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Taughannock Falls

Photo: See1,Do1,Teach1 / CC BY 2.0 · source

🌊 Lakes & rivers

Taughannock Falls

Trumansburg, NY · Finger Lakes, New York

About

Taughannock Falls drops 215 feet in one clean plunge, which makes it the tallest single-drop waterfall east of the Rockies and about 33 feet higher than Niagara. It falls off a sheer Devonian shale face into a plunge pool ringed by a stone amphitheater, with gorge walls climbing close to 400 feet on either side. Fed by Taughannock Creek, it runs hardest in spring snowmelt and after heavy rain, and thins to a ribbon by late summer. Getting there is easy. The Gorge Trail runs three quarters of a mile along the creek, mostly flat and stroller-friendly, ending at a viewing area near the base. The North and South Rim trails add higher vantage points and connect into a loop, though they close in winter while the Gorge Trail stays open. Day use runs $10 per vehicle, dawn to dusk. Go after a storm for the loudest flow.

Highlights

215 ft single plungeTallest single-drop east of the Rockies33 ft taller than Niagara0.75 mi flat Gorge Trail (year-round)$10 per vehicle day useBest flow: spring snowmelt and after rain

Getting there

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Curated guides that feature Taughannock Falls.

Best Waterfalls in the US15 places

Best Waterfalls in the US

From Niagara's border-spanning roar to a turquoise plunge deep in the Grand Canyon, these are the waterfalls worth building a trip around. Fifteen of the country's best, roadside giants and earn-it hikes alike, from the Columbia Gorge and the Sierra to the Finger Lakes and the Cumberland Plateau.