Lovers Falls

ITHACA WEATHER

AKA: Class of ’48 Falls (perhaps erroneously). Lover’s Leap

Of the many waterfalls along Fall Creek in Ithaca, Lover’s Falls and Forest Home Falls are a part of the few that can be found upstream from Beebe Lake and the deep gorge that runs through the north end of the city. Found along the trails that encircle Beebe Lake, just a short walk from Cornell’s North Campus, this 20-ft tall cascade is often a popular hangout place for students on hot summer days, and like the name implies, a place for couples to take a short walk, sit on the bench overlooking the falls, and enjoy some isolated greenspace away from campus stresses.

Despite being a few minutes walk from campus, the view of the falls is isolated from development above. Some clues of past mill activity can be found along the gorge, if you look for them, and a small flood monitoring station sits just above the falls, enveloped by trees. Atop the falls is a small concrete dam, possibly left over from a large gristmill that ran here until about 1900, or perhaps it serves a flood control/monitoring purpose. The falls is split down the middle by a fissure, which water has eroded away to form a chute, turning the falling water almost 90 degrees across its face. Behind the falls, a bend in the gorge obscures the view further upstream, making it feel like this little setting is in its own secluded corner of the woods.

The falls likely takes its name from Lover’s Leap, a 25 ft sheer cliff face on the west bank of the creek, just downstream from the falls, that people have been known to jump off of. Here, in what is known as Hemlock Gorge, the water is deeper than the natural flow of the creek, owing to water backed up from Beebe Lake’s dam at Triphammer Falls. As fun as a leap may seem, the water isn’t very deep at times, leading to several adventurers becoming injured, and at least one fatally. A guardrail, warning sign, and a lone memorial reminds visitors of the dangers for those who may dare.

The Cayuga inhabited the area prior to the arrival of white settlers. Although the only trace of a settlement found was in the Cayuga Heights area to the west, a Cayuga trail did run through here. Stone tools were found as settlers excavated properties, and it was speculated that the inhabitants of the nearby village used these grounds to hunt. The Cayuga were virtually wiped out from the region by the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition in 1779.

The first white settlers of what is now Forest Home were Joseph S. and Martha Sydney in 1794. The Sydneys constructed a gristmill and bridge on the site of Forest Home Falls, and the new settlement became known as “Sydney’s Bridge.” His mill burned down in 1799, and Sydney sold the property and moved operations to Cascadilla Creek.

The power of Fall Creek attracted several other mill operations, including a fulling mill built by a “Mr. Phoenix” in 1812, leading to the settlement taking on the name “Phoenix Mills.” The Phoenix name was short-lived, and the community became known as “Free Hollow” by 1815. Some whimsical nicknames for the settlement were used at this time, including “Flea Hollow” or “Flea Hollar.”  The earliest of known mills to exist at Lover’s Falls was a gunpowder mill, and as more mills sprang up, a public roadway was established along the west bank of the creek to allow millers access. This roadway is now a part of the trail leading to the lake and falls.

Other mills that were constructed and operated here include:

• Powder Mill – Owned by Arnold McIntyre, it exploded in September 1849. It was located downstream from Lover’s Falls.  McIntyre went on to found the Ithaca Gun Company.
• Telescope Factory – Located downstream from Lover’s Falls on the east side.
• Red Grist Mill – Built by Arnold McIntyre around 1855. It operated until around 1900 and was located just below Lover’s Falls.
• Turning Shop – Built by Mr. Chamberlain just north of the Red Grist Mill. It produced handles for tools and some furniture, probably built after 1866.
• Woolen Factory – Built in 1826 by Stewart and Allen at the apex of the bend upstream from here. It later became known as Edwards Woolen Mill and was swept away in a flood in 1892.

In 1876, with the arrival of its first post office and the realization that the name “Free Hollow” conflicted with other villages, the name was changed to “Forest Home.” As the manufacturing industry waned at the turn of the century, development began on residential homes, attracting professors from the adjacent Cornell University. Old factory facilities, such as offices and storage, were converted to homes, while new ones were built.

What is now Beebe Lake, was once a forested marsh. Not easily navigable, and difficult to develop on, it remained so through early development of Ithaca. It wasn’t until 1838, with the construction of a dam and mill at Triphammer Falls, that the lake formed. The first dam raised water levels 18 feet, creating a pond, still surrounded by marsh. In 1898, with the construction of a hydroelectric plant at Triphammer Falls, the forest was cut down and a new dam raised water levels an additional 10 ft, forming modern day Beebe Lake.

Difficulty: Easy. Paved walking area from the parking lot to the trailhead. The trail is gravel with a slight gradient.

Markings: Road signs and landmarks from parking to the trailhead. A sign at the trailhead and a well maintained gravel path to the falls.

Distance: About a half mile one-way.

Description: From the parking off of Cradit Farm Dr, follow the sidewalk east past Helen Newman Hall. Just past the hall, there is an informational sign for the Cornell Botanic Gardens and the walkway veers right to a small set of stairs. Follow it.

The walkway will pass behind the Fuertes Observatory and you will come to a sharp left turn. Don’t turn. Look for the Cornell Botanic Gardens trail sign and follow the steps down into the woods and onto a gravel trail.

Shortly, you will come upon a junction. Straight leads to the creek and then you can make a left to end up at the falls. Or just make a left here. The falls is about 2 minutes from the junction.

Map: Interactive.

Come back in different seasons

• The falls change dramatically from season to season. In low flow, it’s easy to see the right angle turn within the face of the falls, where the water is guided by an eroded fissure in the rock. In winter and early spring, the falls fills out and forms a V-shape. The surrounding deciduous trees create a colorful scene in fall.

Beebe Lake

• The trail here leads to the Beebe Lake trail which loops around the lake (see the interactive map above).  At just under a mile, the trail hugs the shoreline of the lake offering views of Werly Island, and local wildlife (lots of turtles if you get up early enough), as well as Triphammer Falls and Dam on the west end.

Silky Water Effect

• To get that smooth cotton-candy look to the falls, you need to use a Neutral Density (ND) filter on your lens. The ND filter will block some of the light from entering the lens without altering the color, and thus allows your shutter to stay open longer. This blurs the water and creates a soft white gloss to the foamy areas of the falls.  Check out the article for all of the details.

More tips

• See the Articles for more photography tips.

Cornell Botanic Gardens
Phone: 607-255-2400
Email: [email protected]
Web: cornellbotanicgardens.org/contact-us/