This has a bit of everything. Gorgeous views. Bike/running trails. Nice playgrounds. Beautiful old…read moreand new trees. A great place to relax and enjoy life, just be prepared for other people coming for the same reason.

Nice large park on the waterfront in Ithaca. Lots of music…read moreevents happen in this space every year including Ithaca festival and the reggae festival. I personally remember running a 5k road race here in the park. Good place to relax have fun in the playground which is big and awesome. Swings for two along the waterfront to watch a sunset. Bbq grill's aplenty for a nice day cook out.

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!

It's quite an impressive waterfall hidden in plain sight in this college town. A small parking lot…read moreand gravel trail lead to the base of the waterfall; there isn't any huge amount of hiking immediately onsite but there are plenty of other trails in the area. Signage everywhere warns that the pool underneath the waterfall has dangerous currents and is a significant drowning hazard. Given the wet rocks nearby, caution is advised. I noted that apparently fishing is permitted here, which irritates me as it makes it hard to get a good view, not that I'm a fan of fishing anyway. The waterfall is several stories high and cascades impressively. Once you get past the dangerous swirling pool at the base, the downstream area is a rocky creek that admits of some exploration, and a heron was perusing it as I walked by. The site is free and open to the non-ivy league public, so there's no reason not to stop in.

I didn't really know what to expect but this was a pleasant surprise. Easy little pull-off with a…read moresmall gravel upper and lower lot area with a short walk along some rocks to Ithaca Falls. Not a lot of effort for a pretty big payoff as this is a pretty large waterfall and you can be as close, or as far away, as you desire. Got some beautiful pictures and spent around 30 minutes here.

Nice paved trail around the end of the lake and into the farmers market. Plenty of seats for chats…read moreand views. There are informational spots to learn some history and trivial pursuit facts.

The beautiful gardens at Cornell are a must-see if you're in the area. We only had a little bit of…read moretime to stroll around a portion of the gardens, but we were all so impressed with the variety of plants and the peaceful atmosphere of the gardens. This will definitely be on my list to visit again the next time I'm in the area.

Amazing! Well kept, organized and a beautiful way to spend the day. We went to the gardens around…read morethe welcome center, which was good enough for us. However, the campus has SO many gardens that they maintain, so there are plenty more to visit.

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.

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.

If you have young children, stop what you are doing right now and plan a trip to Ithaca just for…read morethis park. It is jam packed with such a variety of fun, educational, and outdoors stuff that your kids will be occupied for hours, all day really, actually I'm sure they will be begging you to come back the next day too. We stumbled across this place by accident when visiting a nearby hiking trail (The black diamond trail) that is filled with lots of geocaches so if you are into caching, take a detour for those as well. Boasting a theater area, log stools, dwarf homes, a huge turtle, natural music equipment, chickens to feed, food to grow, composting in action, and all sorts of natural play spots this is a unique spot for children to really explore and play. Come visit this amazing place, your children will be begging to come back!

Very cute spot for kids, even if some exhibits need some TLC. Entrance is free so it's easy to not…read morelook a gift horse in the mouth. They even have animals living on the premises, like chickens and rabbits! I can see easily spending most of the day here if you have little ones, just be forewarned that a lot of the exhibits are muddy (on purpose) so bring a change of clothes.

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!