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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Cornell Plantations

Address
124 Comstock Knoll Drive
Website
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The Plantations is one of those places that means something different for every local. We always think of it as the 100-acre Arboretum, a curated collection of trees sitting on a hillside overlooking Fall Creek. This is where the locals sled in the winter - follow the road in (it's closed as soon as the snow falls) and listen for the screams. All summer trails and a little used road are accessible for biking and running. There is also the Mundy Wildflower Garden, the Botanical Garden, and the Nevin Welcome Center, as well as the various natural areas the Plantations department maintains throughout the city. They host well established conservation and educational programs – guided tours, lectures, special events – you name it. The website has a very good listing of events and a map, but beware of parking - Cornell is notoriously unfriendly about ticketing.

Cornell Plantations
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Cornell Plantations
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Cornell Plantations
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Cornell Plantations
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Cornell Plantations
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Brooktons Market

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