Taughannock Falls State Park
Taughannock Falls State Park
Taughannock Falls State Park
4.5
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
6 within 3 miles
Attractions
15 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- Adam P1 contributionGreat Park, Wrong Location!Great Park with a variety of trails and scenic vistas. The Cayuga Lake front is a pleasant stroll and the iconic the Taughannock Falls that it's famous for s everyone's favorite. Location in this listing is confusing. It's definitely not located in the village of Trumansburg so if you look there, you won't find it. The mailing address may be Trumansburg but this is a rural and Postal location is not the same as physical location. It is located in the town of Ulysses (and it's been that way since the 1800's). It's located about 3 miles from the village of Trumansburg. Any question about this fact see a county map or visit wikipedia.Visited March 2024Traveled soloWritten March 29, 2024
- YayeMamaMaplewood, New Jersey928 contributionsHigher Than Niagara FallsA beautiful state park with parking both at the park and across the street closer to the lake. 3/4 miles to hike from the start of the trail to Taughannock Falls which is truly worth the walk. The path is easy to walk and you can also get off the trail to walk on the rocks next to the river leading up to the falls. Lots of wildlife - mostly birds and interesting native plants along the way. Path may get muddy after a rainfall. The falls are truly breathtaking when you get to the end and there are several areas where you can take nice photographs. Worth a visit if you're in the Ithaca area.Visited March 2024Traveled with familyWritten March 31, 2024
- GrumoNew York City, New York1,122 contributionsDefinitely a special visit - complements seeing Watkins GlenWe loved our visit there. It nicely complemented the dramatic beauty of Watkins Glen. We parked by the lake (first entrance to the park coming south on 96). and walked the Gorge Trail to the top of the falls. Taking that route we got a lot of good exercise going up the gradual incline after the 180 or so intense stone steps. Much of the walk is relatively flat. The scenery in the walk up the Gorge Trail was not as special as what we saw once we got to the top of the falls. Once we got to the top of the falls, we did enough uphill walking as to not want to walk down to the base of the falls and back up again. If I were to do it again I would recommend driving to the top of the falls, then walking down the steps to the bottom of the falls and back up. The view from the top of the falls is spectacular. Definitely worth sitting there for an hour to take it in. The other aspect of the park is that which is on Cayuga Lake. Parking by the entrance to the Gorge Trail the view of the lake is lovely and elegant. There are picnic tables and a stony beach. Although the stones are smooth, I would recommend bringing water sandals. In June the water temperature was comfortably cool and refreshing.Visited June 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten June 15, 2024
- Connie RLancaster, New Hampshire65 contributionsA nice walk to a spectacular water fallI would highly recommend this nice walk to a spectacular water fall. It was a nice easy walk on a well maintained path. When you got to the end of the trail the water fall was just spectacular and the cliffs were amazing.Visited May 2024Traveled with familyWritten June 27, 2024
- ejplumClarks Summit, Pennsylvania445 contributionsWorth A VisitVisitors were constantly coming and going to view the falls while my husband and I were at the Overlook at Taughannock Falls. Unfortunately for us, the water was not in good supply. However, it did not spoil our visit. It is still magnificent, a wonder of nature. The trees and flowers were so beautiful. Birds were flying overhead as we stood at the Overlook. Very serene.Visited July 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten July 25, 2024
- DaBearsWISCWisconsin Dells, Wisconsin152 contributionsGreat sight to see, and you can get in the water along the way.Fun walk, not too hard. No steep climb, wide level path. Much of it in the shade. See the falls from up above first, then go down to the main park area and walk to them. You can get right in the river/creek along the way.Visited August 2024Traveled with familyWritten August 24, 2024
- ChrisHFrederick, Maryland550 contributionsReally nice parkTwo adults visited this state park on a Monday in mid-August and really enjoyed the scenery. $9 day use fee, also able to be used same day at any other NY state park. The falls are spectacular and at a height of 215 feet are the highest falls east of the Rocky Mountains. The overlook to the main falls is a short easy walk from the visitor center/mostly gift shop, where you are allowed only 1 hour of free parking. We took the North Rim Trail to the Upper Falls and then returned the same way to where we had parked. Rode down to the part of the park where the lower falls are, paid the $9 day use fee and picnicked at one of the many tables near the marina at the end of Cayuga Lake. Great view of the lake, but very horrible men's bathroom there-New York state parks, you should be ashamed. It looked and especially smelled like it hadn't been cleaned in a week. Walked up and then back down the Gorge Trail to Taughannock Falls for more spectacular scenery. Well worth the $9 fee.Visited August 2024Traveled with familyWritten September 5, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,273 reviews
Excellent
913
Very good
299
Average
53
Poor
7
Terrible
1
Stu T
9 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
We rented a cabin in the state park for 2 nights to enjoy the great offerings available at Taughannock Falls State Park - from walking the Gorge Trail and North Rim Trail to riding our bikes on the Black Diamond Trail. Our cabin with a lake view was rustic, but clean and fit our needs. The farmers market in Ithica was disappointing, but found Trumansburg Farmers Market on Wednesday night outstanding. The food at Glenwood Pines just south of the state park was excellent and a great price (plus a view of the lake as we ate).
Written September 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shifra w
toronto4,651 contributions
Jun 2023
This is a magnificent falls and so photogenic, even on a rainy, dreary, misty day.
The walk to the waterfall is flat, along a river.
On a rainy day, it can be quite muddy.
The benefit of going on a rainy day is that the crowds are thin and the waterfall is cascading in abundance.
We had gone to this waterfall on a previous visit in August and it was a bare trickle, almost completely dry.
The scenery along the walk to the waterfall is lovely and one can capture great pictures.
There is a bridge to view the waterfall at the end of the trail, BUT, if one keeps going to the other bank, one can get closer to the waterfall for a better view.
There is also an overlook, where one can descend some stairs to a fantastic overview of the falls.
The day we were there, it was early evening, misty and hazy with smoke from Canadian wildfires. I can only imagine how gorgeous the view would be on a sunny, clear day .
The overlook has bathrooms and some little stores that were closed because we were there after hours.
There is also a lovely pollinator garden at the overlook, with a sign telling which plants to include if you are interested in making one of your own.
Parking is free at the overlook and $9 at the main parking lot.
The walk to the waterfall is flat, along a river.
On a rainy day, it can be quite muddy.
The benefit of going on a rainy day is that the crowds are thin and the waterfall is cascading in abundance.
We had gone to this waterfall on a previous visit in August and it was a bare trickle, almost completely dry.
The scenery along the walk to the waterfall is lovely and one can capture great pictures.
There is a bridge to view the waterfall at the end of the trail, BUT, if one keeps going to the other bank, one can get closer to the waterfall for a better view.
There is also an overlook, where one can descend some stairs to a fantastic overview of the falls.
The day we were there, it was early evening, misty and hazy with smoke from Canadian wildfires. I can only imagine how gorgeous the view would be on a sunny, clear day .
The overlook has bathrooms and some little stores that were closed because we were there after hours.
There is also a lovely pollinator garden at the overlook, with a sign telling which plants to include if you are interested in making one of your own.
Parking is free at the overlook and $9 at the main parking lot.
Written July 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
YayeMama
Maplewood, NJ928 contributions
Jun 2023
Parking is tough at this State Park, although you can also park across the street near the beach. Quiet walk through the woods on a well treaded trail which rewards you with a beautiful view of Taughannock Falls. Many benches along the way allow you to rest in case you get tired. Easy walk - less than a mile, pretty straight-forward. Lots of wildlife along the way.
Written June 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
marvi62
Horsham, PA790 contributions
Oct 2020 • Family
My husband, adult son and i enjoyed our walk to the Taughahnnock Falls this morning. We are middle aged walkers, not hikers. We have been to all the major state parks within an hour of Ithaca 3-4 times. Taughannock is a very flat, 3/4 mile walk on a wide path, mostly in shade. There are sections where you can walk along the creek bed leading up to the Falls. There are also pretty little Falls close to the entrance where you can have a picnic or just relax. The Falls themselves drop over 200 feet, but it's a long, narrow waterfall off a cliff, so not as interesting as the formations in other waterfalls at Robert Treman or Watkins Glen (the best two state parks in the region, in my opinion).
Easily 50% of park attendees were not wearing masks. We often pulled over and let people pass us. The lower level walkway is wide most of the way to the Falls, and it was not nearly as crowded as Watkins Glen or Robert Treman Parks this week.
It normally costs $8/day to visit one or multiple NY state parks this year. The fee has been waived on weekdays through the end of October 2020 at Taughannock. There are porta potties in the lower level parking lot, but if you walk across the street, there is a lakefront park with bathrooms. There are also bathrooms, plus a staffed Visitor Center, at the Taughannock Falls Upper level Lookout (2+ miles up the road - drive there). At the Upper Level Outlook, you can see the Falls from the parking lot.
Easily 50% of park attendees were not wearing masks. We often pulled over and let people pass us. The lower level walkway is wide most of the way to the Falls, and it was not nearly as crowded as Watkins Glen or Robert Treman Parks this week.
It normally costs $8/day to visit one or multiple NY state parks this year. The fee has been waived on weekdays through the end of October 2020 at Taughannock. There are porta potties in the lower level parking lot, but if you walk across the street, there is a lakefront park with bathrooms. There are also bathrooms, plus a staffed Visitor Center, at the Taughannock Falls Upper level Lookout (2+ miles up the road - drive there). At the Upper Level Outlook, you can see the Falls from the parking lot.
Written October 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael K
San Jose, CA1,140 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Taughannock Falls is an impressive waterfall due to its height. You can view it from above at the Falls Overlook or view it at ground level by hiking the Gorge Trail. With the Gorge Trail you can also view the Lower Falls. The Gorge Trail is an easy hike through the picturesque gorge with brilliant fall colors in the fall. Or better yet, check out both views. Afterwards, head out to Taughannock Point which lies east of US-89. Here you get a good view of Cayuga Lake plus brilliant fall colors on the opposite shore in the fall.
Written October 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cheri D
Yardville, NJ504 contributions
Aug 2022
Gorgeous falls in the state park. Easy walk to the falls from the parking lot. You need to pay to walk the trails or have a New York State Park Pass, which we did not have, but you are allowed to park for free for about half an hour or so to see the falls. So peaceful and serene. Well worth a side trip. Wish we had the time to walk the trails in the park.
Written October 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rads12342015
New York33 contributions
Aug 2020
We enjoyed visiting Taughannock Falls State Park. We came to visit on Sunday morning, around 9:30AM in the morning. The small parking lot by the Falls trail head was already full, but there was plenty of parking on the other side of the street by the marina and the Cayuga lake, so we parked there. It is only about 5 minutes walk across the big lawn and across the road to the gorge trail head, which would take us to the actual falls. On the lake side of the park, there is also a clean bathroom. We hiked to the falls, the trail is listed as 3/4 mile. Since it was August, and there was not much rain lately, the Taughannock Creek was half dry and it was possible to walk on the stony bottom of the creek bed, which was fun. We saw many people doing it. The falls itself were impressive and tall, but the water stream was weak, again not unexpected for the middle of Summer. Overall we spent 2 hours in this park, and we enjoyed every minute. We also got ice cream by the concession stand in the marina, which was delicious.
Written August 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beth C
Rochester, NY605 contributions
Jul 2021
During a recent stay in Ithaca, we decided to visit this state park. We initially pulled into the main park area (which included the playground and swimming area, the latter of which was closed for algae), across the road from the falls. Although it was interesting to poke around in this part of the park, we paid $9 to access, and we didn't really need to - if you are mainly looking to do a falls visit, there are various free places to park around the falls trails themselves. (Also, the lower falls parking area, which does charge the park fee, is VERY limited - and you may be admitted and charged even if there is no room for you to park there!)
The falls themselves were beautiful. Apparently, the main falls is one of the tallest in the east, and I found it more impressive than those in Letchworth State Park. There are so many different paths around the falls (north and south, upper and lower) that you could easily spend hours here, although keep in mind that there is a fair amount of rugged walking. I would rate this as a must-see in the area.
The falls themselves were beautiful. Apparently, the main falls is one of the tallest in the east, and I found it more impressive than those in Letchworth State Park. There are so many different paths around the falls (north and south, upper and lower) that you could easily spend hours here, although keep in mind that there is a fair amount of rugged walking. I would rate this as a must-see in the area.
Written July 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
runner24
Orlando, FL2,287 contributions
Oct 2021
We were in central new york state recently and made the decision to visit Taughannock Falls as we had the cameras with us and thought it would make a fantastic photo. We easily found the parking lot and were somewhat surprised that the booth wasn't staffed so they didn't charge a fee nor did we see anywhere to voluntarily contribute cash. It was a cold and blustery day but we set off on the trail alongside the river that had a few enthusiastic fishermen working at the lower falls. It's was a nice scene. My guess is the walk to the falls to be just over a half-mile (maybe more, not sure about that) but it was level (except next to the lower falls) and shaded. Being from Florida, we relished the experience. The falls are as beautiful as advertised, especially with the rain that had fallen over the last few days. Makes for an impressive view. Yes, it's worth the trip.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Written October 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HappyGJackson
Mount Laurel, NJ687 contributions
Jul 2023 • Solo
I went here looking for a nice waterfall and I found it from the top of the lookout you can see the beautiful waterfall and a nice lower area to get up close to the waterfall. The Trai to the waterfall is walkable with strollers, and pets are able to cool off in the water . Bring water to drink . Park across the street from the entrance only $9:00 which can be used at other state parks during the same day .
Written July 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Coming from Canada to Camp at Taughannock for the weekend. Should we take bikes or a kayak?
Written September 19, 2024
Heading to Taughannock falls later this week, anyone know what teh water flow is currently like?
Written September 23, 2019
They are supposed to get heavy rains today, so I would assume the water flow would continue to be impressive into the week
Written September 23, 2019
There is only one restaurant in the park and it is pretty pricey. However, Ithaca is only 20 minutes away and has tons of restaurants. I would recommend the Ithaca Beer Company and Gorgers Sub shop for some really good cheap eats. You can even go to the Cornell Campus, head to their Dairy Bar and have fresh ice cream made on campus.
Have fun!
Written August 31, 2019
The hike is a brief 30 minute walk. It's beautiful, enjoy! No cell phone tour.
Written July 26, 2019
Hi I am wondering if you can shed some light here I am a bit confused. If you take the gorge trail to the end where the waterfall comes down, you can cut into the upper falls trail or you just go back the same was you came to the parking lot ?
Written June 3, 2019
Both trails begin by the parking lot but separate. They do not intersect as one goes up around the rim.
Written June 4, 2019
Ciao,volevo sapere se è un percorso adatto a per dei bambini (6 e9 anni) e se è necessaria una attrezzatura particolare
Grazie
Giulia
Written April 30, 2019
Are there water and electricity in the tent sites?
Written August 19, 2018
The part of the park that's on Cayuga lake has both tent sites and cabins. I'm not sure of the amenities for the various camp sites and their website reveals nothing about it. Here is the park's phone number. You might reach out and ask there: (607) 387-6739.
Written August 20, 2018
Showing results 1-10 of 25
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing