Taughannock Falls State Park ( ) is a state park

Tourism

thumb|left|Taughannock House Hotel

During the second half of the nineteenth century, steamboats, railroads and Victorian hotels were built in the region to serve tourists who traveled to view the falls. By 1925 the hotels were failing due to a decline in tourism, and New York State began acquiring land to form a park. Visitors could reach the hotel by taking a train to Cayuga Lake, a steamboat across the lake to Goodwin's Point, and finally a stagecoach to the hotel. The hotel site today is the location of the park visitor center and parking lot. Although the original giant has been damaged and lost, a replica was constructed for the Tompkins Center for History & Culture by local artists in 2019.

An earlier publicity stunt masterminded by Thompson in 1874 involved hiring Canadian acrobat "Professor Jenkins" to cross a 1,200-foot-long tightrope suspended 350 feet above the creek. Jenkins had previously crossed Niagara Falls gorge.

State park

Taughannock Falls State Park was created in 1925 on a parcel of land acquired by New York State. The park has since grown to its current size of . meaning "great fall in the woods". An alternate theory suggests that the name may refer to a Lenni Lenape (Delaware) chief named Taughannock who died near the falls during a battle.

Views of Taughannock Falls are available from two trails. The Gorge Trail leads to a viewing area at the base of the falls and also passes by Lower Falls. The North Rim Trail and South Rim Trail can be connected to form a loop hike which offers views of Upper Falls.

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Taughannock Falls' main cataract is a , making it taller than Niagara Falls. The waterfall is located along Taughannock Creek, which flows through a long gorge with cliffs up to high.

Geology and natural history

The waterfall and gorge comprise an example of a hanging valley, formed where Taughannock Creek's stream-carved valley meets the deeper glacially carved valley that contains Cayuga Lake. The gorge has continued to retreat westward from Cayuga Lake as easily eroded shale near the fall's base is worn away by the stream, which supports erosion-resistant siltstone and sandstone found in the upper portions of the gorge. Annual freeze and thaw cycles also act upon small faults in the rock, causing large sections to occasionally break away, further expanding the gorge.

The gorge supports a "Shale Cliff and Talus" community of plants, including three regionally rare species classified as threatened in New York State: Butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris), birds-eye primrose (Primula mistassinica) and yellow mountain saxifrage (Saxifraga aizoides).

Events

The park hosts numerous events throughout the year. A Summer Concert Series provides an outdoor venue for local bands. Concerts start at 7 p.m. on Saturday nights in July and August.

The Cayuga Lake Triathlon uses the park for a swimming, biking and running event in early August. In 2008, the race served as the USA Triathlon Sprint National Championship.

See also

  • Three Falls State Park
  • List of New York state parks
  • List of waterfalls of New York
  • List of waterfalls

References

Further reading

  • New York State Parks: Taughannock Falls State Park
  • taughannock.us: Taughannock Falls State Park
  • Taughannock Falls State Park map
  • Video about the Taughannock House Hotel