Hiking Waterfalls in New YorkRandi Minetor
Walking guide
Hiking Waterfalls in New York
Randi Minetor · 2019
Statewide waterfall guide with Finger Lakes gorges such as Taughannock and the Genesee falls at Letchworth.
United States · Finger Lakes, New York
Taughannock Falls
Free-falling from a rock amphitheatre higher than Niagara, this Finger Lakes drop sits within a gorge whose walls climb 120 metres above the creek. A flat rim trail and a steeper gorge trail offer two very different vantage points on the same plunge.
Taller than Niagara Falls Essentials guide
Checked September 2026 by David Bussell
Taughannock Falls drops 66 metres (217 ft) on the Taughannock Creek, inside Taughannock Falls State Park. It is a plunge-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Trumansburg, with ITH the closest airport. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy.
Taughannock Falls is number 8 on our list of the tallest waterfall in every us state. As a plunge waterfall, water leaves the rock entirely and falls free through the air.
What you can do here
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Spring snowmelt gives the strongest flow; can thin considerably by late summer.
Entry: State park vehicle fee, small
Getting there
- Base town Trumansburg
- Airport ITH
- Country United States
- Region Finger Lakes, New York, United States, North America
- Access Easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint
How it compares
This waterfall
Taughannock Falls
United States
Height66 mWidth—
Most similar
Palouse Falls
United States
Height61 mWidth—
Also a plunge waterfall, of similar height and in the United States too
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
61 m
66 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
Palouse FallsTaughannock FallsVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 15× taller than Taughannock Falls. Victoria Falls is 1.6× taller. We don't have a reliable crest width for Taughannock Falls yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Videos from Taughannock Falls
7:04
2:08
4:21
Chosen from YouTube; videos belong to their creators and play from YouTube's privacy-enhanced player.
Books worth packing
Photography
Letchworth State Park (Images of America)
Thomas A. Breslin and Thomas S. Cook · 2007
Archival photographs of the Genesee gorge, its three falls, the railroad bridge and the park's early history.
On the map
42.5389, -76.6086
Quick answers
Where is Taughannock Falls?
Taughannock Falls is in United States (Finger Lakes, New York), inside Taughannock Falls State Park. The nearest base is Trumansburg and the closest airport is ITH. Its coordinates are 42.5389, -76.6086.
How tall is Taughannock Falls?
Taughannock Falls drops 66 metres (217 feet). It is a plunge-type waterfall on the Taughannock Creek.
When is the best time to visit Taughannock Falls?
Peak flow is April to May and October. Spring snowmelt gives the strongest flow; can thin considerably by late summer.
What can you do at Taughannock Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: swimming, hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint.
Can you swim at Taughannock Falls?
Yes — swimming is a normal part of a visit to Taughannock Falls, in the pools away from the falling water. Only swim where it is permitted on the day, stay clear of the base of the falls where currents recirculate, and skip it after heavy rain.
How do you get to Taughannock Falls?
The usual base is Trumansburg, and the closest airport is ITH. A short walk or roadside viewpoint from there. State park vehicle fee, small.
Nearby
Closest to Taughannock Falls
Ithaca Falls
United States · 46 m · 14 km away
Ithaca Falls is a waterfall located within the city of Ithaca, New York. It is the last of a series of…
High Falls (Rochester)
United States · 110 km away
The High Falls or Upper Falls is a waterfall on the Genesee River in the city of Rochester, New York. They…
Letchworth State Park Falls
United States · 30 m · 120 km away
Centerpiece of the 'Grand Canyon of the East'
Hot-air ballooning
Eternal Flame Falls
United States · 9 m · 180 km away
The Eternal Flame Falls is a small waterfall located in the Shale Creek Preserve, a section of Chestnut Ridge…
Caving