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

Sitting in Taughannock Creek and towering over 200ft high (215ft to be exact!) is a massive waterfall drawing over 560,000 visitors each year. Taughannock Falls is the largest single drop waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. This waterfall is flanked by cliffs standing nearly 400ft tall. The view from the base can be quite dizzying, but incredible at the same time.

Taughannock Falls is part of the Cayuga Lake watershed and is one of several waterways that feed the massive lark. Two million years ago, as sheets of ice carved out the landscape, but it wasn’t the glacier deposits that created this gorge. Once the ice sheets melted and retreated, the water levels were quite high. Over time as the water levels dropped, Taughannock Creek would have drained right into Cayuga Lake. Over time, Taughannock Creek erodes the limestone and shale and creating the massive waterfall and gorge that are there today. The erosion also helped reveal secrets about the area. Rock layers more than 380 million years ago (during the Devonian Era before the dinosaurs) reveal the presence of an ancient sea covering much of upstate New York.

The source of the name of the falls is unclear. Some suggest it is a combination of Iroquois and Algoniquin terms translating to “great fall in the woods.” Another theory suggests a Lenni Lenape chief (named chief Taughannock) died at the falls during some conflict (I cannot find any more info about this theory).

There are plenty of ways to see this incredible waterfall. If you are looking for a birds eye view of the falls and gorge without a long walk, the overlook is the place to be! Parking is free and there are plenty of places the view the entire waterfall and gorge. If you want to go into the gorge and see the falls from the base, the gorge trail is where you want to hike. The gorge trail (`2 miles) is a well traveled mostly flat and easily accessible. Parking is near Cayuga Lake in the state park entrance and the trail takes you along Taughannock Creek where you’ll eventually reach the base of the falls. The gravel trail is very wide and there are plenty of places to cool off and take a short swim in the very shallow creek. The north and south rim trail is a little more challenging and longer than the other areas (~3 miles and moderate in difficulty according to Alltrails) but will give you a unique perspective of the gorge and waterfalls. Pet are allowed in all outdoor areas of the park and overall the gorge and overlook areas of the park are great for families looking for an afternoon outing!

Note: When I visited, I only traversed the gorge trail and overlook areas of the park. I did not hike the rim, however, I learned it was very popular among visitors. Difficulty and rating are based off my experience and the overlook and gorge trails.

Parking: There are a few different areas to park, depending on what you want to see. The overlook of the falls is very popular with a gift shop near the parking lot. If you want to venture to the base of the falls, you will need to pay to enter the state park and follow signs for the Gorge Trail. If you are looking to explore the 400ft rims around the park, you should park off Jacksonville Road in the smaller free parking lot.

Overlook: 2381 Taughannock Park Rd, Trumansburg, NY, 14886,

Paid State Park entrance for Gorge Trail: 1738 NY-89, Trumansburg, NY 14886

Free Parking for North and South Rims: 7220-7262 Jacksonville Rd, Trumansburg, NY 14886

AllTrails: North and South Rim Trail OR Gorge Trail to the base of the falls