Wells Falls — Attraction in City of Ithaca

Incredibly gorgeous. I’m a sucker for ruins in nature. Quick to get to, the sound of the water drowned out any traffic noise so I felt completely immersed in nature though it’s just on the side of the road. You do need to be able to use your hands and balance to scramble down the rocks, but fairly easy. Kids may need help going down, especially if heading down more than the first level, but can also observe from the roadside or even the top of the path. I did go a bit further down, to the pools below the ruins and stuck my feet in. A little chilly in October but to be expected. Thought about wading across but algae/moss on the rocks was very slippery, would have wanted a walking stick or shoes with good grip for that. Seemed like there was a way to go farther down to the left but didn’t explore that, I ate my lunch there and had plenty to contemplate for a couple hours just sitting there. Please pack out any trash, not much was there, but a couple drinks had been left and forgotten. You will need both hands to get down there, so bring some sort of bag if packing a picnic. Wonderfully sunny at lunchtime, the trick was finding a place to sit without the sun in my eyes. Did...

Very difficult location to find w no signage to designate name, TH, or where to park. Don't use the private lot at the bottom of the hill. The off-road cutout near the bridge was closed (early June) which is the best indicator of the trailhead. We parked across the street at the lot for the Mulholland Wild Flower Preserve, then walked up and across the bridge. Unfortunately, the path down to the river was washed out. To continue seemed too perilous, particularly on an overcast day. So, we never made it to the edge of the river. We may have tried if the skies were blue, and no chance of...

We love being able to walk down to Wells Falls from our house, and it's even better now with the sidewalk down Giles. Big thanks to the city of Ithaca for that infrastructure improvement! I like to imagine what it must have been like for workers to leave the building and have their lunch at the base of the falls. This spot is serene and stunning with the immense, exposed tree roots and the high shale rock wall. Standing at the bottom of what was once an ancient seabed sure does have a profound impact...