Robert H. Treman State Park is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

located in

Tompkins County Tompkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 105,740. The county seat is Ithaca. The name is in honor of Daniel D. Tompkins, who served as Governor of New York and Vice President ...

, in the Finger Lakes region of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

in the United States. The park is situated in the towns of Ithaca, Enfield and Newfield.

History

Robert H. Treman Robert Henry Treman (March 31, 1858 – January 4, 1937) was an American banker and financier who served as a director and deputy governor of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. A native of upstate New York, he attended Cornell University and wa ...

first purchased land surrounding Enfield Falls in 1915, and worked to improve the property by planting over 1,000 trees. He and his wife, Laura Treman (Hosie), donated the land to New York State in 1920 for the establishment of Enfield Glen State Park. The park was renamed in Robert H. Treman's honor following his death in 1937. The

Enfield Falls Mill and Miller's House Enfield Falls Mill and Miller's House, also known as Treman House and Mill, is a historic grist mill and former millowner's residence located at Robert H. Treman State Park near Ithaca in Tompkins County, New York. The mill is a -story frame str ...

was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Geology

The rock formations within the park are primarily made of

Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, whe ...

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...

and sandstone. These rocks formed in horizontal layers, creating flat slabs and angular edges as they erode and fracture. The valley and waterfalls formed since the last ice age — within the last twenty or thirty thousands years — roughly in-line with previous streambeds. However, around Lucifer Falls, the current streambed completely deviates from its now drift-filled interglacial streambed (where the creek flowed in-between periods of glaciation). This path of new erosion is distinguished by its steep cliffs and narrow gorge. Additional rock formations near Lucifer Falls include current ripple marks, indicating the direction the creek used to flow.

Park description

Robert H. Treman State Park is located along State Route 327, just west of state routes 13, 34, and 96. The park offers an outdoor swimming area at the base of a waterfall, picnic tables, playing fields, hiking and camping. The park has numerous waterfalls along a round-trip hike. The hiking trails follow Enfield Creek, giving many views of the rock formations in the deep, narrow gorge known as Enfield Glen. A natural swimming pool is located at the easternmost waterfall, known as Lower Falls. Lucifer Falls, a , multi-tiered cascading waterfall, is a short hike from the western portion of the park. Views of Lucifer Falls can be found along the gorge trail, in addition to overlooks along the rim trail. The

Finger Lakes Trail The Finger Lakes Trail consists of a network of trails in New York. The trail system is administered by thFinger Lakes Trail Conference(FLTC), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, composed primarily of volunteers. Description The FLT is primaril ...

skirts the southern edge of the park. Because of dangerous conditions created by snow and ice, most of the park's trails are inaccessible in the winter. Visitors can view Lower Falls year-round.

Gallery

Image:LowerFallsTremanPark.jpg Image:Tremanstatepark.JPG Image:Treman1.jpg Image:Treman2.jpg Image:Hdr-tremanriver.jpg Image:Hdr-tremanlowbridge.jpg Image:Hdr-tremanbridge.jpg Image:Hdr-treebench.jpg

References

External links

New York State Parks: Robert H. Treman State Park

Robert H. Treman State Park Trail Map

Lucifer Falls
{{authority control State parks of New York (state) Parks in Tompkins County, New York Tourist attractions in Ithaca, New York Waterfalls of New York (state) Glens of the United States 1920 establishments in New York (state) Protected areas established in 1920