Words can never describe my love for this place. Swimming in Enfield Falls is heaven on Earth. The…read morewater is freezing but it's also crystal clear, and you can see little minnows swimming around your legs. One of the best freshwater swimming experiences hands down, and where else can you swim in a waterfall? Not many places on the east coast, that's for sure. My happy place!

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.

Extremely well marked trails, lots of options for hiking, biking, and snowshoeing. Just be careful…read moreon the trails near the lodge for horse droppings!

Highland Forest Park is at its best in the Winter time when it provides some of the best XC skiing…read morein the US. It is located in the snow belt that is directly below Syracuse, NY. The typically cold winters make for a great XC ski experience. On the weekends the shorter loops can be a little crowded but the longer loops tend to provide more solitude since they require the skier to be in good shape before attempting. Trail Access used to be free but the Onondaga County Parks department started charging several years ago. The charge is minimal and it is well worth it.

Absolutely huge state park. As far as state parks go - this one includes a boat dock, the HQ for…read morestate parks in this region, a large hotel, and tons of camping. It was a bit of a drive from the heart of Ithaca but, worth it to see the beautiful namesake waterfall. As rain was expected, we decided to skip the longer hike to the lower falls and went to the upper overlook which was beautiful with a nice visitor area and clean/clear walking paths. If in this area, I think this state park is a must visit.

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.

This park is beautiful! It's tiny, with a small playground and a little pavilion with a grill…read more There is a little swing seat by the falls as well. There is a path down, but it was rushing enough that we didn't try to go down. But still, it was beautiful!

Small public park with a steep off beat path down to a waterfall overhang, small veranda and a lot…read moreof teens swimming in the watering hole here. The area is a little slippery with the rocks and you have to be careful to not turn an ankle. Not handicapped accessible to the falls aside from the view at the rim. Deep overhang helps keep it cool but also have to watch falling rock eventually.

This park is kind of hidden, and at first I thought the term "gorge" might be overselling it…read more Walking from the bottom up, I entered off of a quiet residential street and found an oasis that does indeed feel separate from the surrounding community. And as I ascended, the views just kept getting better and better. There are a lot of stone steps, and these are likely to be wet most of the time, so some caution and consideration of fitness and mobility issues is wise. Unlike the larger Ithaca Falls, I don't think it presents a big drowning hazard. The site offers numerous terraced waterfalls and splendid foliage and rock formations throughout. It is free to enter and adjoins the university but is open to the public. It is an impressive example of urban development done right.

I loved this trail! I'm so glad we squeezed it in!…read more It sneaks up on you when leaving Cornell and entering the bustling Commons/residential area. It's like a hidden haven right off to the side. The rustic stone steps and handrails were charming and a few stone bridges added to the ambiance. Not a lot of work for a huge payoff at 0.5 miles or so long one way with several waterfalls.

Visiting Ithaca and need something to do? Stop by this arboretum and take a walk. Get some fresh…read moreair, enjoy the trees and the beautiful scenery. It is a fun and pandemic appropriate activity! Know a lot about trees already? Test your knowledge and learn more in the nine different collections of trees. Not very tree savvy? Walk around and just enjoy the good old outdoors. Take a seat in one of the pocket gardens and sit down and rest a while. The arboretum provides a quiet peaceful, and beautiful place to walk around. Stop by now, we could all use a bit more of that in our lives!

This is a cute park with some interesting artistic structures and a nice lake with a bunch of fish…read moreand turtles. There are probably other parts of it as well, but it was a chilly day, so we didn't venture out too far. Pretty accessible parking, though, and probably nice to walk around on a nice day. I'd like to check it out again in the future!

Nice place for long, easy walks along the Waterfront Trail...great for dogs too (and since it…read morespills right into the marina park where there is a huge, well-used dog park, you may as well stop by as well if you have a pooch). Biking in Cass and over into Stewart Park is nice. Cass Park also leads to the Black Diamond Trail which lands you at Taughannock State Park--great for biking and walking. I've never walked all the way up to Taughannock (that is a loooooooong walk), but biked there and bike a bunch of times and it is a great workout. Challenging, but not killer. My best bike time up from Cass to Taughannock was just under 50 minutes.

I love this local rink. The ice rink is open during winter and the swimming is open during summer…read more They offer a variety of skate class options for those of us who are newbs to the art, even offering children and toddler classes. There's seating inside and outside of the rink space and a snack bar with hot dogs, slushies, popcorn, and all the goodies! And the folks behind the skate rental desk are super helpful. Great Ithaca winter or summer adventure spot!

This is a nice little park off rt. 281 in Preble / Little York - right behind the Cortland…read moreRepertory Theater. The park includes a 1.6 mile-ish loop trail, plenty of picnic tables, barbecuing areas, a playground, and so on. The trail itself is nicely worn, and allows for various views of Little York Lake, and the place seems generally well maintained... including signage, plenty of garbage bins, clean pavilions, a basketball court, and all the basics. Yes, rt. 81 is right on the other side of the park. In most areas of the park, this isn't really an issue and the sound is more buffered by the trees. Of course, the closer you get to the side of the park near the highway, the more disruptive... but this is a minimal part of the park. Interestingly, this is one of the reasons I wanted to bring my puppy here... basically because it's important that he be introduced to all different kinds of noise/sounds so as to not be so skittish when they do arise unexpectedly. The highway is fairly separated from the park (by water), so it feels nice and protected to be in the park in case there is a reaction (it's not like there was a risk of him running into the road or anything). He actually had a great time wandering through the woods and was unbothered by the traffic noises. Pets are generally welcome, of course, as well as they're on-leash and their owner cleans up after them. All-in-all, an easy walk through a well maintained park. Very dog friendly as well. :)