My plans for the day were completed ahead of schedule which left the afternoon open for exploration. I had already visited Foster Falls back in 2019 but that was from the east side which is limited due to the viewing angles and places to stand. This time I’m heading in on the west side of the Potato River to see what I can find. The sun was plentiful and skies were clear but the falls themselves were in the shade – actually somewhat ideal for photography. Leaves are looking pretty nice as well.
I parked where the road crosses the river and hiked down the 2-track that appears to see a fair bit of traffic from 4 wheelers and probably snowmobiles. It’s a short hike (more like a walk) and aside from jumping across the rocks by the falls is easy enough for just about anyone to do. Once you reach the falls area there is no official trail but it’s easy to find footworn paths through the woods. Some spots have pink marking tape on tree branches so look for that as well.
If you reach the river and can’t understand why this place is worth visiting, then nothing I say here can help you. Hopefully this photo speaks for itself. This is a view of the first drop of the falls and shows how it bends around 90 degrees before starting the larger drop off to the left. Leaf colors upstream are spectacular.
Here’s a wider angle view at the same spot to better show the surroundings. Again, you can see how the river is calm upstream, bends around like a horseshoe on that first drop, and then continues downwards off to the left.
Zooming in on the top drop shows more detail. The initial section isn’t a large falls of itself but even from this photo you can see the river elevation changing somewhere around 10 feet rather quickly.
Looking downstream from the same spot, views of the forest are better than the falls. From here you need to carefully make your way down the rocks for a better vantage point.
Here’s another look at Foster Falls from the top but closer to the water. Again, due to the viewing angle it isn’t much to look at. Rocks are smooth and slippery near the water so be safe and move back 10 feet or so for better grip on your shoes.
Here’s a view of Foster Falls from the bottom. I didn’t have a wide lens with me so this is a little bit cropped but still the best view from the western shore.
Downstream waters return to being nice and calm. I was the only person here today and I could have stayed until sundown just soaking it in. But you probably already know me better than that – time to keep ‘er movin!
Long Exposure
Only one long exposure today for that dreamy water effect. All my shots were less than perfect due to a small lens flare – not bad, just won’t win any photography contests. I’m relatively pleased with it but there is always room for improvement.
Video
Here’s a short video of the hike and the falls in action.
Hiking Data
Here’s my hiking path to the falls today. Access is very easy – just park off Casey Sag road in the large gravel turnaround, walk the two-track, and make your way through the woods when you hear moving water. Notice the map showing the road ends? If you have a 4×4 with enough clearance and visit when water levels are reasonable you can drive across. I didn’t have my rear differential breather installed yet so I had to drive all the way around again (though I have since fixed that item and next time would be different).
Stats confirm this one is pretty easy and short. Only about 1/3 of a mile round trip and much of that is me playing on the rocks for camera angles. I think the elevation change is less than my data shows – seems like the GPS app freaked out at the lowest point of the river which is common in these ferrous rocky areas.
