Ithaca, NY
Mid October 2020 we wanted to escape for a few days, do some hiking, and foliage peeping. During this pandemic we felt like staying close to home while still seeing something new, and so Ithaca NY was picked, known for its many waterfalls in the finger lakes region.
We camped at Robert H Treman state park for three nights in the car and felt super lucky that this campground was still open so late in the season. The campground was very quiet midweek in the midst of peak foliage. There is an incredible gorge trail to Lucifer Falls right in the park so we did that the first day. They had one way traffic going for COVID and people wore masks when passing one another.
Starting on the ridge trail we hiked up along the top of the gorge, getting views of Lucifer Falls and the colorful spread of leaves as we went.
We then crossed over to the beautiful stone path along the other side. The trail is within the gorge and is just stunning, from nature’s beautiful stone work to the artistic stone trail. We had such a good time on this trail and couldn’t believe it was right at our campsite.
For lunch we went to Ithaca Bakery and drove down to Cayuga Lake and ate on the shore, almost feeling like it was a summer day. We spent the rest of the day driving along the scenic byway for some more views of the finger lake, passing farms and wineries along the way.
The next day we went to Buttermilk Falls for another gorgeous gorge trail. Buttermilk is the sister park to Tremont and about a 5 minute drive away. We went along in awe of the beauty of the waterfalls, trail, and changing leaves.
Afterwards, we went to Taughannock Falls, an 217 foot waterfall close to the lake that a short hike will take you to. It was another gorgeous 70 degree day and we hung out by the lake for a long time playing cards and reading. That evening we went out to dinner in downtown Ithaca and visited the Cornell campus to see some more of the famous falls in the area.
The trip was such a fun adventure close to home and I hope to be able to come back in the future and bring my parents here. The trails and falls are so unique and NY State Parks are just the best! I left feeling refreshed and inspired.