DESCRIPTION

Ithaca’s famous “Bridge to Nowhere” is open!  Part of the long-planned, partly completed Black Diamond Trail system intended to inter-connect the four State Parks of Tompkins County, the bridge has been redecked, with the approaching trail finished in stone dust and lined with beautiful railings.

On this hike, we will discuss the Black Diamond history, cross the famous Bridge, and explore a section of the Cayuga Inlet.  Along the way, our focus will turn to the history of floods, the construction of the Flood Control and Bypass Channels, and examine the Inlet’s low dam and fish ladder.

Our route takes us through parts of the Town and City of Ithaca that we often don’t see – wooded areas with homeless encampments, behind businesses and the recycling center, and along the floodplains of the Cayuga Inlet. 

This is an out-and-back hike, starting and ending at the Lower Buttermilk Falls parking area.

Wear warm layered clothing, carry a snack and water, and bring footwear traction devices (Microspikes, Yaktraks, Nanospikes, etc).