Toggle Background Video Playback Glorious to View Go With the Flow: A Tantalizing Tour of Big Red Waterfalls We’re gushing over these gorgeous visuals of Cornell’s iconic natural features—from gentle cascades to ‘foaming torrents’ By Joe Wilensky Photography and videography by Sreang Hok Illustration by Ashley Osburn While being recruited to the Cornell faculty in 1868, a certain curmudgeonly Oxford historian had a complaint upon seeing photographs of the local scenery. “There seem to be a great number of waterfalls,” he carped to a colleague, “which I abhor.” There may be no accounting for taste—but it’s safe to say that his opinion was and remains in the distinct minority, as the many waterfalls on and around campus have been beloved by generations of Cornellians. A gentle, multilevel cascade can be found in the Ruth Uris Garden near A.D. White House. Situated far above Cayuga’s waters, the Hill—with its iconic Fall Creek and Cascadilla gorges—owes its distinctive topography to the Ice Age glaciers that transformed the Finger Lakes region more than 20,000 years ago. As the last of the ice sheets melted away, the water left behind created temporary lakes and streams through the steepened valleys—carving even deeper gorges and plunging as waterfalls down vertical faces. The Hill—with its iconic Fall Creek and Cascadilla gorges—owes its distinctive topography to the Ice Age glaciers that transformed the Finger Lakes region more than 20,000 years ago. Today there are more than 100 waterfalls in the region, including a few famous ones a short drive from Ithaca. Campus and its environs alone boast more than a dozen—from the majestic Ithaca Falls to the gentler cascades of Flat Rock. (Most of these natural areas today fall under the purview of Cornell Botanic Gardens.) Whether rushing madly after heavy rains or reduced to trickles in drier times, the falls, and the waterways that feed them, are an indelible background to Big Red life. They’re even commemorated in the “Alma Mater”—albeit in the little-sung sixth verse: “Here, by flood and foaming torrent, / Gorge and rocky dell, / Pledge we faith and homage ever / To our loved Cornell!” Scroll down for a tour of some of the major waterfalls on and around campus! Triphammer Falls Beebe Lake and its manmade dam flow into the impressive 80-foot falls, which mark the official beginning of Fall Creek Gorge. The panoramic views below the Thurston Avenue Bridge showcase a 120-foot-high cross-section of siltstone and shale gorge walls, formed by ocean-bottom sediment dating back 400 million years to the Devonian Age. Flume Falls The 16-foot-tall cascade is a highlight of Hemlock Gorge, located a short walk upstream of Beebe Lake on the edge of the Forest Home neighborhood. Flat Rock Along Fall Creek—upstream from Beebe Lake and just off Forest Home Drive—is this well-known area of the Botanic Gardens, where creek waters flow over large expanses of exposed shale, surrounded by forests and trails. Horseshoe Falls This 30-foot waterfall in Fall Creek Gorge, visible from the Suspension Bridge, is adjacent to the University’s long-serving hydroelectric plant—which generates about 5% of the Hill’s electricity annually. Fourth Falls Along the Cascadilla Gorge Trail on the way downtown is this 25-foot-tall gem, which passes under a stone footbridge and along an adjacent stairway. It’s one of the standout cascades in the gorge, which descends a total of 400 feet and boasts 10 waterfalls. Giant’s Staircase Upper Cascadilla Gorge begins behind Rhodes Hall and Hoy Road; the creek then flows along several smaller falls and under the Collegetown footbridge before crossing under College Avenue, where it becomes this 35-foot cascade, also known as Seventh Falls. Ithaca Falls The waters of Fall Creek Gorge ultimately flow down six waterfalls and a total of 430 feet. The last of them is this showstopper, which measures 156 feet high and 175 feet wide, making it the largest one within the Ithaca city limits. Published August 21, 2026 Comments George Ubogy, Class of 1958 25 Aug, 2026 Mouth-watering (please forgive the pun) photographs. I hope some of them are part of the brochure that entices students to apply to Cornell. Reply Robert Epstein, Class of 1963 6 Sep, 2026 Very nice. Reply Hank Zucker, Class of 1972 6 Sep, 2026 Back when I was at Cornell, people could walk down into the gorge, sun themselves on the box even walk under Horseshoe Falls. Someone took a picture of me, another guy and two women with the water breaking on our heads. It was published in the Freshman Register (AKA Pig Book)! I would post it here if the site allowed. Reply Heber Vellon, Class of 1983 6 Sep, 2026 Having grown up in Manhattan and Miami Beach, both places surrounded by water but lacking waterfalls, I was fascinated by Ithaca’s falls and gorges. Fortunately, I was able to spend the summer of 1983 in Ithaca and made the time to explore the gorges. My compliments to “Cornellians.” The photos accompanying this article are magnificent! Reply Edward Smith, Class of 1964 6 Sep, 2026 I walked to and from classes across the suspension bridge, admiring the views, including Triphammer Falls. I visit the bridge and enjoy the views once again when I return to campus for reunions to sing with the Glee Club. Reply Donald B Stalknecht, Class of 1978 6 Sep, 2026 Thanks for this. I visited Ithaca for the first time in about 30 years with a friend who’d never been before (he was absolutely blown away by the extent of the campus). If I was more sure of my footing, we could have explored Cascadilla at least, and as we were in a car most of the time, it was awkward to even stop at Triphammer or Ithaca Falls. Nonetheless, we did get a sense of things. It’s hard to imagine my younger self having climbed Horseshoe Falls and swimming (if that’s the word) in Fall Creek. Obviously that’s no longer a possibility for anyone, but it was one of the joys of Freshman Orientation Week to discover such a magical setting. Reply Pamela Meyers, Class of 1973 7 Sep, 2026 Thank you for the glorious video and photos of the waterfalls which helped make my 3-1/2 years at Cornell so very special. I came to Ithaca from the sandy flat lands of a small town on the Jersey Shore, and the Cornell campus topography was a startling change that brightened every day of my Cornell life. My freshman journeys to and from my Mary Donlon Hall dorm room to the Arts Quad over the Thurston Avenue Bridge were succeeded by an even more spectacular daily commute from my sorority on The Knoll over the Suspension Bridge to class and my favorite between class study spot in Uris Library’s Andrew Dickson White Reading Room overlooking Cayuga Lake. Reply Carol Selman, Class of 1968 9 Sep, 2026 A friend from 64 took me and my late then husband ‘66 over campus and environs in about 1967. Surely illegal and it was three of us in a two seater. Taughannck Falls, a favorite hiking spot, had the drama but the Birds Eye view of campus and gorges and waterfalls has never left me. Thank you for this photographic and word tour that I can share . And, yes climbing down to watering pools ….i first saw Cornell at13 when older brother matriculated in 1960. I set my heart then . Reply Bill Russo, Class of 1971 9 Sep, 2026 I walked the Cascadilla Gorge trail down to downtown and back up to campus at least weekly during the school year for most of the five years I was an EE student, and that was in the late ’60s, before the trail was improved. It was a breath of fresh air, sparkling water, and calming sounds every time, even in winter!!! Now, as an alumnus, I make sure I also visit Ithaca Falls whenever I am in town. I also recall taking our children to Flat Rock several times. I will always remember, with thankfulness and wonder, all those falls, as well as the ones at the nearby state parks. Thanks to the Botanic Gardens and all the other administrative organizations who see that they are preserved and enjoyed. Reply Will Sloma, Class of 1975 9 Sep, 2026 Nice article and photos, I enjoyed many nice time with my children at those falls. Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. 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