Waterfall Weekend in New York

When Evan and I travel we are always in search of mountain views, beautiful forests, and magnificent waterfalls. I thought we saw a lot of waterfalls on our trip to Washington State in July 2024 and we’ve always recommended Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming because of it’s amazing water features, but I think we saw more waterfalls in one short weekend camping trip in New York than we’ve ever seen on our week long adventures out west. 

October 7th through 11th, 2026 we camped at Watkins Glen State Park in New York’s Finger Lakes Region. We knew we would be doing the famous Watkins Glen Gorge Trail known for its 19 waterfalls along the first mile of trail. We did not know how many waterfalls there were outside of the state park, some we did not even have to hike to, and were within 30 minutes or less of the campground.

If you are a waterfall lover then this post is definitely for you. I will share all the waterfalls we saw in order of our trip. I will share which were my favorites at the end. 

As I mentioned above, the Watkins Glen State Park Gorge Trail has 19 waterfalls. I will not be sharing each of those, but I will share the main ones that I really enjoyed. 

Cavern Cascade, Watkins Glen State Park Gorge Trail: Cavern Cascade is the third waterfall encountered on the Gorge Trail. It is approximately 0.25 miles from the trail’s main entrance. The trail goes behind the waterfall and you can reach out to touch the cold water. 

Cavern Cascade

Rainbow Falls, Watkins Glen State Park Gorge Trail: Rainbow Falls is the climax of the Gorge Trail and one of the last “big” waterfalls encountered on the trail. Rainbow Falls is so named for the “symphony of color” that appears on a sunny afternoon when light hits the falls. 

Rainbow Falls

Taughannock Falls, Taughannock Falls State Park: Just a short walk from the Taughannock Falls Overlook Visitor Center, the viewing platform is a lovely spot to admire the falls from above. There is a 1.8 mile trail down the gorge to view the falls from below. This waterfall is known for being the tallest single-drop waterfall in New York, even taller than Niagara Falls!

Taughannock Falls

Ithaca Falls, Downtown Ithaca: Ithaca Falls is a hidden gem in the public town park. Parking is just a tiny dirt lot for a few cars. There is a sidewalk that leads to the trailhead along Fall Creek. The waterfall can be heard long before it is seen as it emerges from the behind the trees. Just 0.2 miles from the street, one would not know the falls are there unless looking for it. 

Ithaca Falls

Lucifer Falls, Robert H. Treman State Park: The Lucifer Falls Trail is a 1.1 mile loop that had similar features to the Watkins Glen Gorge Trail without all the people. We only hiked 0.5 miles to see the falls and turned back. There was a beautiful cascade just before the waterfall that was definitely my favorite spot on the trail. 

Cascade before the waterfall

Lucifer Falls

Shequaga Falls, Village of Montour Falls: The Village of Montour Falls is lucky to have this beautiful waterfall as the centerpiece of Main Street. Parking is anywhere that is available on the street. The falls can be seen from the village square or for a up close view walk to the small Shequaga Falls Park. 

Shequaga Falls

Eagle Cliff Falls, Havana Glen Park: Eagle Cliff Falls is another hidden gem tucked away behind the campground of Havana Glen Park. After a short 0.3 mile hike up a staircase and along a creek, the falls are a pleasant surprise around the last corner of the trail. 

Eagle Cliff Falls

This short list of waterfalls does not come close to the numerous waterfalls throughout the Finger Lakes Region. Of the waterfalls I shared, Ithaca Falls was definitely my favorite, however, my favorite trail was Lucifer Falls. 

Which waterfall do you think would be your favorite? If you want to see more of what we encountered on our Waterfall Weekend, check out my instagram (Mountain Dreaming) for posts with trail photos and information. Thanks for reading!