Tompkins: Waterfalls, Forests and Trails

Waterfalls, gorges and wetlands bring a range of natural highlights to a trip to Tompkins. There are also trails through forests and guided bird walks, as well as opportunities to explore Ithaca’s history. If you’re looking for a hotel, consider which of these experiences you’d like to shape your stay.

Waterfalls and Gorges

Taughannock Falls is 215 feet high. Robert H. Treman State Park has twelve waterfalls, including Lucifer Falls, which is 115 feet high. Comparing these two heights gives a concrete sense of the range of the waterfalls, without treating the different sites as a single sightseeing destination.

The landscape around Buttermilk Falls also tells a story of water: the state park is named for a foaming cascade formed by Buttermilk Creek on its way to Cayuga Lake. Larch Meadows is a wetland within the park, with a nature trail running through it. Those interested in geological history can find shale and sandstone from the Late Devonian in Enfield Glen—the Treman Gorge in Robert H. Treman State Park.

Forests, Wetlands and Trails

Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary covers 425 acres of forest, ponds and marshes, and is home to a diverse range of wildlife. The Wilson Trail is a 0.75-mile loop around Sapsucker Woods Pond. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology also hosts guided bird walks there every week: Saturdays and Sundays at 8:30 a.m. If you’d like to plan your visit around one of these walks, check the latest information before you go.

Other trails take you through very different landscapes. The Cayuga Trail follows Fall Creek Gorge from the Cornell campus to the Town of Dryden. About five miles of the Finger Lakes Hiking Trail run through Shindagin Hollow State Forest.

For summer trips to Cayuga Nature Center, TCAT Route 22 is listed, with stop number 2932. The service is seasonal. If you’re planning to take the bus, use the stop number as a reference and check the schedule for your travel date.

Combine Nature and History

A stay doesn’t have to revolve solely around trails and waterfalls. The History Center in Tompkins County offers a guided, ten-block tour through downtown Ithaca about the history of Prohibition. Robert H. Treman State Park is also home to the Old Mill, built in 1839, which recalls the area’s architectural history. These cultural experiences offer a different focus from the natural areas: one explores the city’s history, while the other visits a specific historic building.

When choosing a hotel, it may help to first decide which experiences you want to prioritize on your trip: birdwatching, scenery and hiking trails, or history. The options mentioned range from a guided bird walk at a set time to trails with different, explicitly stated route details.

Discover more destinations: Dryden, Brooktondale, Trumansburg, Ithaca, Allegany County, Niagara County, Columbia, Otsego.

For the full travel overview: New York.