Ausable Chasm & Lake Placid, NY
August 2025
The chasm began its formation 500 million years ago during the Cambrian Period.
Ausable Chasm was created by the spasms of the earth as ancient sandstone split by geologic faults and scouring by receding glaciers followed by erosion from the rushing waters of the Ausable River.
[Click on Image for Map]
Climbers on the far chasm wall.
This formation is known as elephant head because of the resemblance to the frontal view of an elephant with trunk.
The umbrella on the chasm floor is the staging area for the climbers we saw on the prior image.
Looking up river below the Route 9 bridge toward the upper falls and hydroelectric plant.
There are a total of five miles of trails and walkways along the chasm; ranging from “easy” to more difficult depending upon the terrain. The trails give some amazing views down into the chasm.
You can really appreciate the layers of sandstone which have been eroded by the river over millions of years.
Another great example of the layers of sandstone that make up the chasm walls.
A close up image of the sandstone layers and you can appreciate the moss and lichens growing on the walls.
Upstate NY and VT have been particularly dry this summer, so this river is runner much lower than usual. The flow is still impressive through the chasm, but in a normal year it would likely be even more so.
In some places we can really appreciate how the rushing water had actually undercut the sandstone creating these small caverns below the surface.
One of the ticket packages includes a inflatable raft ride down part of the chasm. Here the staff lower the rafts down from the top of the chasm to the guests waiting to board down below.
One of the rafts making its way down the chasm.
Much like we saw on our Mississippi River ride, rivers are not static entities. Rather, floods and erosion leads to course changes over the lifespan of a river. Here is a dry chasm bed where the river once passed, but has now been diverted over the course of time.
A few additional images looking toward the upper falls and hydroelectric plant. This is just such a nice vantage point that we stopped and took a few more photos under different lighting conditions later in the day.
This view if from atop the Route 9 bridge over the chasm.
The upper falls and hydroelectric plant.
We were here just 18 months ago and took this same photo; but, it is just such a remarkable view. This is from the outdoor terrace of the Olympic ice rinks looking down on Lake Placid, the speed skating oval and the Adirondack Mountains as a backdrop.
Inside the Herb Brooks Arena, the site of the Miracle on Ice in 1980. Figure skating practice was taking place.
Notice the three Olympic Hockey jerseys hanging above the far end of the rink; #15 - Mark Wells, #16 - Mark Pavelich, and #20 - Bob Suter are honored with their jerseys hung above the rink as they are the three players from the 1980 team who are no longer alive. One would imagine that someday, all the players jerseys will hang above the rink in this fashion.
