I took a few days in August and drove out to the Finger Lakes. It was pretty warm weather in September out there, but the days were beautiful. Sunny and so pretty. In the Ithaca area, there are a lot of waterfalls and many state parks around the Finger Lakes. Of the ones I visited, I was impressed by how nice the state parks are around there. Many were right on the lakes, with level spots that had fire pits and picnic tables, playgrounds for kids, and places to just enjoy the surrounding area.
The, the one to the right is Taughannock Falls which drops over 200 feet to the bottom. Quite impressive to see. You can view them from an overlook, or take a hike on one of the paths to get to the bottom. I took the 0.75-mile-long path which is easy, wide, and pretty flat the whole way along the river. Mostly shaded too. I made sure our pups went swimming a few times to keep cool, and wish I could dip ourselves in as well. People were swimming there, though it is not allowed 🙂 This is a hike well worth taking. Click the pictures to see a larger view 🙂
It is a really pretty walk along many smaller falls along the way. I camped at the Taughannock State Park, which was a nice clean park, at least in the area where I stayed.
Multiple hiking trails provide views of the fall and the gorge.
Gorge Trail: 0.75mi along Taughannock Creek to the base of the falls. EasyRobert H. Treman State Park
South Rim Trail: 1.125mi. Moderate
North Rim Trail: 1.5mi. Moderate
Gorge trail and overlook open year-round. Other trails open April-Oct.
Another place to visit is the Robert H. Treman State Park, which also has beautiful falls. People tend to take a dip in the waters here as well.
There are many state parks with waterfalls, and many with campgrounds too. I traveled around to see the many waterfalls and found that there were many others we missed.