Buttermilk Falls State Park is a state park located southwest of

Ithaca Ithaca most commonly refers to: *Homer's Ithaca, an island featured in Homer's ''Odyssey'' *Ithaca (island), an island in Greece, possibly Homer's Ithaca *Ithaca, New York, a city, and home of Cornell University and Ithaca College Ithaca, Ithaka ...

, New York, United States. Like Robert H. Treman State Park, a portion of the land that was to become the state park came from Robert and Laura Treman in 1924.

History

Buttermilk Falls was named for the frothy appearance of its churning waters. The naming of the cascade was described in 1866: The original of the park were presented as a gift to New York State by Robert and Laura Treman in 1924. It grew to its current size through various state acquisitions in the years that followed. Revolutionary War era soldier Joseph Plumb Martin mentioned a Buttermilk Falls in his diary; however, this refers to present day Highland Falls in the

Hudson Valley The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to ...

and not in Ithaca, NY.

Geology

The rock formations within the park are primarily made of Devonian shale and

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

. These rocks formed in horizontal layers, creating flat slabs and angular edges as they erode and fracture. The gorge and waterfalls formed since the last ice age — within the last twenty or thirty thousands years — as Buttermilk Creek eroded back from the head of a

hanging valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

. Additional formations along the creek include

potholes A pothole is a depression in a road surface, usually asphalt pavement, where traffic has removed broken pieces of the pavement. It is usually the result of water in the underlying soil structure and traffic passing over the affected area. Water ...

and a stack called "Pinnacle Rock".

Park description

Buttermilk Falls State Park features 10 waterfalls in total, with Buttermilk Falls being the main attraction. The park also offers a beach, cabins, fishing, hiking, deer bow-hunting, nature trails, pavilions, a playground, playing fields, recreation programs, and a campground with tent and trailer sites.

Trails

The nature trails in the park include Gorge Trail, which follows Buttermilk Creek as it cascades, dropping about along the trail. Gorge Trail is complemented by Rim Trail on the other side of the creek, which make for a loop of about . Beyond these two trails is the Bear Trail which continues up Buttermilk Creek to Lake Treman Falls and Lake Treman. The trail to and around the lake is another . At the far end of the lake is a spur of the Finger Lakes Trail. Another trail in the park is the Larch Trail, which circles a marsh near the main (lower) parking area and is about in length.

Gallery

File:WaterfallIthacaNY.jpg, Falls of Buttermilk State Park File:Buttermilk_Park.jpg, Foaming cascade of Buttermilk Falls File:Buttermilk_Falls_1.JPG, File:Buttermilk_Falls_2.JPG, File:Buttermilk_Falls_3.JPG, File:Upper Gorge, Buttermilk Falls State Park, Ithaca, NY.jpg, Falls in the Upper Gorge

References

External links

New York State Parks: Buttermilk Falls State Park
{{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)