Wender·Vista
High Falls Gorge near Wilmington
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileNew York
on the AuSable River near Wilmington, in the Adirondacks

High Falls Gorge near Wilmington

— the river the granite refuses to release.

Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
a note from the studio

A narrow granite gorge cut by the West Branch of the AuSable, where the river drops in four steps just below Whiteface Mountain. Steel walkways and bridges run inches above the water. The walls glow red where iron in the Marcy Anorthosite catches afternoon light. Wilmington village is two miles east; the gorge itself has been a private nature site since 1899.

from the studio
High Falls Gorge near Wilmington
— bring it home

High Falls Gorge near Wilmington, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

about High Falls Gorge near Wilmington

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
the place

High Falls Gorge sits along Route 86 between Wilmington and Lake Placid, in the town of Wilmington, Essex County. The West Branch of the AuSable River drops about 120 feet through a series of four falls cut into 1.1 billion-year-old Marcy Anorthosite, the same Grenville-age bedrock that forms Whiteface Mountain two miles to the northwest. The site has operated as a privately owned nature attraction since 1899 and covers about twenty-two acres of fenced walkways, bridges, and forested trails.

the water

The West Branch of the AuSable carries cold snowmelt off Whiteface and the MacIntyre Range, joining the East Branch near Au Sable Forks and reaching Lake Champlain at Ausable Chasm. Through the gorge the river is forced into a chute roughly fifteen feet wide, and the four-step drop totals close to 120 feet. The pools below each step hold native brook trout. The river is one of the most carefully regulated wild-trout fisheries in the eastern Adirondacks.

the visit

High Falls Gorge is open daily from late spring through October, with a separate winter season for ice walks once the falls have frozen. The trail is a self-guided loop of about half a mile on steel and wood walkways with railings; the cliff edges are fenced. A cafe and gift shop stand at the entrance on Route 86, four miles north of Lake Placid and two miles south of Wilmington village. Tickets are sold at the entrance.

where
United States · Essex County, New York
within
Adirondack Park
elevation
411 m · 1,349 ft
position
44.3494° N · 73.8772° W
the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
5 km NW
Whiteface Mountain
peak
3 km E
Wilmington
village
8 km SW
Lake Placid
village
at the lake
AuSable River West Branch
river
N
High Falls Gorge near Wilmington
Whiteface Mountain
Wilmington
Lake Placid
AuSable River West Branch
common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about High Falls Gorge near Wilmington — and about bringing the piece home.
about the place

On Route 86 in the town of Wilmington, Essex County, New York, about four miles north of Lake Placid and two miles south of Wilmington village in the Adirondack Park.

The river drops roughly 120 feet through four distinct steps cut into the gorge. The largest single drop is about 70 feet, viewed from the lower steel walkway.

Marcy Anorthosite, a coarse plagioclase-rich igneous rock about 1.1 billion years old. It forms the core of the Adirondack High Peaks, including Whiteface, Marcy, and Algonquin.

Yes, on a separate winter schedule when the falls freeze into blue ice columns. Visitors are issued ice cleats at the entrance and the walkways are kept clear of snow throughout the season.

High Falls Gorge has been a privately operated nature site since 1899. The current operators maintain the walkways, the on-site cafe, and the trail under New York State environmental oversight.

about the piece in your home

It has carried well for visitors who stopped on the drive between Lake Placid and Wilmington and for AuSable fly anglers. The granite-and-water composition reads quickly. A Small or Medium with a note works.

The cool granite tones and white water sit easily in Adirondack Camp, Mountain-Modern, and Lodge Traditional rooms. The piece reads well over a stone hearth or a stair landing.

Yes. The current move toward place-specific art over generic waterfall prints favours pieces tied to a known gorge. A High Falls tile reads as rooted in the AuSable corridor.

A single Large suits a console. For a sofa we usually point people to a four-tile Mural, and a nine-tile Mural for a full statement wall above a sectional.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and handle steam and splash for backsplashes, powder rooms, and shower walls. The Glossy finish is for framed wall display.

A microfibre cloth with warm water. No abrasive pads or solvents. The colour lives in the ceramic surface beneath the finish, so it will not rub away.

Yes. Every piece is painted in the studio's own visual language and finished in-house in Knoxville, Tennessee. We do not license images and we do not resell other artists' work.

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