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 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Storytime with Corey What’s the Most Iconic Cornell Tradition? Vote in the Final Four! Storytime with Corey Poised for Oscar Gold, Oppenheimer Boasts a Big Red Distinction In the President’s Words ‘Advocate for Cornell, and for Higher Education’