The Great Falls are 77 feet high, and over 260 feet wide. With up to two billion gallons of water plunging into a deep gorge each day, the Paterson Great Falls are an imposing testament to the force of nature and a living reminder of the birthplace of American industry. Standing over 77 feet high and over 260 feet wide, the first written account of a journey to the Paterson Great Falls dates back to 1680 and describes what one adventurous explorer called “the power and wonder of God.” William Carlos Williams writes in his epic poem Paterson “The river comes pouring in above the city and crashes from the edge of the gorge in a recoil of spray and rainbow mists.