Buttermilk Falls State Park
Encyclopedia
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
is located southwest of Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, USA. Like Robert H. Treman State Park
Robert H. Treman State Park
Robert H. Treman State Park is a state park located in Tompkins County, New York in the United States. The park is located along State Route 327, just west of State Routes 13, 34, and 96, situated in the Towns of Ithaca, Enfield and Newfield....
, the initial grant of land
Land grant
A land grant is a gift of real estate – land or its privileges – made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service...
for the park came from Robert and Laura Treman, in 1924.
The park offers a beach, cabins, fishing, hiking, hunting (bow-hunting deer), a nature trail, pavilions, a playground, playing fields, recreation programs, and a campground with tent and trailer sites. The park also has nine other waterfalls, but Buttermilk Falls is the main attraction.
Trails
The nature trails in the park include Gorge Trail, which follows the Buttermilk Creek as it cascades dropping about 500 feet along the trail. Gorge Trail is complemented by Rim Trail on the other side of the creek, which make for a loop of about 1.5 miles. Beyond these two trails is the Bear Trail which continues up Buttermilk Creek to Lake Treman Falls and Lake Treman. The trail to and around the lake is another 1.5 miles. At the far end of the lake is a spur of the Finger Lakes TrailFinger Lakes Trail
The Finger Lakes Trail System consists of a network of trails in New York. The trail system is administered by the , a non-profit, volunteer organization....
. Another trail in the park is the Larch Trail, which circles a marsh near the main (lower) parking area and is about 1 mile in length. The best view of the falls are along the Gorge Trail, although the creek loses much of its flow whenever rain is scarce.
Revolutionary War era soldier Joseph Plumb Martin
Joseph Plumb Martin
Joseph Plumb Martin was an American Revolutionary War soldier who published an account of his experiences as a soldier in the 8th Connecticut Regiment of the Continental Army in 1830.-Life:...
mentioned a Buttermilk Falls in his diary; however, this refers to present day Highland Falls in the Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
and not in Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca or Ithaka is an island located in the Ionian Sea, in Greece, with an area of and a little more than three thousand inhabitants. It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. It lies off the northeast coast of Kefalonia and...