{"id":4146,"date":"2019-10-12T21:51:43","date_gmt":"2019-10-13T04:51:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mattfife.com\/?p=4146"},"modified":"2019-10-12T21:51:43","modified_gmt":"2019-10-13T04:51:43","slug":"eternal-flame-falls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?p=4146","title":{"rendered":"Eternal Flame Falls"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

About 30 miles south of Niagara Falls, just below the Canadian border in northwestern New York, inside Shale Creek Preserve about a half-hour drive south of\u00a0Buffalo, lies a hiking trail with an unusual payoff, if you can find it:\u00a0Eternal Flame Falls<\/a>, a waterfall tucked away in a grotto that contains a natural \u201ctorch\u201d about 8 inches high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ground at the base of Eternal Flame Falls emits a steady supply of natural gas, which rises from deep below the surface up through fault lines and into the open air. This, in turn, is what lights the flame, found on the waterfall\u2019s right-hand side about 5 feet up from the creek bed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flame is visible year-round, but the waterfall can run dry in the summer and often is only fully flowing in the spring. If you go right after there\u2019s been some decent rainfall, you\u2019ll get to enjoy the waterfall\u2019s full effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flame stays lit on its own, but bring a lighter just in case — occasionally it goes out, in which case it\u2019s your duty as a good citizen to relight it. It ignites quickly, with a distinct \u201cpop,\u201d so maybe try one of those extra-long candle lighters if you\u2019re nervous.
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