One Hike, Five Cornell Natural Areas #123

Saturday 03/21/2026 10:00 am

Hike rating:

Length - 5.3 miles

Pace - Moderate

Terrain - Easy

Overall - Easy

Event/Trailhead location:

Flat Rock parking area on Forest Home Drive in Ithaca, opposite the Cornell Arboretum buildings near the Stevens Suspension Bridge (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:

This is a 5.3-mile loop hike rated easy that has very little elevation change. We will traverse a wide array of what Cornell Botanic Gardens and the Cornell campus has to offer hikers, walking through parts of five very different natural areas. Parts of our walk will be on pavement, with some road-walk, but for the most part we’ll be on walking and hiking paths.

We start at Flat Rock and walk to the Stevens Suspension Bridge, recently renovated with labor and a financial contribution from our club. We then continue upstream along Fall Creek, which should be brimming with spring melt and fast water for a short distance until we cross Forest Home Road to enter Park Park, an out-and-back trek. Then it’s on to Natural Area #3, the Newman Arboretum to investigate any new spring growth. Adjacent to the Arboretum is Mundy Wildflower Garden, and then Natural Area #5, a walk around Beebe Lake, where we’ll see the power of a strong current as Fall Creek flows over the dam. From there it’s a short walk back to the cars.

Contact the hike leader at the address above if you have questions or will have difficulty navigating to Flat Rock. Check this space the morning of the hike for any last-minute changes or in the unlikely event of a cancelation.

 

Registration is open!

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Registration Confirmation: You will receive an email if your registration was successful. (Check your spam folder if you don’t find it.)

EMAIL THE LEADER IF YOU WILL NOT BE ATTENDING!  Please be courteous to your volunteer hike leader and fellow hikers by notifying the leader if you will not be able to join this hike.

PLEASE NOTE:

  • Wear weather-appropriate layered clothing, waterproof footwear, and bring rainwear “just in case.” For winter hikes expect temperatures to be colder than in downtown. Always carry water, a snack/lunch, and personal first-aid supplies. Hiking poles are recommended.
  • Wearing permethrin-treated clothes and/or using insect repellents, as well as checking for ticks afterward is advised. Consider using insect-repellent mid-spring through mid-fall.
  • When conditions might be icy or snowy, bring traction footwear devices (Microspikes, Nanospikes, etc.) to the trailhead. If conditions require snowshoes, the hike leader will let participants know beforehand.
  • Always check the website for last minute announcements and possible cancellations. Contact the hike leader if you have any questions.

ALL HIKERS/TRAIL-WORKERS PARTICIPATE AT THEIR OWN RISK
Those persons enjoying the Finger Lakes Trail and/or activities sponsored by the Cayuga Trails Club, or the Finger Lakes Trail Conference, accept full personal responsibility for their own well-being, and for the well-being of a minor when acting in the capacity of parent or guardian. Further, participants understand that hiking, snowshoeing, and trail work are rigorous activities, often conducted in rugged outdoor conditions subject to variations in weather and terrain, and which may involve the risk of injury or death.  Each participant is fully responsible for their own safety and for selecting activities that are consistent with their physical capabilities.

BY CHECKING THE “ACCEPT RISK” BOX BELOW, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I HAVE READ THE ABOVE INFORMATION AND UNDERSTAND THAT I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR MY OWN SAFETY AND AM PARTICIPATING IN THIS ACTIVITY AT MY OWN RISK.

Required Fields *

Cayuga Trails Club

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