What are the Top Things to do in Ithaca NY? “Ithaca is Gorges” the punny, yet quite appropriate motto for the city of Ithaca NY. Located at the bottom of Cayuga Lake, the longest and second-largest of the Finger Lakes. Ithaca is surrounded by tons of natural wonders.
Add to that being home to Cornell University, the town has a great Ivy League vibe. Ithaca was one of our favourite cities we’ve visited recently. Here are our top things to do in Ithaca NY.
Top things to do in Ithaca NY:
Ithaca Falls
The first place to see in Ithaca NY is the waterfall named after the city. Originally belonging to Cornell University, this beautiful cascade waterfall was sold to the city in 2000. Ithaca Falls is located a short walk from the small parking lot off the road. The path takes you through a gorge, with walls of layered shale on both sides creating a natural amphitheatre.
The falls located at the end of the path are one of the most spectacular we’ve seen so far. Ithaca falls is one of the tallest and widest on this list. The water falls down several platforms along the way, creating a beautiful wall of cascading water.
Buttermilk State Park
Our eternal search for waterfalls you can swim in brought us to Buttermilk State Park. The falls after which the park is named, is the second largest on this list. Although rather than having a large vertical fall, Buttermilk Falls is a giant washboard that water runs down. There is a small swimming area at the bottom of the falls. Also, a hiking path that takes you to the top of the falls and through the gorge.
Ithaca Farmers’ Market
Touted as one of the largest farmers markets in New York state, the Ithaca Famers market is a definite top place to see in Ithaca NY. With over 160 vendors from a 30-mile radius around Ithaca NY, there is a little something for everyone. The market is set in “The Pavilion”. A large open-air structure with designated booths for each of the vendors to set up their stalls. Booths range from local cideries, creameries, arts and crafts and cuisines from all around the world.
Located at Steamboat Landing, there is a lot of traffic as people load and unload from various boats on the dock. Throw in a handful of live music from local performers and you get quite the lively atmosphere. If you do plan on visiting, try and arrive as early as possible. The market gets crowded fast and parking limited. When we arrived there was a line of cars up the street. A lot of people had elected to park off the property and walk over.
Stewart Avenue Bridge
Located by the Cornell campus in the Cornell heights historic district the Stewart Avenue bridge site high above Falls creek offering breathtaking views of Forest falls and Ithaca below. There is no parking near by though, so you’ll need to park at the suspension bridge and walk back to take in the view or just enjoy on the drive by.
Casadilla Gorge Trail
Acting as one of the main corridors connecting the Cornell University campus to downtown Ithaca is the Cascadilla Gorge Trail. The trail is only three-quarters of a mile long but contains the iconic College Avenue Stone Arch Bridge and several waterfalls along the way. Definitely one of the most beautiful trails in Ithaca NY.
Ithaca Commons
Walking from the Cornell campus, through the beautiful Cadadilla Gorge. the trail leads to the Ithaca Commons. Downtown Ithaca NY is a two-block pedestrian-only street filled with tons of cute restaurants, shops, public art. There is also an outdoor exhibition dedicated to the late Carl Sagan. World-famous astrophysicist, Cornell professor and long time Ithaca resident.
Taughannock Falls
About a 15-20 minute drive from Ithaca NY is the tallest of the waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. At a height of 215 feet, Taughannock beats Niagara by about 33 feet. Taughannock Falls is located in a gorge with walls soaring up to 400 feet creating truly epic views.
When visiting the park, there are 2 options. You can either take in the view from the overlook high above the falls or head down to the Taughannock falls gorge trail and walk right up to the foot of the falls.
Glenwood Pines
On the way back to Ithaca NY from Taughannock Falls, along the shores of Lake Cayuga, is the world-famous Glenwood Pines. Starting since 1979 this family-run restaurant has been serving up their delicious Pineburgers and fish frys for over 40 years.
As one of the patrons told us, everything here is delicious and the restaurant has a great homey feel to it. Do expect to wait for a table, especially during peak hours as this place is very popular.
Robert H Treman State Park
This park is actually broken up into two parts. Located at the lower end of the park is another waterfall that you can swim in. A definite on the list of the top things to do in Ithaca NY. The lower falls swimming area is much larger than Buttermilk falls including a diving board that you can jump off. Keep in mind the water is quite chilly and very deep by the waterfall and diving area.
At the upper end of Robert H Treman is the old grits mill and Mills falls. Several trails that take you down through Enfield Glen started here. We followed the Gorge trail. The trail runs parallel to Enfield creek as it plunges 500 ft through the park and passes dozens of waterfalls including Enfield and Lucifer falls.
Truly an awe-inspiring experience, with each corner revealing increasing incredible views. Do expect a hike though, even though the path is mostly paved, its drops in elevation quite drastically at some places.
Watkins Glen State Park
The last place on top things to do in Ithaca NY is Watkins Glen State Park. Located about 40 minutes outside of Ithaca, at the foot of Seneca Lake the largest of the Finger Lakes. Voted #3 in USA Today’s top state parks in the US, Watkin Glen is the most famous park in the Finger Lakes area.
Originally opened to the public in 1863, then turned over to state control in 1911, Watkin Glen is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been. The gorge trail follows along the Glen creek, winding over the water on beautiful stone bridges and under some of the 19 waterfalls along the way.
The soaring 400-foot walls of the gorge expose layers of rock, creating a cathedral type atmosphere in some sections of the trail. It feels like you’ve been transported to a Narnia or another faraway land, definitely, worth the drive if you are visiting Ithaca NY.