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    Cascadilla Gorge Trail

    4.8 (29 reviews)

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    Joe C.

    Glad I got the chance to check out this check trail. It's been closed since I moved to Ithaca for some 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.

    Lilly B.

    This awesome trail is right in downtown Ithaca. Parking is a little tricky, but there are free spots 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!

    Megan C.

    Heading to Ithaca for a visit? Cascadilla Gorge Trail is an absolute MUST do. I would recommend grabbing lunch in the commons and then taking the two block walk over to the gorge entrance at Court Street. You can take the walk all the way over into Cornell and browse around there if you have the time. We went with our puppy dog and didn't make it the whole way, but WOW - what a treat this walk was. Stop and take it all in! This "walk" is actually quite a workout with hundreds of stairs and lots of opportunities to fall into the gorge. The rocks are incredibly slippery and there are many spots that are not safe to enter in. When you find the spots that are, I highly recommend getting into the water! My dog is usually pretty afraid of water and walked right in with me. The views are incredible and we went on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon during Coronatimes, and didn't find it too crowded. Again, if you're planning a visit, this is a must must must. Happy walking and enjoy the rush!

    Cristina R.

    GORGES!!! Such an amazing paved trail with spectacular views of waterfalls and bridges right on the Cornell campus. It's an absolute must-do if you're in Ithaca! We went around 4 PM on a weekday in mid-November, and it wasn't crowded at all, so we were able to get some nice photos. Everyone we did see was wearing a mask. :)

    Alex L.

    This is a beautiful trail that takes you past six waterfalls in Ithaca. The Yelp location will take you to one of the entrances and there is plenty of free street parking. Sometimes they close the trail due to slippery conditions and apparently there's been some deaths with people falling in. If you are lucky or resourceful enough to get on the trail, it's a nice hike with a beautiful gorge, many waterfalls and tranquil nature. You don't get a total nature immersion as you would in a forest because there are some houses that are situated above the gorge and you can actually hear the music from some of them, but it's a great little trail nonetheless. Lots of running water and peaceful moments. Definitely a great stop to hit if you're in Ithaca!

    Bill T.

    Unfortunately the day I went, the trail was closed, but I was able to get a picture of one of the falls. It was so beautiful and peaceful there. I hope the full trail is open and not blocked by gates next time I visit.

    Map of these falls
    Jennifer Z.

    Drove around Cornell University and stumbled upon this treasure. Absolutely beautiful trail with waterfalls. We didn't hike the whole thing because we wanted to check out the Commons before they closed, but we will definitely be back to finish what we started! There is street parking nearby. Make sure you read the parking signs that a little confusing. Not sure how strict they are about street parking.

    Looking back from Cornell
    Domenic J. L.

    We were looking for relatively easy trails that we could tackle in an hour or so. Cascadilla seemed as though it might be too easy, and I couldn't find the actual length posted. I did want to see the gorge around Cornell again, so we gave it a shot. Turned out to be a beautiful hike, relatively short, but hundreds of stairs. I clocked .7 miles one way and an elevation change of 294'. It took us about an hour total, with lots of stops for pictures. Some of the stairs were uneven, so you do need to take some care, and be able to handle a lot of them, especially on a hot and muggy day. But the beauty of the numerous waterfalls along the way make it well worth it. I'd recommend starting at the low end at Cascadilla Park Road and walking towards Ithaca, so you can save the easy downhill for the return. I was lucky enough to find a parking spot on the street right at the trail head.

    Gorgeous!
    Xinting Y.

    Excellent trail. Recommended by a friend from Cornell. Quite short but has over 10 waterfalls. I was in a hurry to get back to the Cornell campus from the Commons area and I started from the west end of the trail. It is definitely the best place to start cause all the waterfalls are coming to you and it was stunning when they appeared. There are some stairs to hike up but not too bad (around 400 feet ascension). The trail is only 1.5 miles in total, I did half the trail and got on to the exit at the college avenue stone arch bridge. It was so refreshing and I almost cannot believe there is such beautiful place underneath the small town when I got up.

    Emily W.

    The BEST place for hiking and climbing through waterfalls! It's free, there's street parking, and it's absolutely beautiful. Kids could totally handle this hike.

    Dewan A.

    Excellent spot. 1) The main gorge has a giant waterfalls with multiple tiers. 2) The first tier of the waterfalls is under a bridge which is covered with nets to prevent Cornell students from commuting suicide. 3) The remaining drops are a quick walk away.

    Cascadilla gorge near top
    Meg A.

    Down trail is doable for the fit but if you have a knee problem it's challenging. That said it was beautiful and scenic. There are some areas you can dip your toes.

    Jessi C.

    We wanted to see some GORGEOUS GORGES (lol see what I did there?) before we left Ithaca, but we were in a rush and didn't have time to leave the city center. Who knew there was such a quick and easy hiking trail right next to Cornell?! The hiking is not really even hiking...It's a paved walking trail with steps, so even children can do this trail very easily. You'll see several waterfalls and have a lot of opportunity for photos. Check it out!

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    Ask the Community - Cascadilla Gorge Trail

    Review Highlights - Cascadilla Gorge Trail

    “Such an amazing paved trail with spectacular views of waterfalls and bridges right on the Cornell campus.”

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    Robert H Treman State Park

    Robert H Treman State Park

    4.7(119 reviews)
    4.4 mi

    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.

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    Robert H Treman State Park
    Robert H Treman State Park
    Robert H Treman State Park

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    Watkins Glen State Park - Beauty in a ugly stump

    Watkins Glen State Park

    4.7(507 reviews)
    19.8 mi

    This was the main reason my wife and I came. A nice walk with a lot of scenic views and waterfalls…read more We did the Gorge Trail, went up to the Suspension Bridge, saw Rainbow Falls, made it up all the stairs at Jacob's Ladder, took the North Rim Trail back to the Suspension Bridge, and then came back out through the Gorge Trail. The hike wasn't difficult, and it was a nice way to spend 2.5 hours. The key is to come early, though. We started at around 7 am, but by the time we were back at the Spiral Tunnel, it was pretty packed with people taking in the views and taking pictures.

    This was the reason for our trip to upstate NY and was the star of the whole show - we knew parking…read moreand seeing the park in general could be a bit tough the later in the day you started but we wanted to sleep in since we were on vacation and visited on a Friday morning at 10am. It was pretty crowded when we arrived but there was parking in the main lot across the street from the park entrance. We also found street parking for free just a few streets over. The trail is stunning but can be tough when there are large crowds. There were a lot of mobility-challenged/older people out on the trail - which is wonderful - but if you are more fit and looking not to get stuck on the stairs - perhaps you should get up earlier. The Gorge is as stunning as it seems in pictures and looks like you can't even believe it is real. We did the entire Gorge from the beginning to Jacob's Ladder, went up, used the restroom and took the North Rim Trail back to Lover's Lane, then over to South Rim and down Couch's Staircase. This made all of our walking a bit different and the crowds were less bad once we hit the Mile bridge area. I think a lot of people bail on Jacob's Ladder. Honestly, I do wish that we had gone ahead and gotten up early to do it when there were less crowds - it would've made the experience more enjoyable.

    Photos
    Watkins Glen State Park - Ode to the Indians who made this area home long before the European settlers came here.

    Ode to the Indians who made this area home long before the European settlers came here.

    Watkins Glen State Park - Tiny Toads... maybe the size of Quarter

    Tiny Toads... maybe the size of Quarter

    Watkins Glen State Park - Little Salamander trying to catch some rays

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    Little Salamander trying to catch some rays

    Cascadilla Gorge Trail - hiking - Updated September 2026

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