Free
Ithaca Falls
A wide 150-foot waterfall on Fall Creek, a short walk from downtown.
Finger Lakes, New York
Ithaca
A Finger Lakes college town where waterfalls drop through the middle of the city, and three state parks of gorges are minutes away.
Photo: The lower falls in Taughannock Falls State Park, Awinch1001, CC0
Ithaca sits at the south end of Cayuga Lake, with Cornell University on the hill. Fall Creek and Cascadilla Creek carve gorges right through town, and Ithaca Falls is a short walk from downtown. Gorges are the local sport.
Around the city, Taughannock, Buttermilk Falls and Robert H. Treman state parks each have gorge trails and waterfalls.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Free
Cascadilla Gorge Trail
A stone path climbing a gorge of cascades from downtown up to Cornell.
Free
Cornell Botanic Gardens
Gardens and an arboretum on the Cornell campus. Free.
Cheap
Taughannock Falls State Park
A 215-foot waterfall at the end of an easy, flat gorge trail, plus an overlook.
Cheap
Buttermilk Falls State Park
Cascades tumbling down to a natural swimming area at the base, with a gorge trail.
Cheap
Robert H. Treman State Park
A rugged gorge with Lucifer Falls and a stream-fed swimming area.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Free
Johnson Museum of Art
Cornell's art museum, with free admission and views over Cayuga Lake from the top floor.
Paid
Museum of the Earth
A natural history museum with a big mastodon skeleton.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Free
Ithaca Farmers Market
A big co-op market at Steamboat Landing on the lake, Saturdays in season.
Paid
Cayuga Lake Wine Trail
Wineries and cideries along Cayuga Lake. Plan a driver.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Cayuga Lake boat cruises
Sightseeing cruises on Cayuga Lake from Ithaca.
Season Public cruises roughly June–Sept (check before you go).
Also bookable, listed above
These are in the lists above, so we don't repeat them here.
- Museum of the Earth Tickets
- Sciencenter Tickets
- Cayuga Lake Wine Trail Tour
Part of our Finger Lakes guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- Three state parks full of gorges are too many for one day.
- The Saturday farmers' market at Steamboat Landing is a morning in itself.
- Watkins Glen and Seneca Lake are 45 minutes away.
Nearby and worth the drive
Watkins Glenabout 45 min · Guide ↗
The 19-waterfall gorge and Seneca Lake.
Cooperstownabout 2 h 20 · Guide ↗The Baseball Hall of Fame.
Ready-made trips with Ithaca
Good to know
- Tourism: visitithaca.com.
- Gorges: Some gorge trails close in winter. Swim only where it is allowed.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: The lower falls in Taughannock Falls State Park, Awinch1001, CC0
Photo: Buttermilk Falls, Ithaca, Sdetwiler, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Cascades above Lucifer Falls, Robert H. Treman State Park, P. Hughes, CC BY 4.0