If you are looking for something to do in Ithaca, New York, all you really have to do is walk to one of the gorges and go for a hike. A very long hike if you are trying to avoid work and want to feel like you have something accomplished. The first full hike I have gone on independently in Ithaca so far is trying to walk from the mouth of Six Mile Creek near Lake Cayuga to its source in Brooktondale, NY. See the map below.
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I went off trail and got lost around Burns Road which is just past the halfway point, so I will have to go back and do it again. However, some of the items you can see on the lower leg of the Creek are amazing. There are three dams along Six Mile Creek, lovingly called First, Second, and Third Dam depending on how close you are to Lake Cayuga.
First Dam:
Second Dam:
Third Dam:
Bring mud/water shoes if you go. Also, this is not a great hike for little children or amateurs because between Dam #2 and Dam #3 the trail becomes very rugged. After Dam #3 the trail disapears on the north side so you end up following deer and other animal trails. Additionally, there are many plants out there whose lone purpose is to cut you. Anyway possible. The trail on the north side also ends and leaves you in a very beautiful but challenging marsh below.
You do see some beautiful sights along the way. Several of the trails take you hundreds of feet above the creek bed itself. Make sure to bring water and possibly a snack on hotter days. You will really want it right about here. This is overlooking the reservoir to Dam #2. Dam #1 and #2 is also where illegal swimming and diving is fairly commonplace. Folklore has it that Dam #3 is where the nudists go. However, I have only seen one naked man in the Dams, and that was at Dam #2. I did catch two skinny dippers way early in my journey...
The reservoir above Dam #3 is where the City of Ithaca draws their water from. Therefore, it is fairly pristine. However, because of this fact, it is technically illegal to hike on the North Side I found out midway through via a sign posting. The sign is posted near to where any semblance of a trail ends. Be careful here, you are now following animal tracks if you follow my way. Additionally, the terrain will get rough and will force you to tredge through the lake itself. The shore is full of decaying muck, so bring appropriate shoes and be prepared to sink to your shins.
Now, after you made it through the marshes, you will hear cars going by. This is not Rt. 79 but Burns Road. This is where I got turned around, primarily I blame NYSEG for this. A power line runs along Burns Road so NYSEG recently clear cut the entire forest beneath it, making the path out nearly impossible. I followed along a deer trail and was able to find a path through the debri. However, I stepped on a fawn. No, literally, the deers I were following made a thicket in the clear cut wood and as I crossed I stepped through it. The fawn seemed okay because it darted off into the woods, hopefully it will be reunited with its clan.
So, long story short, I nearly made it half way before getting confused. I will have to start again really early in the morning and I might take the lazy mans way out and start from Brooktondale to Cayuga.
Several notes, this trail is not safe. There are many places where one can slip and fall hundreds of feet. Use caution when exploring any of the gorges in Ithaca. Pack water, food, an extra shirt, and an emergency phone. Additionally, notify someone of where you are going and what time you expect to get back. In essence, use common sense.
