Find Out Why "Ithaca is GORGES!"

If you haven’t been to nearby Ithaca, then it’s time to discover how the phrase, “Ithaca is GORGES!” came about. With over 150 waterfalls and cascades gushing through glacial ravines and gorges, Ithaca has one of the most interesting landscapes in the world. You can take self-guided hikes on well-marked trails to see the most breathtaking and exhilarating sites nature has to offer. Some of these locations offer narrated tours.

Taughannock Falls State Park houses one of the most outstanding natural attractions of the Northeast: its namesake, the Taughannock Falls. Carved from the bed of an ancient sea, Taughannock Falls makes the highest drop east of the Rockies with a 215 plunge past rocky cliffs into Cayuga Lake. Gorge and rim trails offer spectacular views from above and below, and the Gorge Trail, which is three-quarters of a mile in length, winds along Taughannock Creek to the overlook at the base of the falls. The park offers organized activities including gorge tours and summer concerts along the lakefront.

Robert H. Treman State Park is an area filled with wild beauty and is famous for its lifeguarded, deep and rugged pool of water, Enfield Gorge, lined with flagstone steps. Nine miles of winding trails follow other parts of the gorge past a dozen waterfalls, including the 115-foot Lucifer Falls.

Cascadilla Gorge Trail is an historic set of stone trails and staircases and among one of the most picturesque gorges in the Finger Lakes Region. Connecting downtown Ithaca with the Cornell University campus, the trail ascends over 400 feet, taking visitors through ancient bedrock and past six waterfalls. A 50-foot waterfall borders Cornell and boasts a pedestrian bridge suspended 138 feet above the water with excellent views.

Buttermilk Falls State Park takes its name from the foaming cascade and rapids of Buttermilk Creek, which descends more than 500 feet, culminating in a natural pool open for swimming. The park features five trails that wander the gorge, rim and woodlands including one that circles a small lake and another that winds through a natural wetland area.

Ithaca Falls is a 150-foot cascade located within the city and is the last of a series of waterfalls along the hanging valley formed where Fall Creek intersects the glacial trough of Cayuga Lake.

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ― Ralph Waldo Emerson