Taughannock Falls — 215ft Plunge in New York

Taughannock Falls is a 215-foot plunge waterfall in Tompkins County, New York, reached by an easy walk over 1.9 miles.

Taughannock Falls is a 215-foot single-drop plunge waterfall in Taughannock Falls State Park along Cayuga Lake in New York's Finger Lakes region — at 33 feet taller than Niagara, and one of the highest single-drop waterfalls east of the Rocky Mountains. The 1.9-mile gorge trail at the base of the falls is family-easy and family-popular; the rim trail above offers multiple overlooks of the gorge and falls. Spring runoff (April-May) is peak flow; summer the flow is dramatically reduced. Located between Ithaca and Cayuga Lake, easy day-trip from Cornell.

What to expect

Drive into Taughannock Falls State Park (about 10 miles north of Ithaca). Pay the New York State Park parking fee at the gate. Park at the gorge trail lot. The 1.9-mile out-and-back gorge trail is mostly flat creekside walking, ending at the base of the falls. The rim trail (separate parking) gives upper views — better for spring when the gorge trail is closed by ice. Multiple overlooks on the rim. Pair with Ithaca's Buttermilk Falls, Robert H. Treman State Park, or Cornell's Sapsucker Woods bird sanctuary.