Brief Hike Details

This is a 5-6 mile out-and-back hike rated easy. We will hike a part of the northern section of the Black Diamond Trail in Ithaca.

Due to construction at Taughannock Falls, the meeting place for this hike has been changed. The hike begins and ends where the Black Diamond Trail crosses Houghton Road. There is a small parking lot. If it is full, the shoulder uphill from the crossing is wide enough to be able to park completely off the roadway without encountering a ditch. Please be sure your tires are completely off the pavement.

We will head north on the trail and hike for 60-90 minutes, then turn around and retrace our steps back to the cars.

Dress for the weather, wear sturdy boots, bring water and a sandwich or snack.

If you will have trouble navigating to the start point, email the hike leader at the address above.

Watch this space the day of the hike for any changes or a cancellation.

Join Charlie Strohman on our hike for this evening, which features the Black Diamond Trail. The trail runs from Taughannock Falls State Park to Cass Park in Ithaca.

The Black Diamond was originally a railroad bed, built primarily to bring the all-important commodity-anthracite coal-from Pennsylvania to the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes. It has been repurposed into a gentle trail with an easy, gradual grade, and is a moderate hike.

If you are not a regular hiker on the Black Diamond, be aware that bikers frequent this trail, and several bikers may pass us unexpectently at a brisk pace. This can be a bit surprising to walkers. It is an artifact of multiuse rail trails of this kind.

Dress for the weather, wear sturdy boots, bring water and a sandwich or snack.

If you will have trouble navigating to the start point, email the hike leader at the address above.

Watch this space the day of the hike for any changes or a cancellation.