At 215 feet, Taughannock Falls is the tallest single-drop waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains: three stories taller than Niagara Falls, with a gorge face wide enough that the entire drop is visible from the base of the trail. The approach from the Route 89 parking area is flat and less than a mile, making it among the most accessible dramatic waterfalls in New York State. The gorge walls above the falls are 400 feet of exposed shale stratigraphy. Go in April when the snowmelt swells the flow. The Black Diamond Trail connects south to the Cayuga Waterfront Trail in Ithaca, 12 flat miles along the lakeshore. Summer concert series on the lawn above the marina. Camping and swimming in season.














