TOMPKINS COUNTY, N.Y. -- Taughannock Falls State Park is a natural wonder that can lay claim to having one of the highest drops east of the Rocky Mountains. It's found off the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, Route 89, Tompkins County, just north of Ithaca.
Up above Taughannock Falls, gorge and rim trails offer some spectacular views on this getaway. Down below, you get a much closer view of the falls from a 3/4 mile dirt trail alongside Taughannock Creek. The trail is mostly flat with just a few slight rises and it is handicap accessible.
What also makes this trail so nice is that it's mostly shaded by the trees surrounding the gorge trail. A leisurely pace makes for a perfect day or pick it up a bit for some excercise.
The park is open year round, and when you get to the end of the trail and round the corner, a wooden bridge over the creek will take you even closer to the base of the falls.
The falls drop 215 feet, which is taller than Niagara Falls by 33 feet.
There's no swimming allowed in the pool below but from the constant mist kicking up from the falls, you won't have any trouble keeping cool on a hot summer day!