[Tuh-Gan-Ick] Falls state park is one the of most beautiful state park in NY. It has spectacular…read morenatural attractions of waterfalls, and a lake front on the other side of the road The Gorge Trail to the waterfall is very easy to access. I visited in the winter to see the falls frozen over, and the park rangers had done an excellent job keeping the trail well maintained. It takes about 20 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the waterfall, and there's very little elevation change along the way. North Rim trail entrance was close during winter due to ice and snow. But you can skip the dangerous part of the trail by parking at the Taughannock Falls overlook point and start hiking from there. Then you will reach the upper falls. Parking is only $10. lot is small so warmer weather probably will fill up pretty quickly.

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.

Great short walk along the buttermilk falls. There are quite a number of stairs involved as well as…read morerelatively steep paths. Overall the hike should be like an hour from lower falls to upper falls (taking photos and enjoying the view along the way), and half hour on the way back if walking straight no side tracking. You'll know you're at the end of you see the massive stone bridge. Restrooms available at lower falls and upper falls entrances. Ten dollar admission for the day, same ticket can be used for other state parks in the area

As a first time kayaker, I had an amazing, core memory built. I want to continue kayaking as a…read morehobby now. The owners were very kind and instructed me on technique and proper form when rowing a kayak. My partner and I came on a calm morning with perfect weather conditions to kayak (no wind, flat water.) We got the faster kayaks and were able to kayak 2 miles going to see Hector Falls and 2 miles coming back. I truly cannot feel like I understand and know a body of water now without kayaking it first. The price for 2 hours was $52, but given it is the famous, Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes region, I feel it's warranted and definitely worth it. During our stay in the Finger Lakes, for both of us, this was one of our absolute favorite things to do on the trip. When we come back, we will definitely visit this business again. Keep up the amazing work and customer service!

Absolutely love the people at Seneca Lake Kayak, helpful and kind in every way. If you are in the…read morearea or if you are looking for something fun and adventurous to do, this is the place! Your experience from beginning to end will be a reason to keep coming back!

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.

Super easy to get to- free parking on weekends with a short walk. You get to drive around Cornell's…read morecampus too which is a plus! Pretty empty in the summer

This waterfall is more of a walk-by spot, as there's no access to the bottom. However, there's a…read morebeach area and spots to launch a canoe or kayak. The trails appear to circle the lake, offering great fishing opportunities, which were quite popular during our visit. Parking can be a challenge, as most spaces are reserved for the nearby college.

The Cornell Lab does work that helps conserve birds diversity through research, K through adult…read moreeducation, and participatory activities. I first learned of them through a phone app i downloaded to help identify birdsong. We visited on a weekday (Jul 2026), viewing pictures and displays and information about local wildlife. They had a large windowed area looking into wild bird habitats. We walked the trails a little too. It was fun to visit! C'mon out to hike, look, and learn. Join or volunteer or make a donation. It's helping the local birds and birds around the world!

One of the coolest places I've ever been! The outdoor trails are incredible, with beautiful…read morehabitats that attract a wide variety of birds. We saw during our short walk two Osprey and Ruby-crowned Kinglets while exploring. The inside is just as impressive, with one of the best interactive museums I've experienced, full of fascinating specimens and thoughtful learning opportunities in a gorgeous building. The gift shop is well stocked and collaborates with Wild Birds Unlimited. A must see if you're in the area and into conservation or wildlife!

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.

Set sail for True Love, a truly enjoyable time!…read more Bottom Line Up Front: We had a wonderful, relaxing, and fun time for a good price. The Good: The history of the John Alden designed schooner is worth reading before you go. We had some more "salty" members of our group that recognized the name of the schooner from the 1956 movie "High Society" starring Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra and after that we were on board for a wonderful time. We even were seated in the seats once occupied by Gene and Bing. We purchased our tickets after being approached by Terry who negotiated a decent price with us because he wanted a full boat for the next trip. Captain Bill was an experienced Captain and is well known in the area. He got us underway and was a delightful host regaling us with stories about the "True Love", Seneca Lake and surroundings, as well as, some stories about racing the "True Love" and his crew, Spencer and Marena. Captain Bill even assisted another sailing boat that was in distress and precariously close to the lake edge. The trip was two hours long and on time. The crew served non-alcoholic and adult beverages (some free, some for a price) while underway and also sold some souvenirs (Whisky and glasses). The Bad: There was nothing bad, from start to finish, this was a very enjoyable trip and the crew definitely enjoyed sharing their love of the "Trie Love" with the joyful passengers. The Ugly: Absolutely nothing other than we could not be out for longer. If you find yourself in Watkins Glen, this is definitely an enjoyable to kick back, relax, and let the wind fill your sails. They say a picture is worth 1000 words, so I am going to end my post with a few that we snapped along the way. May you have fair winds, and following lake waters!

Excellent sailing experience The crew was great and was…read morevery eager to make sure we had a great time The boat was in excellent condition