Ithaca Falls

Take Highway 34 to the north end of downtown Ithaca and exit the freeway onto East Shore Drive. Turn south (toward downtown) on East Shore Drive and continue for three-quarters of a mile to the bridge over Fall Creek where the falls can be seen upstream. Parking is available in two small gravel lots to the left, just past the bridge, and trails lead from the road to the base of the falls (though they may be partially submerged during periods of high flow).Ithaca, New York is one of the few cities in the United States that harbors a substantial number of significant waterfalls right within its urban core. Bisecting various parts of the center of town are three major watercourses, all of which produce several waterfalls. The northernmost of the three, Fall Creek, flows through a huge, deep gorge which cuts through the middle of the Cornell University campus and drops over five large waterfalls over a run of about two-thirds of a mile. Ithaca Falls is the final of these five waterfalls, the largest falls on the creek, and is among the largest waterfalls in New York State. The falls drop 139 feet over a broad cliff which bulges outward at the far left side, and graduates in a subtle concave shape while twisting in a clockwise corkscrew motion as it descends. At its crest the falls stretch approximately 170 feet in width, and can expand to over 210 feet in width at its base, depending on the flow. In 1830 mills were constructed adjacent to the falls, and a tunnel was blasted through the bedrock from a small dam emplaced at the top of the falls in order to flume the stream to the Mill. Remnants of the dam can still be seen immediately upstream from the top of Ithaca Falls. Just downstream from the falls was the site of the Ithaca Gun Factory which operated from 1886 until 1986. The factory was condemned in 2006 and the location was the subject of Superfund remediation between 2002 and 2015 due to high levels of lead-contaminated soil found around the former factory site, and additional ongoing cleanup efforts are still being discussed to this day. Fall Creek is among the largest tributary streams that feed into Cayuga Lake, draining from a basin which covers approximately 130 square miles in area. Its substantial drainage size ensures the fall will flow all year long, but there will be a substantial fluctuation in volume as the seasons progress. During periods of rapid snow melt, or following tropical depressions that move through the area, Ithaca Falls can rival some of the most powerful waterfalls in the country. By the end of summer the streamflow may just be a fraction of its wet-season equivalent, but there should be more than enough water present at any time of year to allow the falls to remain boastful in stature.