WaterfallNear Me

Horseshoe Falls

Tompkins County, New York

Your visit at a glance

Waterfall height
Not recorded
Location
Tompkins County, New York
Access status
Campus gorge view from a pedestrian bridge
The walk
Short walk to the bridge
Ground & access
Easy. Short walk on paved ground to a pedestrian bridge high above the gorge. Stay on trails and do not enter closed areas.
Waterfall Hero: Fall Creek Gorge Waterfalls (Cornell)

Horseshoe Falls, also called Foaming Cascade, is a waterfall in Fall Creek Gorge on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, next to the university's small hydroelectric plant. Waterfall Hero gives its height as 30 feet; NYFalls gives 20 feet. From Stewart Avenue just north of the Fall Creek bridge, turn right onto Fall Creek Drive and in 0.2 miles bear right into a small parking area. Walk onto the pedestrian suspension bridge over Fall Creek; Horseshoe Falls is right below the bridge, and Rocky Falls is upstream beside the power plant. Waterfall Hero says an old trail to the base has been closed. The route description dates from 2021.

Plan your visit

Small parking area off Fall Creek Drive, Cornell University, onto the Fall Creek pedestrian suspension bridge above Horseshoe Falls

Waterfall Hero says the falls are right below the pedestrian bridge at the start of the parking area. No separate distance is given for this view; its 0.6-mile figure covers a walk to three waterfalls.

Easy. Short walk on paved ground to a pedestrian bridge high above the gorge. Stay on trails and do not enter closed areas.

Where to start

Small parking area off Fall Creek Drive near the suspension bridge. NYFalls says this lot is one of a few Cornell Botanic Gardens lots for public use and that other campus lots are not all open to the public. Published trailhead coordinates: 42.45245, -76.48567.

Timing & water

Cornell says the gorges are especially dangerous after large storms. Some gorge trails close in winter or when flooding is likely; obey closure signs.

Before you go

No fee is listed.

Visitor information
Visit sources

More waterfalls nearby

Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.

Explore New York

Waterfall location

Tompkins County, New York.

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