Fillmore Glen Cowsheds Falls Natural Amphitheater Stock Image

The wooded gorge, with its cool waters, provides a welcome relief during the hot and hazy days of summer. Hikers are not the only creatures who have sought this refuge. Rumor has it that before the state acquired the park in 1925, cows from nearby farms would often wander into the gorge seeking relief. Perhaps not the most noteworthy tale, but it is memorialized by the first named natural feature in the park — the “Cowsheds” — a water-carved stone amphitheater encompassing the first waterfall. It’s another stunning example of the Finger Lakes’ unique geology and the ways water has sculpted the region. In the amphitheater, we see a hard and erosion-resistant limestone capstone that sits above softer shale layers which have been carved away underneath.