Taughannock Falls State Park: Gorge Trail (Blog Hike #435)

Trail: Gorge Trail

Hike Location: Taughannock Falls State Park

Geographic Location: northwest of Ithaca, NY (42.54540, -76.59919)

Length: 2 miles

Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: July 2013

Overview: A nearly flat hike to New York’s tallest waterfall.

Park Information: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/62/details.aspx

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=725571
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: The entrance to Taughannock Falls State Park is located on SR 89 9.6 miles north of Ithaca.  Park in the trailhead parking area on the west side of the road (left if you are driving northbound).  If this parking area is full, you can park in the beach parking area across the road and walk back to the trailhead.

The hike: The Finger Lakes region contains many scenic east-west gorges, but not all of these gorges are created equal.  Take, for example, the gorge along Taughannock Creek.  While Glen Creek (at Watkins Glen) and Buttermilk Creek (at Buttermilk Falls) deliver water into Seneca or Cayuga Lake via numerous short cascades, Taughannock Creek accomplishes the job in a single drop.  The result is 215-foot Taughannock Falls, the tallest waterfall in New York (yes, even taller than Niagara).

            The land on which the park sits today was first owned by Samuel Wayburn, who received it as payment for his service during the Revolutionary War.  Wayburn built some structures on the site, thereby founding a community on the west shore of Cayuga Lake near today’s park beach.  Steamboats on the lake frequently stopped at this town, and later another industrial center was established further up Taughannock Creek.  The railroad arrived in 1873, bringing with it tourists to view the falls.  Two resort hotels, the Taughannock House and the Cataract House, were built on the gorge’s rim.

            By the early 1900’s, the area was in decline.  In 1922, the Taughannock House burned, and in 1925 the land was purchased by New York State for use as a park.  The CCC came here in the 1930’s and built most of the structures we see today.  In addition to the waterfall, the park has a campground, some cabins, a beach area, and a large marina.

            Three hiking trails trace through the park: the 0.75 mile one-way Gorge Trail along the creek, the 3 mile Rim Trail loop around the rim, and the 2 mile Multi-use trail away from the gorge area.  I squeezed this hike in at the end of a Sunday afternoon, so I only had time to hike the Gorge Trail.  Even though I did not get to take the full tour, I am glad I came here: of all the gorges I visited in the Finger Lakes region, this one is my favorite.

Trailhead: Gorge Trail

            At the rear of the parking lot, a black sign with yellow letters advertises, “Gorge Trail: ¾ mile to 215 foot high falls.”  What hiker could resist such a promotion?  Almost immediately the Rim Trail exits left and begins the steep climb to the rim.  Staying with the Gorge Trail, in 300 feet you arrive at the first and tallest in a series of ledge-type waterfalls in Taughannock Creek.  This ledge is about 10 feet tall, so the real show is still to come.

Ledge waterfall in creek

Taughannock Creek

            The Gorge Trail continues upstream with the creek below you to the right and the gorge cliffs rising to the left.  The light-colored flattish rock in the creek is Sherburne sandstone, while the dark-colored flaky rock of the cliff is Geneseo shale.  For its entire distance the trail is wide firmly-packed fine gravel.  A strong person could easily push a wheelchair or baby stroller up this trail to the waterfall.  Also, even though this hike is popular, the wide trail corridor makes this hike feel less crowded than some other parks in the region.

Hiking along the Gorge Trail

            Just past 0.5 miles, you reach an area where the shale cliffs come close on the left.  Several interpretive signs are located on the trail, and the park has a cell phone tour that offers more insight into the natural surroundings.  The trail curves right here to stay between the cliff and the creek.

            At 0.85 miles, you cross Taughannock Creek on a bridge just before reaching an observation platform at the base of the waterfall.  Water pours out of a spout framed by towering walls of sandstone and shale.  The cliffs look especially dark and ominous in the evening when the sun disappears behind the rock.  An interesting interpretive sign contains some historical pictures of the waterfall and demonstrate how its appearance has changed as the water continues to erode the rock.

Taughannock Falls

            The Gorge Trail ends at this observation platform, so the only option is to retrace your steps to the parking area at the mouth of the gorge.  If you have more time and energy, consider hiking the Rim Trail for a different perspective on the gorge.  The Rim Trail is very steep at the beginning and end but fairly flat in between.