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.

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

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.

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!

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.

This is an amazing short trail that you can take for fun! The pathways for traveling through this…read moreplace are actually pretty flat and have little elevation/hills. While there are a few sections where you have to use the stairs on the trail, they are not that long or tall. I think this place is perfect for casual walks and doesn't take much effort to finish. The Cascadilla Gorge path doesn't require any fees to enter! Parking in a spot can be a bit difficult though. Just to notify visitors: depending on the weather, climate, season or conditions, the trail might end up getting partially closed off. The very first time I came here, the second half of the trail was cut off and locked behind a gate. There was a sign that said the conditions to travel any further were considered too dangerous. I returned again at a later date, and the remainder of the trail had been reopened.

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!

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.

A lovely and gorgeous park. Hike might be a bit of a stretch - the trail is obvious for the first…read morelittle bit, once you hit the water there are no trail marking that I saw at all. We just guessed and went upstream based on other reviews we had read. If you go, water shoes might be best and plan on walking up the stream. If no water shoes, don't go after rains - it will be too muddy to make much of the walk and parts of the trail will be covered. Even on the best days you're doing some creek crossing at the waterfalls etc. long story short your feet will likely get wet here. All that said it offers wonderful views of a few waterfalls and a beautiful walk through a gorge. Definitely worth the trip!

Great hike, even in the snow. Lovely and scenic and a fairly easy hike. Well marked path.read more

Super pretty! I went there fossil hunting and did not find any which was a shame. But still great…read morepark with a cool waterfall just up the riverbed!

pristine country park. great for hiking, walking your dogs, fresh water spring, boulder, forestry,…read morenice people. A gem in the country yet accessible. sorta btwn Montrose, Pa & vestal/binghamton ny.

I've lived in Ithaca all these years and never noticed this short trail (about 2 miles), and it's…read moreright on the Route 13. So easy to access! But it's hard to find it from the road especially coming down south from Ithaca so you should have GPS on to make it easier. The area is owned and managed by Cornell Botanical Gardens. When I went there today, golden rods in the meadow were in full bloom, at the height of its beauty. Trail was short and nice, and it went through the old-growth forest, but be prepared for a mini-workout as the loop descends down to the bottom of the valley then you have to bring yourself back up the hill. There were some ropes for assistance in a couple of places which I thought was a very nice touch. I just watched this short video about old-growth forest and thought it was nice and help me understand what I just saw here https://www.facebook.com/oldgrowthforestnetwork/videos/338154296754072/?t=245