After briefly stopping at the [free] overlook to get some photos, we decided it would be nice to do…read morethe walk to the falls too, so we chose the Gorge Trail. It was 1 mile each way (from the parking lot to near the base of the falls). The trail was relatively flat and shaded for parts of it (but not all). There were a few benches along the way to take breaks, and water at the beginning of the trail to fill up your water bottle. It costs $10/car to get into the state park but you can use that ticket to get into other state parks on the same day without paying again, which would be great to visit nearby Buttermilk Falls and other parks.

I visited Taughannock Falls State Park about a week ago when my husband and I were in the Finger…read moreLakes for the 4th of July, and I'm glad we included it in our itinerary for our trip. The highlight of the park - and its namesake - is Taughannock Falls, a 215-foot plunge waterfall. That's what we were there to see, but let me explain more about the park. The park crosses Taughannock Boulevard. On one side of the road, is the park of the park with lots of amenities: the marina, boat launches, a beach, a concession stand, bathrooms, a playground, and more. We were there on the morning of the Fourth of July, so lots of families were setting up for a fun day for the holiday: picnics, beach, boat day, etc. On the other side of Taughannock Boulevard is the waterfall and several trails. There is one parking lot by the trails, which was already full when arrived around 9am on Saturday, which was the Fourth of July, but we parked near the entrance on the other side of the park and walked over to the trail. There is signage requiring cars on Taughannock Boulevard to stop for pedestrians; it felt safe to cross. We took a little walk around the side of the park with the amenities, but we were there for the falls. We walked along the Gorge Trail - a .95 mile trail that is very flat. While not paved, it was a flat, wide dirt path, making it much more of a walk than a hike. Compared to other parks with falls in the area, it really doesn't feel like you're *in* a gorge, but you do walk along Taughannock Creek. But it's not quite as beautiful of a trail as some others in the area. But we were for the waterfall, which is incredible. It's worth a sweaty walk (it was a hot, hot day) to get to. We took a million pictures, watched the hawks flying over the falls, and took in the falls for as long as we could before heading back along the Gorge Trail. (Unlike other parks nearby, the Gorge Trail doesn't connect to the other trails, so you have to return on the same trail.) It might not be my favorite of the state parks we visited during our time in the Finger Lakes, but the waterfall is stunning and well worth a visit. It's also a great option for anyone who wants to visit a waterfall but isn't up for a more challenging hike, as the Gorge Trail is extremely flat and easy!

A shady 1-mile walk along a creek down to Buttermilk Falls. Then ride back ;-)…read more Our last nature outing on this visit (Jul 2026) was a one-mile hike along Buttermilk Creek. We got dropped off on King Road near the upper-park lot. The shady Gorge Trail off the west end of the bridge was mostly-downhill, past Heart Pond and the small Pinnacle Falls. Those were about a quarter of the way. The rest was always within hearing if not within sight of the musical stream and the sometimes-chattering birds. There was some fencing to guard you from a cliff's edge, and a couple of stone stairways to climb. The reward was the gently-sloped but raucus Buttermilk Falls. The signs warn "No Swimming", which was tempting. We planned our pickup right there, off NY-13 Elmira Road by the State Park office and parking lot. A lovely serene 1-mile walk. Another gift from Ithaca.

We stopped briefly to see the falls and there were lots of people swimming, picnicking and…read moresunbathing during our visit. It's $10 to park but we used our ticket from our earlier visit to nearby Taughannock falls to get in. We didn't explore the whole park but I'd consider coming back to do so, to walk one of the trails.

Glad I got the chance to check out this check trail. It's been closed since I moved to Ithaca for…read moresome maintenance and just the winter but it's well worth it. You know it starts in the heart of College town right next to the theater in the law school and immediately spectacular fall with the stone arch Bridge. It's gorgeous the Falls continue Cascade down several bends and turns the trail comes right up to the Falls just pouring right next to you as your Spencer Street. There's another arch bridge and the final cascading Falls at the bottom. It was pretty nice. It was. It's kind of picture box by a nice little cherry blossom or I think maybe an apple rose blossom or something but well worth it on this nice spring day to check out now that it's open if you go to Cornell, definitely check it out. It's well worth it and it drops you off right at commons. So if you're taking the street to the commons from college town, considered this and said it's great.

This awesome trail is right in downtown Ithaca. Parking is a little tricky, but there are free…read morespots and park to pay spots. Definitely read the signage! I read some reviews about this trail before going and everything was accurate and amazing. It's a simple enough trail that is just over 1 mile out and back. Dogs are allowed and there are several steps. It's very peaceful and beautiful. There is a waterfall around every corner!

Out of the hikes I've done around Ithaca, Robert H. Treman State Park has been my favorite. The…read moregorge trail and rim trail loop offers beautiful views of the Enfield Glen gorge and waterfalls, especially with the fall foliage. It's moderate difficulty. There is a swim area by the bottom parking area. Both times I've visited this park it was closed due to being off season in October. $10 per car. You can use the receipt to enter any NY state park on the same day.

Robert H. Treman State Park was the last of the state parks in the Finger Lakes we visited a week…read moreor so when we spent the Fourth of July in the area, and it was a great way to say goodbye to the region. The park encompasses both sides of Enfield Creek and has several options to enjoy. At one end of the park is the Upper Park Entrance. This entrance has the Old Mill and access to all three hiking trails and is closer to the Lucifer Falls. (If you want to see Lucifer Falls without a hike, park at the Upper Entrance and you're not too far from Lucifer Halls - an easy flat walk to it, really.) The other end of the park is the Lower Park Entrance. It has camping areas (well used over the Fourth of July weekend when we visited - we saw tons of families enjoying the holiday weekend here), access to the Gorge Trail and Rim Trail, the Lower Falls (a waterfall with a swimming hole at the base - the swimming pool even has a diving board!), and everything else you need for a day of swimming and exploring (bathrooms with showers, picnic pavilions, etc.). We parked at the Lower Park Entrance (the lot was almost empty around 9am on a Sunday morning - even though it was a holiday weekend) and started off on the Gorge Trail, which is a 2.12 mile hike along Enfield Creek. This was probably the hardest hike we did at any of the state parks we visited over this holiday weekend (Watkins Glen, Buttermilk Falls, and Taughannock Falls). It was steep. I also didn't think it had the best views for the first mile - you're not quite as close to the water or *in* the gorge as you are on some of the other Gorge Trails. But once we got down to the creek, the views were beautiful (a few small falls), and it wasn't as crowded as the other trails either. (FYI: it was buggy and humid and hot, so if the weather is hot, definitely start early.) I had read on AllTrails that the hike up to Lucifer Falls was tough, so I was a little worried. But actually I didn't find it the hardest part of the hike at all. And Lucifer Falls was absolutely the highlight of the hike and the park for us. It's a 115-foot waterfall and it sort of winds and meanders in this incredible way - different from the other falls we saw on our Finger Lakes hikes. If you're visiting the park, do not miss Lucifer Falls. We returned to the Lower Entrance on the Rim Trail, which wasn't as beautiful as the Gorge Trail, but ended up being a treat, too, for a surprising reason. The Rim Trail didn't take us back to where we had parked our car. It does take you near to the Lower Entrance, but on the South side of the Creek. So when you finish the trail, there's a sign telling you how to get back to the Lower Entrance Parking, and that way back happens to take you past the Lower Falls. So we got to see the Lower Falls - tons of people swimming and diving (with plenty of lifeguards, too). We now know to save some time for a swim at the base of the Lower Falls the next time we visit this park! There are a lot of great parks, hikes, and trails in the Finger Lakes, but I really enjoyed our visit to Robert H. Treman State Park. Lucifer Falls is special, and the park was a great way to get some exercise and get some amazing waterfall shots, too.

A nice hike to some lovely falls (Jul 2026). Please read the warning signs! Some of the pools were…read morecontaminated by Civil War lead-shot factories and so are not safe for swimming. We had to alert some international travelers who were swimming here with their children, and direct them to a safe spot. While I"m giving tips, the floor of the gorge is a light gray limestone. The crumbling walls of the gorge are shale, too flakey for climbing. At the very top of the cliff walls are sturdier layers of sandstone and siltstone.

Lovely water falls in Ithaca ny. I'm posting again just because it's such a great place ... and I…read morenoticed I had a really great photo that I didn't pass on the first go around. This duck with the baby on here back is a merganser.

This Nature Preserve was recommended to us by a local. Not really well advertised and therefore a…read morelittle difficult to locate I resorted to nerdy aerial map searches and drive-by's. Eventually we pinpointed the turnoff to it's gravel parking area! The next morning we brought the "woof-pak" for still on the 1.0 mile looping trail. A daily easy hike. About half mile in there's a cooling break on the east shore of Cayuga Lake. Van Riper is a well maintained wooded nature preserve. The trail clearly marked with blue blazes down and back up the gentle slopes of the protected tract of land. Look for the road sign and pull in for a pleasant wooded stroll.

Had a wonderful chat with volunteer Bob at the visitor center before heading out on the 3+ mile…read morenature drive. He gave us some tips about where we might see certain types of birds and he was absolutely spot on!! We spotted a pair of bald eagles in the tree line and after a 5 minute wait or so, they treated us to a flight right over the car to soar over the water on the other side of the drive. It is absolutely amazing that this wonderful resource is free to enjoy. The visitors center is accessible to those using mobility equipment and the drive is a wonderful way to enjoy the wildlife without a hike.

Very pretty reserve, lots of wildlife. If you like birding this is a good area to be in. This is…read moreonly a drive through trail but there are lots of walking trails nearby!

Get there early get there early get there early. 9 AM is not early. We arrived at 8:45 and we had…read moreplenty of space to walk for about 20 minutes. After that we had to rush through the most popular sites due to the number of groups coming through. All that said this is an AMAZING hike. The guide at the South entrance very helpfully sketched out the best ways to see the popular sites based on how far we wanted to walk. This is doable for littler kids if you walk slowly. $10 for parking is a bargain.

Not sure where to start outside of. Why haven't you been here yet?!…read more I can clearly see why this state park is rated one of the best. 19 waterfalls in under 2 miles?! Say no more sign me up. Yes they may not be epic cascading falls with millions of gallons of water, but Watkins Glen is an epic place to visit. There is a bit of construction going on for the summer 26 season so do a little research for best places to park or what trails may be impacted. It does absolutely nothing to lower the charm of this park though. If you are in the area and bypass this you have truly missed one of the state's gems!

Wonderful waterfalls hike and easy. Park in dirt parking area and the falls is in view right away…read more If you follow the water upstream you will come to a bigger falls you can walk behind. There is also an upper trail. Beautiful area. Be careful of poison ivy. Water shoes are recommended. Uneven surface and slippery conditions.

A wonderful place to enjoy. We always take a trash bag to…read moreclean up after those that are inconsiderate.

Thursday, August 13, 2020 " Raven Cliff" Waterfall outside of Montour Falls, NY located in Havana…read moreGlen Park.. Tony & I was there celebrating his birthday weekend. Very lovely area with small fee of $2