Taughannock Falls State Park - Photos, Maps, Information

Taughannock Falls State Park

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Location - Ulysses, Tompkins County
Maps - Google Map, Google Earth, Multi
GPS -(Taughannock Falls) N 42.53563 / W 76.61063
(Lower Falls) N 42.54477 / W 76.60136
(Upper Falls) N 42.53241 / W 76.61579
Directions - The park is on the south end of Rt. 89 along Cayuga Lake, 3/4 of the way from the Thruway to Ithaca. There are several entrances to the park. Heading south from the Thruway, the first entrance, Park Rd, leads to a spectacular overlook of Taughannock Falls. Follow the signs and park in the parking lot adjacent to the overlook. If you were past this entrance and continue south on Rt. 89 you will find the main entrance to the park and the gorge trail. Rt. 89 cuts through the park and has parking on both make the east and west side. There is a fee for parking in this area. From the lookout area one can continue on Park Rd., driving through the park, and make a left on Falls Rd. Shortly after there's a (free) parking area on the left and and entrance to the rim trails.

Information
Number of falls: 3 major falls (Lower, Upper and Taughannock) and
several smaller ledges.
Size/Types: Taughannock Falls is a 215' plunge. Lower Falls is a 15' step cascade and Upper Falls starts as the creek joins the falls of a tributary and steeply cascades 100' turning sharply along the way.
Best time to visit: Spring, summer, fall. Gets crowded during summer weekends. Spectacular in fall.
Flow: Low-medium
Waterway: Taughannock Creek.
Time: The lookout point is a few minutes from the road. The gorge trail will take an hour. The rim trails can take the better part of a day.

Accessibility
Seasons/Hours: Park open all year. Gorge trail open all year.
Parking: Parking lots for roughly 20 cars at each lot.
Admission: $7 vehicle fee at the lake-side entrance. Free at other entrances.
Handicap accessibility: yes, the gorge trail and the falls overlook is very accessible. The rim trails are not.
Pets: Allowed on leash.
Accommodations: Restrooms, beach, campsites, picnic tables, showers, changing rooms, playgrounds, cabins, pavilions, boat launch, trailer sites, drinking fountains, snack bar.

Description
A spectacular waterfall in a well maintained state park, Taughannock Falls is one of many waterfalls in the park, yet it is easily the most popular. Freefalling 215 feet from a hanging valley, this waterfall roars during spring. In summer, it dries considerably, offering visitors a less wet experience walking up the creek bed. The pool at the base of the falls is deep, excellent for swimming, if it weren't for the extreme danger of falling rocks. The sheer limestone cliffs are jagged and worn, with crackling and pops of falling debris often heard throughout the gorge. in 2005, a lady was killed, and three were injured by a massive rock fall near the falls. In 2010, another significant rock fall was documented.

The falls is easily viewable from multiple locations, but the real treasure is a hike along the rim trails, offering different views of Taughannock Falls and the waterfalls of the upper canyon.

Visit in Fall for some spectacular foliage, and the trip is even worth it in the cold of winter as the falls freezes from its base, forming an incredible ice sculpture.

Trails
Difficulty: Gorge trail: Easy
Rim Trails: Moderate
Map: Maps are available at the trailheads and at the park office.
Markings: Well defined stone and dirt trails, with informational signs along the way. Trailheads are marked with park maps.
The Gorge Trail runs from the main park entrance, past the Lower Falls, and along the gorge. If the water level is low, and it usually is, you can walk within the creek bed. The trail offers many information placards along the way. You'll also pass a few small ledges and several magnificent cliff faces and overhangs. The gorge trail ends at the Taughannock Falls lookout, 300' from the falls. You may see many people crossing the boundary, and even swimming in the plunge pool, but be careful, people have been killed doing this.

The rim trails loop around the gorge and can be joined at every entrance. For a quick view of the upper falls, use the Park Rd. entrance and take it to the other side of the park to the Falls Rd. parking lot. This is where the South and North Rim trails meet and is just above the Upper Falls. You can view it from an old railroad bridge. The rim trail offer excellent views of the upper portion of the park, but somewhat limited views of Taughannock Falls.

Do not miss...
Taughannock Falls is 33' higher than Niagara Falls and is the highest freefall in waterfall in the northeastern United States. It falls with such force, the plunge pool below is more than 30' deep. You're not going to find a larger gorge in the finger lakes. Erosion from many sources has carved out 400' high cliffs, and rocks continue to crash down from the dramatic canyon faces. Over the course of a several years the gorge walls can change dramatically. The soft underlying shale in the hardened caprock layers give this gorge a unique and dramatic appearance.

Joints. This gorge offers the greatest examples of joint rock fractures. Some of them are so straight and cut so consistently that they seem to be man-made. The joints are fractures and rock caused by geological pressure. If the rock layer has consistency, fractures would be distributed evenly. Water can fill the fractures, freeze in the winter, expand and either cause the joint to increase in size or more dramatically cleave off portion of the rock layer.

The ocean floor. See the ripple-like pattern in the creek bed? Some signage in other parks mislead people, telling them that this is the result of the layer of rock being deposited by an ancient ocean. while it is possible that that rock lawyer was deposited by an ancient ocean, the ripple pattern is in fact the result of modern water erosion. Both acidic rain and sand and are to blame. Acidic rain puddle the creek bed dissolving the limestone, creating these ripples. In the creek's current, particles of sand will swirl around in these dimples, further carving them out.

There's much dispute as to how this fall's got its name. Some say it is derived from the Native American word "Takonik," meaning "great fall in the woods." another legend tells of a battle between the Cayuga Indians and a Delaware tribe, where the invading chieftain, Taughannock, was killed and tossed over the falls.

Photography Tips
▪ Bring a wide angle lens- this falls is huge!
▪ If going for the silk affect, bring a neutral density filter of at the least ND8. The water takes so long to fall, you'll have to use shutter speeds of one second or more to obtain this effect.
▪ Get to the park early to get shots without park visitors in frame.
▪ The west end of the park will offer many photo opportunities with less crowds.
▪ See the Articles section for more waterfall photography tips.