Waterfalls near Ithaca, New York

How the list breaks down

We list six published falls inside a 50-mile straight-line circle around Ithaca; the area has many more that this page does not cover. Five of the six are open, as far as we can tell (checked Oct 28 to Nov 7, 2026). The exception is the Gorge Trail at Watkins Glen, 19.4 straight-line miles away, which closed for the season on October 25, 2026. NY State Parks says it will re-open in mid to late May 2027.

Next closest is Buttermilk Falls at 2.1 straight-line miles, just south of the city. Lucifer Falls, in Robert H. Treman State Park, is 5.1 straight-line miles away. Taughannock Falls is 8.4 straight-line miles northwest, near Trumansburg. The farthest is Chittenango Falls, near Cazenovia, at 49.9 straight-line miles.

Most of this list is Finger Lakes gorge country, and the state manages most of it. Five of the six falls sit in New York State Parks. Four of those charge the same $10 vehicle fee, at least part of the year, while Chittenango's posted fee is $5 (dates last posted for 2025). Ithaca Falls is a city natural area, and we found no official fee information for it.

For more falls across the state, see our New York waterfalls guide.

Ithaca Falls in the city, Buttermilk Falls just south

Ithaca Falls spills across Fall Creek inside the Ithaca Falls Natural Area, a city-run site. Wikipedia lists it at 150 feet high and 175 feet wide. Ithaca Trails describes a smaller drop of about 100 feet, so sources disagree. The walk from Lake Street is about 0.1 mile each way, roughly 2 minutes, on gravel and stone dust. Ithaca Trails rates it moderate, and the last stretch is rough and uneven.

Leashed dogs are allowed, per Ithaca Trails. Swimming is not permitted: Ithaca Trails warns that currents near the falls are deadly, and Cornell says swimming in Fall Creek is illegal. Shotgun test firing at the former Ithaca Gun Company left lead in the soil above the falls, per an archived EPA release. EPA finished a containment wall at the base in 2021, WRFI reported. Stay on the gravel trail.

Buttermilk Falls is a cascade beside the Main Entrance lot of Buttermilk Falls State Park, off Route 13 just south of the city. You can see it with almost no walking. NY State Parks gives no height for the main cascade. It says Buttermilk Creek drops about 600 feet along the Gorge Trail, and Wikipedia counts 10 waterfalls in the park.

Buttermilk is open, as far as we can tell. On Nov 7, 2026, the park page said "All trails at Buttermilk Falls are open." It asked visitors to contact the park office at (607) 273-5761 first. The Gorge Trail climbs on many stone steps, and Ithaca Trails rates it difficult. Paired with the Rim Trail, it makes a loop of about 1.5 miles, per Wikipedia.

Robert H. Treman State Park and Lucifer Falls

Lucifer Falls is 5.1 straight-line miles from Ithaca. It drops 115 feet on Enfield Creek, per NY State Parks, in the gorge called Enfield Glen. The park says its trails pass 12 waterfalls, and Wikipedia calls Lucifer a multi-tiered cascade. For the shortest approach, start at the Upper Entrance. The park's Gorge Tour begins there, crosses a ¼-mile narrow rocky section, then passes the falls.

No source we read gives the distance from that entrance to the falls. The full Gorge Trail is 2.12 miles on the park's Oct 13, 2026 trail map, while Ithaca Trails lists 1.5 miles. The park calls the route "moderately difficult with 3 staircases." Ithaca Trails says the 2.09-mile Rim Trail can turn it into a loop.

Lucifer Falls is open, as far as we can tell. On Nov 6, 2026, the park page said "All trails, including the Gorge Trail, are now open for the season." The trail map says Gorge Trail closures occur "generally from late November until late May." Call (607) 273-3440 before a late-November trip.

NY State Parks allows up to two pets in day-use areas, crated or on a leash of 6 feet or less. Ithaca Trails tags the Rim Trail dog-friendly but gives the Gorge Trail no such tag. Swimming is limited to the lifeguarded area at Enfield Falls in the lower park. The 2026 swim season ended on Labor Day weekend.

Taughannock Falls: the tallest drop on this list

Taughannock Falls is 8.4 straight-line miles from Ithaca. Taughannock Creek falls 215 feet in a single drop, according to NY State Parks, between gorge walls nearly 400 feet high. Wikipedia notes that is 33 feet taller than Niagara Falls. Among the six falls on this page, it has the tallest listed height. Chittenango at 167 feet and Lucifer at 115 follow, both by NY State Parks figures.

Ithaca Falls would rank between them on Wikipedia's 150-foot figure, though Ithaca Trails gives about 100. The highest falls at Watkins Glen, Central Cascade, plunges "more than 60 feet," per that park's trail map. Buttermilk has no official height.

The park offers two viewpoints. From the Lower Entrance on Route 89, by Cayuga Lake, the Gorge Trail runs about 3/4 mile each way to the base. NY State Parks calls it wide, relatively flat and suitable for all ages. The Falls Overlook at the Upper Entrance looks down from the north rim, a short walk from the parking area.

Taughannock is open, as far as we can tell: the park is open year-round, dawn to dusk. On Nov 7, 2026, its page still showed an April 17, 2026 update that all trails were fully open. Visit Ithaca says the North and South Rim trails close for winter, so call (607) 539-4078 about trail status.

Swimming under the falls is prohibited, Wikipedia notes. The park's guarded beach on Cayuga Lake ran June 26 to Labor Day in 2026. Harmful algal blooms closed it more than once that summer, per the Community Science Institute.

Watkins Glen: 19 falls, Gorge Trail closed until spring

Watkins Glen State Park is 19.4 straight-line miles from Ithaca, at the south end of Seneca Lake. NY State Parks says the glen's stream descends 400 feet within two miles, "generating 19 waterfalls along its course." The Gorge Trail is 1.5 miles on the park's trail map. The park warns its many stone steps make it "a difficult hike for some visitors."

As far as we can tell on Nov 7, 2026, that trail is closed. A park notice posted Sept 25, 2026 says the Gorge Trail "has closed for the season at 6:00pm on October 25, 2026." It is set to re-open in mid to late May 2027. The north and south rim trails stay open all year, sunrise to sunset. Still, the park page says they give no access to the Gorge Trail or waterfalls from November to May.

Once it re-opens, the trail map says you can "walk behind this waterfall in a narrow space" at Cavern Cascade. Pets are not allowed on the Gorge Trail. The map also bans swimming or entering the gorge, with a $250 fine per person. Call the park at (607) 535-4511 before you plan a spring trip.

Chittenango Falls: the farthest, near Cazenovia

Chittenango Falls is 49.9 straight-line miles northeast of Ithaca, just inside this page's circle. NY State Parks lists the cascade at 167 feet. Wikipedia describes Chittenango Falls State Park as a 193-acre park in Madison County, east of Cazenovia Lake.

The park describes one short loop. Visitors "view the falls from the top, walk the winding trail into the gorge, view the falls from the footbridge," then climb the far side. No trail length is published. Wikipedia calls the return a steep uphill trail.

Chittenango is open, as far as we can tell. On Nov 7, 2026, the park page said "Open year-round, with restrictions. Call 315-423-3744 for specifics." It does not say what the restrictions are. Wikipedia says the trail to the viewing bridge closes in winter because of ice, while views from the top stay available.

The vehicle fee is $5 per car at an automated pay station, 7am to 7pm. The posted fee dates are still May 23 to Sept 1, 2025. Up to two pets are allowed in day-use areas, crated or on a leash of 6 feet or less. Swimming is not among the park's listed activities.

Fees, the Empire Pass and winter gorge closures

Four of the six falls share one fee: $10 per vehicle at Buttermilk Falls, Robert H. Treman, Taughannock and Watkins Glen state parks. The seasons differ, though. Buttermilk and Treman list April 1 to November 30 on their fee tables, but Treman's page text says April to mid November. Taughannock collects its fee daily from sunup to sundown.

Watkins Glen collects its fee sunrise to sunset from mid-May to mid-October, and its table lists no fee for the rest of the year. Chittenango, also a state park, charges $5. We found no official fee information for Ithaca Falls.

The 2026 Empire Pass costs $80 and covers day-use vehicle entry at most State Parks and DEC facilities, per NY State Parks. Holders who renewed and kept their card could save $8, according to a Dec 2, 2025 press release.

Winter changes which gorge trails you can walk. Watkins Glen's Gorge Trail is already closed until mid to late May 2027. Treman's trail map says its Gorge and Red Pine Trails close generally from late November until late May. Buttermilk's Gorge Trail closes once ice forms, Ithaca Trails says.

Rim trails are the winter fallback. Ithaca Trails lists the Buttermilk and Treman Rim Trails as open year-round, and the Watkins Glen rim trails stay open too, without gorge access. At Taughannock, Visit Ithaca says both rim trails close in winter. Ithaca Trails lists Ithaca Falls as open year-round.

For the Ithaca area, Visit Ithaca says spring brings the strongest flow, along with muddy trails. A USGS gauge on Fall Creek near Ithaca has averaged highest in March and April (monthly means, 1996 to 2025). Our waterfall safety guide covers wet stone steps and gorge edges.

Waterfalls near Ithaca: FAQ