Brief Hike Description

This is a five mile loop hike rated moderate.

We will hike the rim and gorge trails in the park.

Bring waterproof hiking boots or shoes, water, and bring insect repellant if you use it.

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

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

Detailed Hike Description

Join Gundy Lee to this week’s hike destination, the signature waterfalls that most tourists associate with Ithaca and Tompkins County: Taughannock Falls.

At 210 feet, Taughannock is purportedly the highest waterfalls east of the Mississippi, higher than Niagara. The falls and the gorge are a dramatic natural feature worth the hike in any season, but particularly during high water.

Most visitors to our region miss the upper falls, off Jacksonville Road, which is shrouded in shade and less well known. Some say is even more impressive than the lower falls. We’ll see both on tonight’s hike.

We begin at the lower parking lot for Taughannock Falls State Park and hike up to the upper falls. We’ll cross the gorge on the abandoned Black Diamond Rail bridge, come back down the opposite side of the gorge, and head back to the cars.

This is a moderate hike but it has a change in elevation of several hundred feet. If you struggle on steep uphill pitches, you might want to join us another time.

Bring waterproof hiking boots or shoes, water, and bring insect repellant if you use it.

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

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