge floor can be slippery from spray and algae; exercise caution on all wet surfaces.

Admission fee required for all activities (check ausablechasm.com for current pricing by activity type). Advance reservation strongly recommended for summer weekends. Appropriate footwear required (closed-toe shoes for gorge walk; secure water shoes or sneakers for tubing). Life jackets mandatory for tubing (provided). No pets on the canyon walkways (pets may be leashed in the parking area). No collecting of rocks, formations, or geological materials. Photography welcomed; no commercial photography without prior permission. Check ausablechasm.com for current operating hours, seasonal schedule, activity availability, and any weather-related closures before visiting.

Plattsburgh (12 miles north — a full-service city on Lake Champlain with the Plattsburgh Air Force Base history, the SUNY Plattsburgh campus, and ferry access to Vermont), Lake Champlain (3 miles east — one of the great lakes of the northeastern United States, with sailing, paddling, excellent lake trout and landlocked salmon fishing, and the Vermont Green Mountains visible across the water), the Adirondack High Peaks (30 miles west — Lake Placid and the High Peaks Wilderness), Point au Roche State Park (12 miles north — a Lake Champlain beach and nature area), and the Vermont shore (accessible via ferry from Port Kent, 4 miles east) define the region. Ausable Chasm anchors the northeastern Adirondack tourist corridor between Plattsburgh and Lake Placid.

Book the combined gorge walk plus tubing package for the full Ausable Chasm experience — do the gorge walk first (morning, when the canyon light is best in the east-facing sections) and then tube the lower chasm in the afternoon (the water is slightly warmer by early afternoon). Bring a change of clothes and a dry bag for valuables if you’re tubing — you will be fully wet by the end of the tubing run. The Table Rock overlook at the beginning of the gorge walk is the finest single viewpoint — the canyon walls and the river below frame perfectly for photography in the morning light. In fall, the canyon is significantly less crowded and the foliage above the sandstone rim creates an extraordinary color contrast; mid-October is the finest single week for fall-foliage canyon photography.