Cayuga Trail East to Fall Creek Cliffs
Tuesday 11/22/2022 10:00 am
Hike rating:
Event/Trailhead location:
Flat Rock parking area, Forest Home Drive. (click for map).
Hike Leader: Gary Mallow
Contact:
Hike leader contact information will be sent in the email acknowledging that you have registered for this hike.
Hike Details:
Quick Hike Details
This is a six mile out-and-back hike rated moderate. We will hike the eastern end of the Cayuga Trail in Cornell’s Fall Creek Natural Area, sometimes referred to as Monkey Run.
The hike begins and ends at Flat Rock, Forest Home Drive, Ithaca. If you have a gps unit, set it for 410 Forest Home Drive.
Dress in layers appropriate for the weather, wear sturdy boots, and bring water. Bow hunting for deer is allowed in this Cornell Natural Area, but it’s unlikely we will see hunters. Nonetheless, it is wise to wear blaze orange.
If you will have trouble navigating to the start point, email the hike leader at the address above.
Check this space the morning of the hike for any changes or a cancellation.
Detailed Hike Description
Tonight’s adventure is along the eastern end of the Cayuga Trail, a popular hiking trail located on Cornell campus and Cornell’s Fall Creek Natural Area. We’ll meet at Flat Rock on Forest Home Drive in Ithaca and hike across the Stevens Suspension Bridge. We head upstream along Fall Creek, then uphill towards the horse barns and then traverse a huge hay field on our way to Freese Road. Our destination is the high, eroding cliffs overlooking Fall Creek and the landscape towards the east. The terrain is mostly flat but there are a few steep ups and downs.
The Cayuga Trail was first cut in 1964. Since then, it has been rerouted, enhanced and lengthened many times. Today it is a campus trail over ten miles long that is probably the most heavily trafficked hiking trail in Tompkins County. Trail maintenance and improvement is shepherded by a collaboration of our club’s Trails Committee and Cornell Botanic Gardens staff.
Dress in layers for the weather, bring water and sturdy hiking boots. Bow hunting for deer is allowed in this Cornell Natural Area, but it’s unlikely we will see hunters. Nonetheless, it is wise to wear blaze orange.
If you are equipped with gps, set your destination for: 410 Forest Home Drive, Ithaca, the approximate location of Flat Rock. If you will have trouble navigating to the trailhead, email hike leader.
Check this space the morning of the hike for any changes or a cancellation.