Buttermilk Falls State Park

Ithaca, Tompkins Co.

You could experience anything from the sight of a large, impressive pileated woodpecker to the yipping of coyotes as you hike quietly through the deep, wooded gorge past beautiful potholes and waterfalls to spectacular Buttermilk Falls.

Wildlife to Watch

• Gray and red squirrels, chipmunks, cottontail rabbits, skunks, raccoons, opossum,
  red foxes
• Little brown bats, big brown bats, flying squirrels, coyotes (at dusk)
• Ruffed grouse, turkey, pileated woodpeckers, owls, great blue heron
• Sharp-shinned, red-tailed, and broad-winged hawks
• Many songbirds (especially during the mid-May migratory peak)
• Woodchucks, muskrats, beavers

Where to Watch

• Gorge
• Stream
• Potholes
• Wetland, forest

Recreational Opportunities

• Hiking
• Hunting and fishing
• Picnic pavilions, playgrounds and playing fields
• Swimming in the falls plunge pool
• Cabins and tent sites available

Size

751 acres

Closest Town

Ithaca

Directions

See Google Maps for step by step directions to Buttermilk Falls (This link will open a page outside of the DEC website. Hold "Shift" down while clicking on the link to open it in a new window)

Contact Information

Address: 112 East Buttermilk Falls Road, Ithaca, NY 14850

Telephone: (607) 273-5761

Website: Buttermilk State Park (This link leaves DEC's website)

Photo Credits: John Rozell, Susan Shafer, John Rozell