Ithaca sits right at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake in south-central New York’s Finger Lakes region and is a distinguished college town. Cornell University sits on a hill to the east, while Ithaca College sits on a hill to the south of the town.

However, it is the many dramatic gorges, ravines, and the more than 100 waterfalls that place this town in one of the most spectacular settings in the Finger Lakes region.

The Cayuga people were the early inhabitants but in 1779 General Sullivan destroyed their settlement and Europeans settled the area in 1789. Cornell University was first opened in 1868. In the early twentieth century Wharton Studios filmed many movies here. They eventually moved to the more agreeable climate that they found in the south of California.

Ithaca’s current population is 31,000, though that figure doubles when college is in session. The manufacture of various electronic items, as well as automobile, engine, and scientific parts, contributes to the town’s overall economy.

The downtown visitor center is perhaps the best place to begin your tour. It is located in the Clinton House on Ithaca Commons, a pedestrian mall at the bottom of the hills in downtown. Buildings found here date back to the 1930s. The DeWitt Mall and Historic DeWitt Park are located quite nearby. Several galleries and the Sciencenter are also located in this area. A 20-minute walk from the commons will take you to Ithaca Falls.

Cornell University is perched high up on a hill that overlooks Cayuga Lake, and has walkways across some of the deepest gorges in the area. The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art is at the northern end of the campus. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology at the east end of Ithaca includes 4 miles of trails through the Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary and there is also an observatory.

Buttermilk Falls, Robert H. Treman State Park, and the Finger Lakes wine district are nearby. Water sports, boating, hiking, and camping are popular in summer months (summers here are short and rainy). Ithaca reportedly has more bars per area than any other city in the United States, and has the most interesting, creative, and even unusual, dining and lodging options outside of New York City. Tompkins County Airport serves the area and Syracuse is the nearest large city. Map ref: page 155 H8