October 18, 2026

Ausable Chasm: Rafting the 'Grand Canyon of the East' This Fall

If you have not heard of Ausable Chasm, it is probably because it lives in a part of the Adirondacks that is just far enough from everything to stay under the radar. That is the appeal. The chasm is a 10,000-year-old sandstone gorge with walls up to 150 feet, a river running through the bottom, and a nickname — the “Grand Canyon of the East” — that it mostly earns, which is more than most nicknames manage.

Getting There

About 4 hours from Bergen County, so this is a weekend, not a day trip — do not try to squeeze it into a Saturday or you will spend the whole time driving and none of it looking at a canyon. Take the Northway (I-87) north toward Lake Champlain and get off at the Ausable Chasm exit — the entrance is on Route 9 in Ausable Chasm, NY.

What to Explore

Once you are there, the menu is: a rim walk along the cliffs, a trail down into the gorge past Rainbow Falls and Elephant Head, and — the fun one — a float or raft ride down the river through the middle of the chasm. There is also a rope-and-cable adventure course strung across the gorge for people who want the view to come with a harness and a waiver.

Why Fall Is the Time

The cliffs are mostly evergreen and stone, so the color comes from the maple and birch clinging to the rim — in late October the contrast between the gray rock and the orange canopy is the whole show. The water is cold, the crowds are gone, and the air has that Adirondack crispness you spend the rest of the year trying to describe to people who have not felt it. Make a weekend of it: the chasm one day, a Lake Placid or Lake George drive the next.

Written by Frankie

Frankie is Chief Editor & Marketing Director for Frosty Flame Vehicle Rentals.

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