Eternal Flame Falls
The Eternal Flame Falls is a small waterfall located in the Shale Creek Preserve, a section of Chestnut Ridge Park. Locally, it belongs to Orchard Park. First among the places near it is Highmark Stadium, at 5.3 mi.
A waterfall inside Orchard Park
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 17°, with about 109" of snow a year. When to go ↓
You can stay in Orchard Park
Eternal Flame Falls is inside Orchard Park, which has 8 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep
May, June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 68–80°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures and Wikipedia.
Picking a season
Use the months below to time a visit to Eternal Flame Falls.
Eternal Flame Falls
The Eternal Flame Falls is a small waterfall located in the Shale Creek Preserve, a section of Chestnut Ridge Park in Western New York. A small grotto at the waterfall's base emits natural gas, which can be lit to produce a small flame. This flame is visible nearly year round, although it can be extinguished and must occasionally be re-lit.
- Type
- Waterfall
- Wikipedia readers
- 40K a year
Where to base yourself for Eternal Flame Falls
For a bed close by, look to Orchard Park (8) and Buffalo (43).
- 1Highmark Stadium
- 2Ralph Wilson Stadium
- 3KeyBank Center
- 4USS The Sullivans
- 5Sahlen Field
- 6USS Little Rock
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Eternal Flame Falls | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orchard Park | in town | — | 8 6 hotels · 1 motel · 1 RV park | 29,804 | $361K | B |
| Buffalo | 14 mi northwest | 20 min | 43 30 hotels · 8 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel · 1 campground | 274,613 | $164K | D− |
| Cheektowaga | 14 mi north | 20 min | 39 34 hotels · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds | 88,160 | $185K | D |
| Hamburg | 6 mi northwest | 10 min | 13 6 hotels · 2 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 60,768 | $251K | B− |
| West Seneca | 9 mi north | 15 min | 9 7 hotels · 1 motel · 1 lodge or cabins | 45,469 | $233K | C+ |
| Hamburg | 5 mi west | 5 min | 5 4 hotels · 1 inn or B&B | 9,840 | $249K | A |
| Lancaster | 16 mi northeast | 25 min | 18 12 hotels · 4 motels · 2 lodges & cabins | 45,075 | $278K | B+ |
| Amherst | 21 mi north | 30 min | 35 28 hotels · 4 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds | 130,442 | $312K | C |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Nearby, too
Other well-known places within 31 miles.
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaHighmark Stadium
Big draw31 mi WaterfallNiagara Falls
Big draw25 mi Stadium & arenaRalph Wilson Stadium
314 mi Stadium & arenaKeyBank Center
414 mi MuseumUSS The Sullivans
31 mi WaterfallHorseshoe Falls
514 mi Stadium & arenaSahlen Field
614 mi MuseumUSS Little RockPhoto credits
Highmark Stadium: James161723, CC0 · Niagara Falls: Robert F. Tobler, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ralph Wilson Stadium: User Evilarry on en.wikipedia, Public domain · KeyBank Center: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS The Sullivans: Unknown, Public domain · Horseshoe Falls: Ujjwal Kumar, Public domain · Sahlen Field: Quintinsoloviev, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS Little Rock: PH2 J.E. Higgins, U.S. Navy, Public domain
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Know before you visit Eternal Flame Falls
Is Eternal Flame Falls in Orchard Park?
Yes. It’s inside Orchard Park, NY.
When is the best time to visit Eternal Flame Falls?
May, June, July, August and September, with highs of 68–80°.
What is the closest airport to Eternal Flame Falls?
Buffalo Niagara (BUF), about 17 miles away.
Where should I stay near Eternal Flame Falls?
Buffalo (14 mi, 43 places to stay), Cheektowaga (14 mi, 39 places to stay) and Hamburg (6 mi, 13 places to stay).
Tips from people in Orchard Park
Start the conversation in Orchard Park’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.