Taughannock Falls

Moved to New York almost a year ago, and recently while stuck at home organising my autumn trip list, I stared at the Finger Lakes map for a long while — I'd always assumed the most impressive waterfalls were only at Niagara, turns out upstate New York is hiding several waterfalls with even more dramatic drops, all reachable by car, and without the crowds. Cold fact first: Niagara really is grand, but purely on "height from the sky", it doesn't actually rank first in New York State. The one locals keep going back to is Taughannock Falls by Cayuga Lake, a 65 metre drop, the tallest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains, even taller than Niagara. Standing at the viewing platform in the base of the gorge looking up, the water pours down the entire canyon wall, the sound echoing between the rock walls, that feeling of "becoming small" hit me more than queuing up to see Niagara at the tourist site. Why is it taller but not as famous? The reason is actually interesting: it's a "hanging valley waterfall" cut by a glacier — after the glacier retreated, the tributary valley was left hanging up high, and the water drops almost vertically straight down the rock face into the lake, so the height is stunning but the water volume isn't huge. Niagara wins on volume and width, but purely on "height", Taughannock is the underrated record holder. Route and how to do it Transport: about 4 hours' drive from New York City, recommend staying in the small town of Ithaca, Cornell University is right there, quiet and comfortable. Taughannock Falls: see the main waterfall, look up at the whole canyon wall from the base viewing platform. Watkins Glen: a 3.2km gorge trail, stringing together 19 waterfalls, you'll come across them above and below you, plus a heart-shaped pool and a suspension bridge. Timing: early autumn when the maple leaves just start changing colour, paired with the waterfall mist for photos, the raw photo looks like it has a filter on. Small reminder: the waterfall mist is heavy, definitely wear non-slip shoes, don't wear white sneakers; bring a waterproof cover for your camera to be safe. Second day was completely packed, went round two parks, the itinerary looked relaxed but we genuinely walked 30,000 steps. Morning: Taughannock Falls State Park Suggest driving to Overlook Falls Point first, looking down at the whole canyon and the full waterfall from up high, a 215-foot drop, taller than Niagara's American side, the scale is honestly just as impressive, no wonder it's called "one of the tallest waterfalls east of the Rockies." After seeing the full view, drove to the Gorge Trail parking spot, hiked 1.5km round trip, the boardwalk follows the stream upward, the cliffs on both sides get higher the further you go, and by the end you can get right up close to the waterfall's pool, the mist hitting your face feels really nice. Little detour: when parking, we accidentally parked across the road, and it turned out that side is also part of the park, right against Cayuga Lake (the longest of the Finger Lakes), there's a lawn and picnic area by the lake, not many people, really peaceful, an unexpected find of a relaxed lakeside rest spot. Afternoon: Robert H. Treman State Park This park splits into two routes, Upper Trail and Lower Trail, definitely do your research beforehand: Lower Trail has a naturally formed swimming pool, the water is clear, if you want to swim remember to bring your own swimsuit and non-slip shoes. We did the Upper Trail, 7km round trip, a drop of over 100 metres, so many stairs you lose count, by the end our legs were genuinely shaking from all the up and down, but the waterfalls kept coming one after another along the way, a new view every step, tiring but worth it. I didn't believe it either before coming, not until I stood at the base of the waterfall did I realise New York State actually has a waterfall taller than Niagara's drop. A 66 metre (215 foot) vertical drop, taller than Niagara's main falls at about 51 metres (167 feet). Starting from the car park and following the Gorge Trail slowly inward, the whole path is almost flat, about 20 minutes to reach the base of the waterfall. The closer you get, all you can hear is the roar of the waterfall. Once you're actually standing beneath it, you feel especially small. Taughannock Falls State Park Parking fee: $10 / car Gorge Trail: Round trip about 1.5 miles (2.4km) 20-30 minutes on foot Flat the whole way, very easy to walk If you're coming to the Finger Lakes, this one is worth going out of your way for. Taughannock Falls is by Cayuga Lake. This waterfall is taller than Niagara Falls! There are two spots to view it from. You can look from the base of the falls or from the top of the falls.