WINTER WATERFALLS OF THE FINGER LAKES

A short weekend exploring the northern part of NY state along the Finger Lakes. Hiking through quiet, frozen gorges in Watkins Glen Park and iced-over lakes.

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UPDATE: Many of the photos here have been published in a beautiful 320-page hardcover book, Wanderlust USA: The Great American Hike! It’s a collection of some of the most iconic trails spanning from long-distance to day hikes across the US. I’ve got a copy myself that guests love to browse through when they visit. It makes a great gift as well!

I planned this trip almost half a year ago in the middle of the summer. My biggest concern wasn't whether it would be difficult going alone, or whether it would be too cold for hiking. I was actually worried about whether it would be cold enough to see the area freeze over. I knew what the state parks around the Finger Lakes region of NY could look like in the winter, and I wanted to see that in person. I picked out the cheapest rental car and made the long, wintry drive to upstate New York.

WATKINS GLEN STATE PARK

After settling in for the night in Ithaca, I woke up early to make it over to my first stop, Watkins Glen State Park. The park is known for the narrow, 400ft gorge carved by glaciers and a stream running through the center, creating several waterfalls.

Curiosity and the realization that I didn't come this far to turn back now led me to the other side. I could easily see why the trail would be closed. The entire pathway was covered in inches of ice. Some parts of the trail had massive boulders stacked up to my waist blocking the entire pathway. These were blocks of ice that rolled down the edges of the gorge and I now needed to climb over. If not for the microspikes attached to my boots, I wouldn't have made it more than a few feet on the ice before taking at tumble.

There were parts of the path that were covered in thin ice, and my weight would break through and plunge my feet into cold water. I was thankful for having properly waterproofed boots, so I didn't have to worry too much. It was kind of fun smashing through the ice, making fresh footprints where no one else had been through for a while, hearing a satisfying crunch reverberate through the canyon with each step.

After a short trek, I made it to the highlight of the park: Rainbow Falls. The path led me through a narrow cave, which was halfway encased in a wall of ice. I needed to squirm my way through the small opening without slipping down the iced-over stairs. After taking a few photographs, I rushed back to the main trail, keeping an eye out for park rangers. I may have been going a bit too fast because I rolled my ankle climbing over a set of icy boulders. I was relieved my boots were tall enough to protect me from something worse.

TAUGHANNOCK FALLS STATE PARK

There were a few hours of daylight left, so I headed towards Taughannock Falls. There were more people on the trail here. The main trail leading to the waterfall was open to visitors, so I wouldn't need to break any rules here.

The path leading up to the waterfall was also iced over, and I seemed to be the only person who had the foresight to bring crampons. While everyone else was sliding and taking careful steps over the ice, I could run at full speed if I wanted to without a worry.

When I got to the base of the waterfall, there was a thick fog of freezing cold mist. I layered up a bit more. My camera was not only wet, it was also freezing over on all sides. While most people spent only a few minutes at the base, I ended up being there for over an hour. My raincoat eventually was covered in a sheath of thin ice that cracked whenever I moved. 

I sat by the waterfall on a boulder that was encased in inches of ice until sunset, and finally acknowledged that I may finally be getting a bit cold.

ITHACA FALLS

I woke up early on my last day to see Ithaca Falls, which happened to be only two blocks away from my Airbnb. 

ONTEORA LAKE

On the drive back to the city, I took a longer route through the Catskills and stopped by Onteora Lake. It had been on my to-do to visit during the winter to experience what it would be like to walk on a frozen lake. I think I was inspired by a clip from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Most of the people on the lake were teenagers on dates, shuffling around in sneakers and falling down on the ice. I played with a dog that was having a blast sliding around while its owner ice skated. There were definitely some concerning cracks on the surface, especially toward the center of the lake and near the holes where people had been ice fishing. It started to get dark, and I made my way back to the car, and eventually back home. 

I'm glad I got to see some beautiful places that exist in my home state. You don't have to go very far or take days off work to see something amazing.

If you want to know more about my trip, just send me a message. Thanks for reading!

Gear suggestions

If you're inspired to check out these frozen falls this winter, don't forget to pack the right gear.

Don’t leave home without:

• Microspikes. Any should do as long as you get the sizing right but everyone in hiking groups swears by the more expensive and more durable Kahtoola and Hillsound brands. Whatever you do, don’t get Yaktrax, as they’re intended for jogging on flat, icy surfaces and lack the ‘teeth’ to bite into ice that is at an angle.

• A tripod. I’m not a fan of lugging around a tripod ever, but it’s impossible to get the long-exposure photos of waterfalls (where they look like silver ribbons falling into a glassy floor). You can pay a ton of money for these but I’d go with something simple like this one from Amazon Basics with 34k reviews and counting.

• Waterproof, insulated gloves. The misting spray from a massive waterfall travels and clings onto your clothes even if you’re at a distance, especially if you’re in no rush to leave. I’d recommend these Carhartt's. Don’t spend more than $50 on winter gloves. It’s not worth it. Also don’t bother with mittens if you’re planning to take photos as you’ll need your fingers to fiddle with knobs and buttons. An exception may be if you’ve got Raynaud’s.

• Winter boots. I feel like this one should be obvious, but I’ve seen a lot of folks go out on winter trails in Vans and in dressy boots. Don’t do that to yourself. Invest in a good pair. I can’t recommend the Salomon Men's X Ultra 3 Mid GTX Hiking boot enough.