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It was overcast, with the occasional light sprinkle of rain, but otherwise the perfect day to hike the recently opened (for the season) gorge trail at Buttermilk Falls State Park in Ithaca, New York.
Of the small crowd that dared to enjoy nature even during the rainy season, most of the people were on their way out as we were arriving, so it was almost like we had the entire park to ourselves.
(The exception being an obnoxious trio of young adults who were all about their social media photos, with zero respect for other content creators.. but we moved on and they got the hint. **Pro tip: We all want photos, videos, etc. Be mindful of others and don’t ruin their shots like a dıck. You’d be pıssed too if someone paused, looked right at you, then walked out into the center of your shot.) /rant
I love when the parks are empty.. Don’t get me wrong – a big part of what I do is inspire others to get outside and see these beautiful places (because you should!) – but it feels so MAGICAL when there are no other people in sight. It’s a completely different experience.
It really was the perfect day, and I’m glad I decided to ignore the rain icon in my weather app and just went for it. The temperature was perfect with a track jacket and my rain shell, and I had a hood so I barely even felt the light sprinkles, which only lasted a couple minutes at most each time.
It’s also worth noting that the gorge trail is mostly shale [formed during the Devonian Era] and sandstone, so it’s pretty low on mud, and the stairs leading up make the few muddy parts easier.
Fun fact:
Buttermilk Falls, aka the main set of waterfalls, is 165ft tall.
Recommended product: Goodr OG polarized sunglasses – Vincent’s Absinthe Night Terrors
![There's a small rain shelter along the gorge trail. It was fine when we went, but the bugs [especially mosquitos] get bad up there during the summer. - Buttermilk Falls State Park Ithaca New York travel guide](https://kaeaudhild.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/rainshelterbuttermilkfallsstateparkithacany9142883274596413436.jpg?w=576)
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