The Hills - East, South, West

The city of Ithaca sits in the ancient lake bed of a once enormous Cayuga Lake, with Cornell University on the hill to the East, and Ithaca College on the hill to the South. Waterfalls and gorges climb the hills that surround city center, leading to great adventure and some of our most favorite places to explore.

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Cayuga Nature Center

Address
1420 Taughannock Boulevard
Website
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Go for the treehouse. The Center, which is housed in a gorgeous old lodge on a bluff over looking Cayuga Lake, has a lot of old world charm with it's big windows and stone fireplace. Built as a Preventorium for children during the Tuberculosis era, it is now an educational center for learning about local wildlife and native plant and tree species. With miles of trails to walk, gorges to explore, and a permanent collection of animals to visit, you can spend an entire afternoon here soaking up the atmosphere. For many, the big draw is the 6 story treehouse. Built in the woods in a creek bed, as you climb you become a voyeur in the active world in the treetops, spying on the birds and squirrels as they go about their business.

Cayuga Nature Center
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Cayuga Nature Center
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Cayuga Nature Center
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Glenwood Pines

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