A lesser known trail that still lives up to Ithaca New York's reputation for stunning waterfalls.
Located conveniently behind our motel is the Sweedler Thayer preserve with Lick Brook Natural area somehow also mixed in. While the mix of preserves is a bit confusing to me, the photos online made this a spot I couldn't pass up. We headed out before breakfast to take this relatively quick hike in before the rest of the day.
There are two parking lots, one by the highway and the other on a backroad at the top of the preserve. This area is a super steep incline but we choose to park at the bottom because it was 2 minutes from our motel. It can only be accessed while heading north so keep that in mind! The parking lot also offers access to the finger lakes trail.
The preserve itself has a series of three water falls along the same Lick Brook. Head out of the parking lot and across the field until you reach the train tracks. Wade through the stream or cross the train bridge.
The first waterfall is in an amazing gorge
You will find the first waterfall quickly enough. This impressive drop is inside an incredible gorge that I would love to spend hours in. The second fall can be found just above this one. Take the trails heading up the steep incline via switch backs and look for the first cliff over look. Due to the water flow this day both were a little dried up but fun nonetheless. I have seen photos online with these absolutely gorged with water.
The incline leads up to the third waterfall which is heavily obscured by trees. This third drop is by far the largest of the bunch. We were unable to find a safe way down to the bottom but there are plenty of photos online of people standing at the base of this fall, some with dogs!
My photo demonstrates the top of the third fall. After a ways it hits the rocks below and fans out impressively. The trail continues to the top of the preserve and has some more bubbling brook to explore but the waterfalls are the main attraction here.
This trail was surprisingly busy, given how popular the main spots in Ithaca are I was expecting a bit more solitude. This requires a bit more work than some of the spots we will be showing off in next weeks post but it is definitely a worthy addition to your travel schedule. An ideal way to visit this park would be with two cars. Park one at the bottom and start your hike with the second car at the top so you can avoid the incline.
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