Cascadilla and Fall Creek Gorges frame Cornell campus to the north and south—distinguishing the campus’ natural beauty, while providing unique opportunities to study geology and the ecology of remarkably different habitats within and around the gorges. Trails were built for all of us to safely explore and enjoy the stunning gorge landscapes.

Along with their beauty, the gorges bring potential danger. The forces that shaped these unique landscapes are still at work. Rocks continue to fall from cliff sides and stream currents are strong, though they often don’t appear to be.

Through the misuse of our gorges, many people have been injured or killed, but most of these incidents could have been avoided.

Cascadilla Gorge TrailsPlease take notice that the Cascadilla Gorge trail between Lynn Street in downtown Ithaca and Stewart Avenue is open. The remainder of the trail between Stewart Avenue and College Avenue remains closed until repairs are completed. Gorge pathways and railings have been severely damaged from the forces of nature, and are presently unsafe. We strongly urge visitors observe the posted trail closed signs.

The remainder of the Cascadilla Gorge Trail system upstream of College Avenue remains open to the public during temperate weather.

Trails along Cascadilla Creek follow steep, rocky cliffs, and forested slopes, providing a peaceful getaway in the midst of the bustle of Collegetown. From College Avenue to Linn Street in downtown Ithaca, the creek descends 400 feet, where the trail passes through a deeply cut gorge past several noteworthy waterfalls.

Fall Creek Gorge TrailsFall Creek Gorge, with its forested and rocky slopes, extends from Triphammer Falls (at the west end of Beebe Lake), under the Thurston Avenue bridge and the suspension bridge near the Johnson Museum of Art, and past Ithaca Falls to a city park in downtown Ithaca. The gorge has six waterfalls, cascades, and rapids. Ithaca Falls is the most famous because of its enormous size: 150 feet high and 175 feet wide! The Cayuga Trail runs from Stewart Avenue along the southern lip of the gorge eastward through Cornell Plantations. Another trail begins on University Avenue directly across from the Johnson Museum of Art. This trail’s steps lead down to the stream and also to a suspension bridge that provides a fabulous view of the gorge and downtown Ithaca.

Use the maps and guidelines on the following page to safely explore Fall Creek and Cascadilla Gorges.

“As a member of the City of Ithaca’s Underwater Recovery Team, I have spent countless hours in the murky and unpredictable waters of Fall Creek attempting to recover the bodies of drowning victims. These waters are extremely dangerous and are filled with entangling debris. Several undercuts exist near the base of the falls, where bodies are typically recovered. Even as a highly trained, properly equipped professional diver, I wouldn’t swim there if I did not have to recover a body.”

—Sgt. Scott Salino, Rescue Diver, Cornell Police

Trail Map and Safety Information

The Gorges of Cornell

Crabapple Collection

Mann Library

Building

F a l l C r e e k

Kephart Glen

l i a r T a g u y a C o T

Johnson Museum

of Art

Schwartz Center for the

Performing Arts

College Avenue Bridge

ENGINEERING QUAD

C a s c a d i l l a C r e e k

Newman Overlook

Fall Creek Plateau Trail

PARK PARK Fall Creek

Day Overlook

Werly Island

Cornell Dairy Store

Greenhouse Overlook

Plantations Horticultural

Center

ARTS QUAD

Cornell Plantations

Lewis Education

Center

BOTANICAL GARDEN

F a l l C r e e k

AG QUAD

A.D. White House

Gardens

Day Hall

Uris Library

LIBESLOPE

Statler Hotel

Wee Stinky Glen

Bailey Hall

BEEBE LAKE

Suspension Bridge

Tower Road

d a o R

s l l a F d d u J

d a o R

n e r r a

W

e v i r D e m o

H t s e r o

F

) d a o R n e d y r D ( 6 6 3 e t u o R

d a

o R l l e

w d l a

C

e u n e v A

t s a E

Un i ve r s i t y A

v e n u

e e u n e v A

t s e

W

L a k e S t r e e t

U n i

v e r s

i t y A

v e n u

e

Buffalo Street

H o y R o a d

Dryden Road

d a o R n e d y r D

M a p l e A v e n u e

P i n e T r e e R o a d

R o u t e 3 6 6 ( D

r y d e n R o a d )

J u d d F a l l s R o a d

C a m p u s R o a d

T o w e r R o a d

G a r

d e n

A v e

P l a n

t a t i o

n s

G a

m e

F a r

m R

o a d

F. R. NEWMAN ARBORETUM

Muenscher Poisonous Plants Garden

Cornell PlantationsPath Map

Miles

1/3 1 1/3 1 1/2

1 1

1 1/2 1/2 1/2 2/3

Path Names

Cascadilla Gorge Path Founders Loop

Liberty Hyde Bailey Loop Beebe Lake Loop

Mundy Wildflower Garden Loop Arboretum Loop

Fall Creek Path Morgan-Smith Trail

Park Park Loop

Malott Hall

Overlook

Garden

Path Orientation Sign

Free No-Permit Metered Parking

Kienzle Overlook

Minns Garden

C l a s s o f ’ 5 9 J o g g i n g T r a i l

Deans Garden

C a m p u s R o a d

F a l l C r e e k

F a l l C r e e k

L a k e s h o r e W a l k

C l a s

s o f ’

0 1 N

u t T r e e

C o l l

e c t i o n

t e e r t S n n i L

To Downtown Ithaca

Trolley Bridge

Oak Avenue

Rock and Mineral Gardens

Willard Straight Rock Garden

McGraw Tower

Hydraulics Lab

Toboggan Lodge

Helen Newman Hall

Tang Steps

e p o l S m r e p s o n m y G International Crop and Weed Garden

Heasley Rock Garden

Bowers Rhododendron

Collection Robison

Y ork State Herb

Garden Y oung

Garden

Peony and Perennial Garden

Mullestein Hillside Garden

Pounder Heritage Vegetable Garden

Class of ’23 Grove

Zucker Shrub Sampler

Sculpture Garden

Palmer-Kinne Dogwood Collection

Flowering Shrub Class of ’38 Native

Maple Collection

Baird Field Flower Meadow

F o r e

s t H o m

e D r i v

e

Eddy Gate

F a l l

C r e

e k

Hemlock Gorge

Sackett Bridge

Class of ’48 Overlook

Olin Library

Sage Chapel

Lincoln Hall

Goldwin Smith Hall

Morrill Hall

McGraw Hall

White Hall

Tjaden Hall

Sibley Hall

Rand Hall

Library Overlook

Sage Hall

Cornell Store

Barnes Hall

Mullestein Family Winter Garden

McClintock Shed

M c I

P

F a l l

Thurston Avenue Bridge

Alumni House

WeinholdChilled Water Plant

Japes

Noyes Lodge

T h

F a l l

Fuertes Observatory

Class of ’48 Waterfall Overlook

Myron Taylor

Hall

Anabel Taylor

Hall

Snee Hall

Hollister Hall

Olin Hall

Gannett Health Center

Willard Straight

Hall

Thurston Hall Bard

Hall

Barton Hall

Uris Hall

Ives Hall

Teagle Hall

Bartels Hall

Biotechnology Building

Comstock Hall

Kennedy Hall

Roberts Hall

Warren Hall

Plant Science Building

Falls 6 Falls 5

Falls 4 Falls 3 Falls 2 Falls 1

Stewart Avenue Bridge

Cascadilla Hall

e g e l l o C

e u n e v A

Rock Garden

Carpenter Hall

Rhodes Hall

Parking Garage

Statler Hall

A. D. White House

Big Red Barn

Peter Plaza

Ho Plaza

Stimson Hall

Kroch Library

ROBISON ALUMNI FIELDS

HOY FIELD

Mudd Hall

Corson Hall

Lynah Rink

Plant Science Greenhouses Bradfield

Hall

C e n

t r a l

A v e

n u e

MUNDY WILDFLOWER

GARDEN

Bool Bridge

Bloom Board

Spillway Bridge

Muenscher Pond

Culvert Bridge

The Meadow

Plank Bridge

Wood Stairs

Watkins Pinetum

COLLEGE OF VETERINARY

MEDICINE

Law Aud.

Schurman Hall

Water Filtration

Plant

Baum Memorial

Forest Home Bridge

e v i r

D e

m o

H t s e

r o

F

Arboretum Entrance

Hyperbolic Paraboloid

d a

o R l

l e w

d l a

C

Newman Meadow

Slim Jim Woods

F. R. NEWMAN ARBORETUM

F. R. NEWMAN ARBORETUM

Caldwell Field

Mitchell Woods

Houston Pond

Grossman Pond

t r a w

e t S

e u n e v A

Water Tower McConville

Barn

e v i r D e m o H t s e r o F

e m o H t s e r o F

e v i r D

Stevens Suspension

Bridge

Plantations Production Facilities

Horticulture Memorial Area

Jackson Grove

Class of ’64 Grove

Jennings Crabapple Collection

WEST CAMPUS

World War I

Memorial Complex

C a m p u s R o a d

Rockwell Azalea Garden

Stocking Hall

Courtyard

Martha Van Rensselaer

Hall

Caldwell Hall

C a m p u s R o a d

Treman

y t i s r e v i n U A e u n e v

Ce n

t r al

and Lilac Collection

Peterson Oak Grove

) d a o R n e d y r D ( 6 6 3 e t u o R

R o u t e

F a l l

Plantations Administration

Building 130

Beebe Beach

k c o R t a l F

Schnee Oak

Collection

Foundry

d a

o R

m l a

P

Guterman Bioclimatic

Lab

Plant Breeding Buildings

State Fleet Garage

Plantations Storage

Plantations Aboretum

Center

Phillips Hall

Knight Lab

Duffield Hall

Rockefeller Hall

urston Avenue

Creek Drive

Creek

Key Gorge Trail System

*Plantations Path Plantations Path orientation sign

N

Blue Light emergency phones are located at various entry points along the gorge trails.

.

Stewar

t Av

e.

Ave

Forest Home Drive

No winter maintenanceClosed for repair

Open year round

Open April - Nov.

Cascadilla Creek

Crabapple Collection

Mann Library

Building

F a l l C r e e k

Kephart Glen

l i a r T a g u y a C o T

Johnson Museum

of Art

Schwartz Center for the

Performing Arts

College Avenue Bridge

ENGINEERING QUAD

C a s c a d i l l a C r e e k

Newman Overlook

Fall Creek Plateau Trail

PARK PARK Fall Creek

Day Overlook

Werly Island

Cornell Dairy Store

Greenhouse Overlook

Plantations Horticultural

Center

ARTS QUAD

Cornell Plantations

Lewis Education

Center

BOTANICAL GARDEN

F a l l C r e e k

AG QUAD

A.D. White House

Gardens

Day Hall

Uris Library

LIBESLOPE

Statler Hotel

Wee Stinky Glen

Bailey Hall

BEEBE LAKE

Suspension Bridge

Tower Road

d a o R

s l l a F d d u J

d a o R

n e r r a

W

e v i r D e m o

H t s e r o

F

) d a o R n e d y r D ( 6 6 3 e t u o R

d a

o R l l e

w d l a

C

e u n e v A

t s a E

Un i ve r s i t y A

v e n u

e e u n e v A

t s e

W

L a k e S t r e e t

U n i

v e r s

i t y A

v e n u

e

Buffalo Street

H o y R o a d

Dryden Road

d a o R n e d y r D

M a p l e A v e n u e

P i n e T r e e R o a d

R o u t e 3 6 6 ( D

r y d e n R o a d )

J u d d F a l l s R o a d

C a m p u s R o a d

T o w e r R o a d

G a r

d e n

A v e

P l a n

t a t i o

n s

G a

m e

F a r

m R

o a d

F. R. NEWMAN ARBORETUM

Muenscher Poisonous Plants Garden

Cornell PlantationsPath Map

Miles

1/3 1 1/3 1 1/2

1 1

1 1/2 1/2 1/2 2/3

Path Names

Cascadilla Gorge Path Founders Loop

Liberty Hyde Bailey Loop Beebe Lake Loop

Mundy Wildflower Garden Loop Arboretum Loop

Fall Creek Path Morgan-Smith Trail

Park Park Loop

Malott Hall

Overlook

Garden

Path Orientation Sign

Free No-Permit Metered Parking

Kienzle Overlook

Minns Garden

C l a s s o f ’ 5 9 J o g g i n g T r a i l

Deans Garden

C a m p u s R o a d

F a l l C r e e k

F a l l C r e e k

L a k e s h o r e W a l k

C l a s

s o f ’

0 1 N

u t T r e e

C o l l

e c t i o n

t e e r t S n n i L

To Downtown Ithaca

Trolley Bridge

Oak Avenue

Rock and Mineral Gardens

Willard Straight Rock Garden

McGraw Tower

Hydraulics Lab

Toboggan Lodge

Helen Newman Hall

Tang Steps

e p o l S m r e p s o n m y G International Crop and Weed Garden

Heasley Rock Garden

Bowers Rhododendron

Collection Robison

Y ork State Herb

Garden Y oung

Garden

Peony and Perennial Garden

Mullestein Hillside Garden

Pounder Heritage Vegetable Garden

Class of ’23 Grove

Zucker Shrub Sampler

Sculpture Garden

Palmer-Kinne Dogwood Collection

Flowering Shrub Class of ’38 Native

Maple Collection

Baird Field Flower Meadow

F o r e

s t H o m

e D r i v

e

Eddy Gate

F a l l

C r e

e k

Hemlock Gorge

Sackett Bridge

Class of ’48 Overlook

Olin Library

Sage Chapel

Lincoln Hall

Goldwin Smith Hall

Morrill Hall

McGraw Hall

White Hall

Tjaden Hall

Sibley Hall

Rand Hall

Library Overlook

Sage Hall

Cornell Store

Barnes Hall

Mullestein Family Winter Garden

McClintock Shed

M c I

P

F a l l

Thurston Avenue Bridge

Alumni House

WeinholdChilled Water Plant

Japes

Noyes Lodge

T h

F a l l

Fuertes Observatory

Class of ’48 Waterfall Overlook

Myron Taylor

Hall

Anabel Taylor

Hall

Snee Hall

Hollister Hall

Olin Hall

Gannett Health Center

Willard Straight

Hall

Thurston Hall Bard

Hall

Barton Hall

Uris Hall

Ives Hall

Teagle Hall

Bartels Hall

Biotechnology Building

Comstock Hall

Kennedy Hall

Roberts Hall

Warren Hall

Plant Science Building

Falls 6 Falls 5

Falls 4 Falls 3 Falls 2 Falls 1

Stewart Avenue Bridge

Cascadilla Hall

e g e l l o C

e u n e v A

Rock Garden

Carpenter Hall

Rhodes Hall

Parking Garage

Statler Hall

A. D. White House

Big Red Barn

Peter Plaza

Ho Plaza

Stimson Hall

Kroch Library

ROBISON ALUMNI FIELDS

HOY FIELD

Mudd Hall

Corson Hall

Lynah Rink

Plant Science Greenhouses Bradfield

Hall

C e n

t r a l

A v e

n u e

MUNDY WILDFLOWER

GARDEN

Bool Bridge

Bloom Board

Spillway Bridge

Muenscher Pond

Culvert Bridge

The Meadow

Plank Bridge

Wood Stairs

Watkins Pinetum

COLLEGE OF VETERINARY

MEDICINE

Law Aud.

Schurman Hall

Water Filtration

Plant

Baum Memorial

Forest Home Bridge

e v i r

D e

m o

H t s e

r o

F

Arboretum Entrance

Hyperbolic Paraboloid

d a

o R l

l e w

d l a

C

Newman Meadow

Slim Jim Woods

F. R. NEWMAN ARBORETUM

F. R. NEWMAN ARBORETUM

Caldwell Field

Mitchell Woods

Houston Pond

Grossman Pond

t r a w

e t S

e u n e v A

Water Tower McConville

Barn

e v i r D e m o H t s e r o F

e m o H t s e r o F

e v i r D

Stevens Suspension

Bridge

Plantations Production Facilities

Horticulture Memorial Area

Jackson Grove

Class of ’64 Grove

Jennings Crabapple Collection

WEST CAMPUS

World War I

Memorial Complex

C a m p u s R o a d

Rockwell Azalea Garden

Stocking Hall

Courtyard

Martha Van Rensselaer

Hall

Caldwell Hall

C a m p u s R o a d

Treman

y t i s r e v i n U A e u n e v

Ce n

t r al

and Lilac Collection

Peterson Oak Grove

) d a o R n e d y r D ( 6 6 3 e t u o R

R o u t e

F a l l

Plantations Administration

Building 130

Beebe Beach

k c o R t a l F

Schnee Oak

Collection

Foundry

d a

o R

m l a

P

Guterman Bioclimatic

Lab

Plant Breeding Buildings

State Fleet Garage

Plantations Storage

Plantations Aboretum

Center

Phillips Hall

Knight Lab

Duffield Hall

Rockefeller Hall

urston Avenue

Creek Drive

Creek

Key Gorge Trail System

*Plantations Path Plantations Path orientation sign

N

Blue Light emergency phones are located at various entry points along the gorge trails.

.

Stewar

t Av

e.

Ave

Forest Home Drive

No winter maintenanceClosed for repair

Open year round

Open April - Nov.

Cascadilla Creek

Safety Guidelines:• Stay on the designated trails.

• Do not swim or climb in the gorges. (swimming is illegal and people have died

while swimming in Fall Creek Gorge).

• Do not walk on closed trails.

• Do not hike after dark.

• Bicycles and skateboards are not allowed on the gorge trails.

• Do not kick or throw stones into the gorges.

• Avoid side paths that are not part of the Plantations trail system.

Violation of these safety guidelines may place you and/or rescue workers in danger.

Be aware of:• Steep cliffs with no guardrails

• Loose stone on trails

• Falling rocks

• Slippery surfaces

• No lighting

• Turbulent water

• Fallen trees

• Uneven trail surfaces

• Isolated areasUse of alcohol increases the dangers outlined in this brochure.

The areas surrounding Cascadilla and Fall Creek Gorges are part of 4,300 acres of natural areas, both on-campus and throughout the region, managed by Cornell Plantations in support of Cornell’s academic mission. Some of the trails within the gorges are part of a trail system called the Plantations Path. You can purchase a Plantations Path Guide, which highlights all that is special about the Cornell campus, at cornellplantations.org or at the Cornell Campus Store.

Fall Creek Gorge Trails

Cascadilla Gorge Trails

BLUE LIGHT EMERGENCY PHONES ARE LOCATED AT VARIOUS ENTRY POINTS ALONG THE GORGE TRAILS.

TRAILS MAY BE CLOSED DURING AND AFTER HEAVY RAINS AND FOR THE WINTER.