-#1 106 E Buttermilk Falls Road, Ithaca, New York (bottom)
-#2 Buttermilk Falls State Park Road, Ithaca, New York (top) [near W King Street, Google maps has this location listed as 112 Buttermilk Falls Road W, Ithaca, New York - this address doesn't always place where its supposed to]
-visited August 2017
-1 1/2 to 2 miles each way
-moderate
-real bathrooms at all three parking locations
-nearby: Watkins Glen State Park, Havana Glen, Deckertown Falls, She-qua-ga Falls, Aunt Sarah's Falls (Montour Falls), Hector Falls, Taughannock State Park, Robert Truman State Park
-notes:
-3 parking lots: #1 is a big paved lot, pay to park, starts at the bottom of the gorge, has a roadside sign; #2 is a medium paved lot, pay to park on weekends/holidays, has a big recessed sign on one side of the road that is only visible from one direction, and starts you at the top of the gorge (have to walk back to the main road and cross the bridge to find trailhead marked by sign); #3 is at the other end of the road that #2 is on, is a medium paved lot, and requires you to drive through the river to get to it (only during low water), and places you at the top of the state park, but farthest away from the gorge
-Gorge Trail:
-carved stone walkway that is always wet and slick due to run off from the tall rock sides
-2 bridges built into this trail (don't really offer much besides a crossing point and access to other trails)
-consists of many waterfalls of vary sizes - low water is great for slow shutter shots for the upper falls, but the lower falls disappear with low water as well as portions of the upper falls - would be more impressive with more water (spring)
-Main "gorge fall" isn't visible due to fencing / limited access as well as the gorge walls, no overlooks were built to allow access, miss a big portion of the falls - lower falls has limited visibility whereas upper falls have full visibility
-has some debris accumulating but minor at this point
-lowest falls is a rock slide - need water - unimpressive / non-existent in low water
-trail has a lot of stairs built into it, more closer to the bottom of the gorge, stairs have a lot of incline whereas the rest of the trail has slight to no incline and minimal stepping
-mainly shaded trail but all the falls are in the sun - go on a cloudy day if possible to minimize glare
-Rim Trail:
-half paved (badly) and half dirt and roots
-minimal stepping but has a constant incline that has a good amount of grade
-well shaded by trees
-no views of the gorge / falls
-beginning of trails are marked by a post and sign, but otherwise are unmarked but easy to follow
-no bugs
-very popular so visit early in the day, people block a lot of photo access, more people on gorge trail and less on rim trail
-no swimming in falls allowed, supposedly patrolled - although not when we went - people were in the river. Has a swimming area at the base of the falls
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Aunt Sarah's Falls (aka Montour Falls) - NY (Waterfall)
-340 N Catherine Street, Montour Falls, New York aka 2372 Genesee Street, Montour Falls, New York
-visited August 2017
-roadside
-very easy
-no bathroom
-nearby: Watkins Glen State Park, Havana Glen, Deckertown Falls, She-qua-ga Falls, Hector Falls, Taughannock State Park, Buttermilk State Park, Robert Truman State Park
-notes:
-badly paved / half dirt parking lot, free, marked by sign for "Montour Falls"
-parking is on the opposite side of the road than the falls
-falls are roadside, has a guardrail in front, have to cross the road for a better unobstructed view, but do so with caution, 55mph and a blind corner
-No bugs
-all sun / no shade - visit on a cloudy day
-VERY water dependent, all but dried up when visited, visit in the spring for optimal viewing
-no debris in the falls, only obstruction is the guardrail (which can be avoided)
-visited August 2017
-roadside
-very easy
-no bathroom
-nearby: Watkins Glen State Park, Havana Glen, Deckertown Falls, She-qua-ga Falls, Hector Falls, Taughannock State Park, Buttermilk State Park, Robert Truman State Park
-notes:
-badly paved / half dirt parking lot, free, marked by sign for "Montour Falls"
-parking is on the opposite side of the road than the falls
-falls are roadside, has a guardrail in front, have to cross the road for a better unobstructed view, but do so with caution, 55mph and a blind corner
-No bugs
-all sun / no shade - visit on a cloudy day
-VERY water dependent, all but dried up when visited, visit in the spring for optimal viewing
-no debris in the falls, only obstruction is the guardrail (which can be avoided)
Taughannock Falls State Park - NY (Waterfalls/Trails)
-#1 1740 Taughannock Boulevard, Trumansburg, New York (pay)
-#2 2242 Taughannock Park Road, Trumansburg, New York (free)
-#3 Approx 7299 Jacksonville Road, Trumansburg, New York (free)
-visited August 2017
-roadside to 1/4 mile from each parking area, trail is 2.25 miles each way
-very easy to moderate
-#1 & #2 have real bathrooms, #3 no bathroom
-nearby: Watkins Glen State Park, Havana Glen, Deckertown Falls, She-qua-ga Falls, Aunt Sarah's Falls (Montour Falls), Hector Falls, Buttermilk State Park, Robert Truman State Park
-notes:
- #1 paved parking (large lot), pay to park; #2 paved parking (medium lot), one hour parking, free; #3 is dirt lot (small), free
-can walk trails to all 3, or drive to the three parking areas
-each fall is almost roadside to each parking area, less than 1/4 mile
-from #3: dirt trail, small incline, no stepping, have to go stand on the bridge for the best view (less obstructed)
-from #2: paved/stone trail/stairs to overlook, view is from a distance, can get closer if access if take a trail from parking area #1, can only get so close though, stone walkway/walls so can't access river
-from #1: is a small roadside fall, or can access trail to walk the gorge and get closer to falls #2
-no bugs
-half sun/half shade
-ok in low water, substantial year round
-visibility could be better
-#3 dirt lot has no signs, #2 had directional signs down the road as well as signs at the parking area, #3 has roadside sign
-no debris in the falls, limited views but not obstructed
-#2 2242 Taughannock Park Road, Trumansburg, New York (free)
-#3 Approx 7299 Jacksonville Road, Trumansburg, New York (free)
-visited August 2017
-roadside to 1/4 mile from each parking area, trail is 2.25 miles each way
-very easy to moderate
-#1 & #2 have real bathrooms, #3 no bathroom
-nearby: Watkins Glen State Park, Havana Glen, Deckertown Falls, She-qua-ga Falls, Aunt Sarah's Falls (Montour Falls), Hector Falls, Buttermilk State Park, Robert Truman State Park
-notes:
- #1 paved parking (large lot), pay to park; #2 paved parking (medium lot), one hour parking, free; #3 is dirt lot (small), free
-can walk trails to all 3, or drive to the three parking areas
-each fall is almost roadside to each parking area, less than 1/4 mile
-from #3: dirt trail, small incline, no stepping, have to go stand on the bridge for the best view (less obstructed)
-from #2: paved/stone trail/stairs to overlook, view is from a distance, can get closer if access if take a trail from parking area #1, can only get so close though, stone walkway/walls so can't access river
-from #1: is a small roadside fall, or can access trail to walk the gorge and get closer to falls #2
-no bugs
-half sun/half shade
-ok in low water, substantial year round
-visibility could be better
-#3 dirt lot has no signs, #2 had directional signs down the road as well as signs at the parking area, #3 has roadside sign
-no debris in the falls, limited views but not obstructed
Hector Falls - NY (Waterfall)
-3835 NY-414, Burdett, New York
-visited August 2017
-roadside
-very easy
-no bathroom
-nearby: Watkins Glen State Park, Havana Glen, Deckertown Falls, She-qua-ga Falls, Aunt Sarah's Falls (Montour Falls), Taughannock State Park, Buttermilk State Park, Robert Truman State Park
-notes:
-paved parking on the shoulder of the highway, free, park where the guardrail bulges away from the highway, has parking/no parking signs, park parallel to the highway on either side before/after the bridge, fits maybe 8 cars, shoulders are easy to miss
-small sign marking the falls on one side of the road which is easy to miss
-waterfall is roadside and requires no hiking
-ok in low water but would be much better with more
-all sun, go on a cloudy day for better photos
-can only see 1/3 of the falls, upper and lower portions are lost, upper has no access, and lower is on private property
-no bugs
-no debris in falls, unobstructed view of part accessible from road
-visited August 2017
-roadside
-very easy
-no bathroom
-nearby: Watkins Glen State Park, Havana Glen, Deckertown Falls, She-qua-ga Falls, Aunt Sarah's Falls (Montour Falls), Taughannock State Park, Buttermilk State Park, Robert Truman State Park
-notes:
-paved parking on the shoulder of the highway, free, park where the guardrail bulges away from the highway, has parking/no parking signs, park parallel to the highway on either side before/after the bridge, fits maybe 8 cars, shoulders are easy to miss
-small sign marking the falls on one side of the road which is easy to miss
-waterfall is roadside and requires no hiking
-ok in low water but would be much better with more
-all sun, go on a cloudy day for better photos
-can only see 1/3 of the falls, upper and lower portions are lost, upper has no access, and lower is on private property
-no bugs
-no debris in falls, unobstructed view of part accessible from road
She-Qua-Ga Falls - NY (Waterfall)
-109 S Genesee Street, Montour Falls, New York (or park on W Main Street and walk)
-visited August 2017
-roadside
-very easy
-no bathroom
-nearby: Watkins Glen State Park, Havana Glen, Deckertown Falls, Aunt Sarah's Falls (Montour Falls), Hector Falls, Taughannock State Park, Buttermilk State Park, Robert Truman State Park
-notes:
-paved parking on the road, free, 2 spots available in front of the falls, otherwise park on W Main St which is one hour parking only
-falls is roadside inside a small roadside park that consists of a small grass area surrounded by a concrete walkway, handicap accessible
-has cement barriers that make it so people can't go into the river, but it blocks a little bit of the view unless you are standing right in front of the barriers
-very water dependent! Almost dried up when visited
-no bugs
-all sun, no shade - visit on a cloudy day
-small roadside sign (hanging plaque)
-no debris in the falls, mostly unobstructed
-visited August 2017
-roadside
-very easy
-no bathroom
-nearby: Watkins Glen State Park, Havana Glen, Deckertown Falls, Aunt Sarah's Falls (Montour Falls), Hector Falls, Taughannock State Park, Buttermilk State Park, Robert Truman State Park
-notes:
-paved parking on the road, free, 2 spots available in front of the falls, otherwise park on W Main St which is one hour parking only
-falls is roadside inside a small roadside park that consists of a small grass area surrounded by a concrete walkway, handicap accessible
-has cement barriers that make it so people can't go into the river, but it blocks a little bit of the view unless you are standing right in front of the barriers
-very water dependent! Almost dried up when visited
-no bugs
-all sun, no shade - visit on a cloudy day
-small roadside sign (hanging plaque)
-no debris in the falls, mostly unobstructed
Deckertown Falls - NY (Waterfall)
-119 E Catlin Street, Montour Falls, New York (end of the street)
-visited August 2017
-almost roadside to approx 1/4 mile
-easy
-no bathroom
-nearby: Watkins Glen State Park, Havana Glen, She-qua-ga Falls, Aunt Sarah's Falls (Montour Falls), Hector Falls, Taughannock State Park, Buttermilk State Park, Robert Truman State Park
-notes:
-half paved / half dirt parking area at the end of the road, free, fits maybe 4 cars
-small roadside sign on one side of the road that points down the street, that is easy to miss, parking area not marked
-2 part waterfall:
-lower falls is minimal hiking, minimal stepping and minimal incline, small hill to get to the base. People swim in this one. Stand in the river to get the best views
-upper falls has a lot of incline to get to it, but minimal stepping. Some brush, twigs and loose soil
-minimal bugs
-mainly shade
-trail is not marked, to lower is pretty straight forward, to upper can get a little confusing
-ok in low water, would be better with more
-some debris accumulating, limited views, slightly obstructed by trees
-visited August 2017
-almost roadside to approx 1/4 mile
-easy
-no bathroom
-nearby: Watkins Glen State Park, Havana Glen, She-qua-ga Falls, Aunt Sarah's Falls (Montour Falls), Hector Falls, Taughannock State Park, Buttermilk State Park, Robert Truman State Park
-notes:
-half paved / half dirt parking area at the end of the road, free, fits maybe 4 cars
-small roadside sign on one side of the road that points down the street, that is easy to miss, parking area not marked
-2 part waterfall:
-lower falls is minimal hiking, minimal stepping and minimal incline, small hill to get to the base. People swim in this one. Stand in the river to get the best views
-upper falls has a lot of incline to get to it, but minimal stepping. Some brush, twigs and loose soil
-minimal bugs
-mainly shade
-trail is not marked, to lower is pretty straight forward, to upper can get a little confusing
-ok in low water, would be better with more
-some debris accumulating, limited views, slightly obstructed by trees
Havana Glen - NY (Waterfall)
-135 Havana Glen Road, Montour Falls, New York
-visited August 2017
-approx 1/4 - 1/2 mile each way
-easy
-real bathrooms
-nearby: Watkins Glen State Park, Deckertown Falls, She-qua-ga Falls, Aunt Sarah's Falls (Montour Falls), Hector Falls, Taughannock State Park, Buttermilk State Park, Robert Truman State Park
-notes:
-paved parking, pay $2 to park (honor system, no one physically collects it)
-has picnic areas, open fields, tables - all in the shade
-road through park is dirt/paved but in good condition
-smaller parking lot, maybe 20 cars?
-signs at roadside as well as parking area
-2 part waterfalls, says stay on trail but best views are from river/ off trail
-trail is carved stone / stays wet even in low water, can be slick and muddy, use caution
-has one set of stairs made of metal, other than that minimal stepping and almost no incline
-minimal / no bugs
-mainly sun / minimal shade
-people swim in the upper portion, hard to get good photos
-ok in low water, consistent flow
-short trail, trail not marked but easy to follow
-surrounded by rock walls
-no debris in upper falls, unobstructed view, debris in lower falls / limited views (from trail)
-visited August 2017
-approx 1/4 - 1/2 mile each way
-easy
-real bathrooms
-nearby: Watkins Glen State Park, Deckertown Falls, She-qua-ga Falls, Aunt Sarah's Falls (Montour Falls), Hector Falls, Taughannock State Park, Buttermilk State Park, Robert Truman State Park
-notes:
-paved parking, pay $2 to park (honor system, no one physically collects it)
-has picnic areas, open fields, tables - all in the shade
-road through park is dirt/paved but in good condition
-smaller parking lot, maybe 20 cars?
-signs at roadside as well as parking area
-2 part waterfalls, says stay on trail but best views are from river/ off trail
-trail is carved stone / stays wet even in low water, can be slick and muddy, use caution
-has one set of stairs made of metal, other than that minimal stepping and almost no incline
-minimal / no bugs
-mainly sun / minimal shade
-people swim in the upper portion, hard to get good photos
-ok in low water, consistent flow
-short trail, trail not marked but easy to follow
-surrounded by rock walls
-no debris in upper falls, unobstructed view, debris in lower falls / limited views (from trail)
Watkins Glen State Park (Gorge) - NY (Waterfalls/Trails)
-1009 N Franklin Street, Watkins Glen, New York or on 414 (as if heading to the campground - larger) or 3310 Route 409, Watkins Glen, New York
-Visited August 2017
-multiple trails, generally 1.5 miles each way
-Moderate
-real bathrooms at all three parking areas
-nearby: Havana Glen, Deckertown Falls, She-qua-ga Falls, Aunt Sarah's Falls (Montour Falls), Hector Falls, Taughannock State Park, Buttermilk State Park, Robert Truman State Park
-notes:
-all paved parking lots (of varying size - large), pay to park ($8), all have signs to mark the entrances
-has picnic areas, pavilions, swimming pools, showers, and snack bars
-Gorge:
-all stone walkways and stairs! (over 700 constructed into walkway), trail is man made/carved with giant stone walls
-walk alongside and underneath falls (some pour on the trail so prepare to get a little wet)
-walkways get slick due to falls as well as run off (pulls mud in with it)
-ok in low water but would be better in the spring with more water
-minimal to no bugs, but has a lot of worms on the trail and millipedes on the walls
-partial sun and shade, gets very hot and muggy as the day continues so try to go early. Cloudy day would be better for the falls so don't get glare
-good views despite walls and limited trail access
-minimal incline except for stairs, a lot of stepping due to stairs but no stepping if not on stairs
-Indian Trail:
-dirt with some stones and roots
-no view of the falls
-easier on the legs than the stairs, but has some incline of minimal grade, minimal stepping
-well shaded but gets very warm (minimal breeze)
-has a fence on the gorge side so can't fall in (or overlook gorge)
-has two slight overlooks, one being an original bridge that crosses over a section of the gorge
-GET HERE EARLY!!!! opens at 8AM, be here when it opens, gets very crowded/no parking by 10 am
-guided tours begin at 10AM
-trails are not marked but easy to follow, has signs at intersections to point which way to follow
-no pets in the gorge, no swimming in the falls
-no debris in the falls, mainly unobstructed
-Visited August 2017
-multiple trails, generally 1.5 miles each way
-Moderate
-real bathrooms at all three parking areas
-nearby: Havana Glen, Deckertown Falls, She-qua-ga Falls, Aunt Sarah's Falls (Montour Falls), Hector Falls, Taughannock State Park, Buttermilk State Park, Robert Truman State Park
-notes:
-all paved parking lots (of varying size - large), pay to park ($8), all have signs to mark the entrances
-has picnic areas, pavilions, swimming pools, showers, and snack bars
-Gorge:
-all stone walkways and stairs! (over 700 constructed into walkway), trail is man made/carved with giant stone walls
-walk alongside and underneath falls (some pour on the trail so prepare to get a little wet)
-walkways get slick due to falls as well as run off (pulls mud in with it)
-ok in low water but would be better in the spring with more water
-minimal to no bugs, but has a lot of worms on the trail and millipedes on the walls
-partial sun and shade, gets very hot and muggy as the day continues so try to go early. Cloudy day would be better for the falls so don't get glare
-good views despite walls and limited trail access
-minimal incline except for stairs, a lot of stepping due to stairs but no stepping if not on stairs
-Indian Trail:
-dirt with some stones and roots
-no view of the falls
-easier on the legs than the stairs, but has some incline of minimal grade, minimal stepping
-well shaded but gets very warm (minimal breeze)
-has a fence on the gorge side so can't fall in (or overlook gorge)
-has two slight overlooks, one being an original bridge that crosses over a section of the gorge
-GET HERE EARLY!!!! opens at 8AM, be here when it opens, gets very crowded/no parking by 10 am
-guided tours begin at 10AM
-trails are not marked but easy to follow, has signs at intersections to point which way to follow
-no pets in the gorge, no swimming in the falls
-no debris in the falls, mainly unobstructed
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