Pocket Falls
Tompkins County, New York
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Tompkins County, New York
- Access status
- Preserve trail to a rim view of the falls; seasonal opening
- The walk
- The full three-trail loop is about 1.8 miles; no separate distance to the falls view is given
- Ground & access
- Earth trails through meadows, shrub thickets and forest to the rim of a gorge. Stay back from the gorge and cliff edges.
Pocket Falls is a 35-foot waterfall in Shurger Glen, the gorge of Gulf Creek, inside Cornell Botanic Gardens' 84-acre Edwards Lake Cliffs Preserve on the east shore of Cayuga Lake. Start at the end of Teeter Road in Lansing (Teeter Road is off Lake Shore Circle, off Lake Shore Drive). The preserve has three trails marked with red, blue and yellow blazes. The blue Pocket Falls Trail leads to a view of the falls from the forested rim of the glen; the yellow Lake View Trail goes to the lake cliffs. The view is from above, not from the base.
Plan your visit
End of Teeter Road in Lansing, Edwards Lake Cliffs Preserve trails (red Main Trail and blue Pocket Falls Trail) to the rim view of Pocket Falls in Shurger Glen
Ithaca Trails lists 1.8 miles for the loop using the preserve trails. It does not give a separate distance to the Pocket Falls view.
Earth trails through meadows, shrub thickets and forest to the rim of a gorge. Stay back from the gorge and cliff edges.
Where to start
Limited parking at the end of Teeter Road (at Smugglers Path). Do not block the gate, driveways or mailboxes. Local roads have a 30 mph limit.
Timing & water
Ithaca Trails says the area is not open year-round and that hunting is allowed; check Cornell Botanic Gardens for open dates before you go.
Before you go
No fee is stated. Cornell Botanic Gardens natural area; dogs on leash.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Emilie Jonas FallsShort steep preserve trail on private land opened to the publicTompkins County, NY0.8 miE
- Ludlowville FallsTown park overlook a short walk from the lot33 ft (10 m) · Tompkins County, NY2.4 miNW
Taughannock FallsLower Gorge Trail parking and approach researched217 ft (66 m) · Tompkins County, NY4.9 miW
Ithaca FallsCity natural area path and parking documentedTompkins County, NY5.1 miS- Horseshoe FallsCampus gorge view from a pedestrian bridgeTompkins County, NY5.2 miS
- Rocky FallsCampus gorge view from a pedestrian bridgeTompkins County, NY5.3 miS
Triphammer FallsCampus views from road and footbridgesTompkins County, NY5.3 miS- Frontenac Falls95 ft (29 m) · Seneca County, NY6.3 miW
Buttermilk FallsState park falls visible from the lower parking area; entry fee in seasonTompkins County, NY7.5 miS