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It's no secret that the Ithaca area is loaded with waterfalls. Pick up any
tourist publication and you'll see a picture of one. They're one of the many
reasons tourists come to the area. But as residents, have you visited the
waterfalls in your own neighborhood? There's something in human nature that
pushes us to seek adventure outside our home turf and put less value on the
possibilities just outside our door. This spring and summer, consider going
on a waterfall quest in Ithaca.
It's impossible to remain stressed as you sit by a waterfall. In these days
of busy schedules and hectic lives, it's important to take time out to enjoy
the soothing effects that a waterfall can provide. And, walking to a
waterfall is good exercise. Who among us doesn't need more exercise?
The majority of Ithaca's waterfalls can be found in the three creekbeds that
bisect the city on their way to Cayuga Lake. Fall Creek, as the name
implies, is dotted with waterfalls. Closest to the lake is 150-foot-high
Ithaca Falls, a prime swim area as well as a mesmerizing waterfall. Take a
two-mile round-trip hike east from Stewart Avenue on the Cayuga Trail and you'
ll pass Forest Falls, Foaming Falls, Rocky Falls and finally Triphammer
Falls in the heart of Cornell University.
Slightly south of Fall Creek is Cascadilla Creek. Begin your climb from the
corner of West Court Street and Linn Street for a 1.4-mile round-trip hike up
the gorge. You'll pass nine waterfalls with a culmination at 50-foot-high
Cascadilla Falls. Further upstream is Judd Falls, where Reuben Judd operated
a water powered woolen mill from 1832 to 1858. This waterfall can be viewed
from Judd Falls Road where the Ithaca Recreationway Trail crosses the road
on an old railroad bridge.
The third waterfall laden creekbed is Six Mile Creek. A short walk from the
Mulholland Wildflower Preserve parking area leads to Wells (or Business Man'
s Lunch) Falls which is now capped with Van Nattas Dam. Hike the opposite
direction for 4.8 miles round-trip and you'll pass two waterfalls created by
dams on your way to Potter's Falls. Potter's Falls is a 25-foot-high,
jagged-edged cascade nestled in a deep forest. It's the perfect place to
contemplate your existence.
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Meet the author!
Free slide show
"Local Trails & Waterfalls"
Sunday, June 9th at 4pm
Borders Books & Music
Pyramid Mall, Ithaca
607-257-0444
Learn where to go to enjoy the outdoors near Ithaca. Rich & Sue Freeman,
authors of 7 guidebooks to area trails, will present a slide show on local
trails for hiking, dog walking, bicycling, skiing, and waterfall discovery.
This is part of the grand-opening events for this new Borders store.
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Even now, you're far from done exploring the waterfalls of Ithaca. Head
south to explore Buttermilk Falls in Buttermilk Falls State Park and Lucifer
and Lower Falls in Robert H. Treman State Park, and hike a segment of the
Finger Lakes Trail to see three waterfalls in Lick Brook. Then change to
Teva-type sandals or old sneakers and get your feet wet creekwalking up
VanBuskirk Gorge to enjoy two more impressive waterfalls.
You're still not done. North of Ithaca you'll find Taughannock Falls on the
west side of Cayuga Lake and Ludlowville Falls on the east side. Head over
to Dryden and follow the Finger Lakes Trail to Bud Brook where twelve waterfalls
are your reward.
Whew, I'm out of breath just talking about exploring the waterfalls around
Ithaca. Your quest won't be easy. Reaching many of these waterfalls requires
long hikes, steep climbs or the mastery of many steps. But, oh the rewards.
Your heart will pump healthier and your senses will be enriched with new
sights and sounds.
Finding these and hundreds of other waterfalls is now simplified, thanks to
the new guidebook "200 Waterfalls in Central and Western New York - A Finders' Guide" (Footprint Press, www.footprintpress.com, 1-800-431-1579). Packed
with maps, driving directions, helpful hints, and historical tidbits, this
book should be a staple in your car glove box. That way you can pop in for a
quick waterfall visit and instant stress relief wherever life takes you, in
the Ithaca area or across central and western New York.
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