Off The Trails: A Hiker's Guide to the Outdoors

Located right in the heart of Ithaca New York, this magnificent waterfall sits just outside of the Cornell University campus. Located on Fall Creek and standing about 150ft tall and nearly 175ft wide, this cascade waterfall is a popular attraction for tourists and college students alike.

Ithaca Falls is one of six named waterfalls along Fall Creek before emptying into Cayuga Lake. However, there is much more than just a waterfall along a creek. Fall Creek and the City of Ithaca are located in an area known as Fall Creek Gorge or Ithaca Gorge. A gorge is a V-shaped valley with steep rocks on each side. This valley can be a few hundred feet wide, or in this case, many miles wide.

Fall Creek begins at Beebe Lake, located on Cornell University’s campus, and continues a few miles through Ithaca and empties into Cayuga Lake. Cayuga Lake is one of the longest and deepest lakes in the region (435ft deep and 38 miles long). Fall Creek Gorge and Cayuga Lake were formed at the end of the last ice age about 2 million years ago. As temperatures warmed and glaciers receded, the ice carved the valley’s, lakes and gorges that make up the picturesque landscape of western upstate New York.

The trail leading up to Ithaca falls is pretty easy, about .25 miles each way. The falls are close enough to downtown that they can be seen from both the Lake Street Bridge (bottom of the falls) and Stewart Ave Bridge (top of the falls). The trail is well maintained and easy to follow. This hike is perfect for anyone passing through the area looking to get out and stretch their legs. Pets area allowed on leash and there is plenty of access to the base of the falls (through the lake street parking lot). If you are ever traveling through the area I would encourage you to check out this gem, located just outside downtown Ithaca.

Parking: Parking lot on Lake Ave directly across from E. Lincoln St. Approximate address is 299 Lake Street, Ithaca, NY, 14850

AllTrails: https://www.alltrails.com/ar/trail/us/new-york/ithaca-falls-trail