Chittenango Falls State Park

I think I forget this lesson at least once a year. If a park has a website check it out before you drive there. If I had followed that advice I might have saved myself a drive to Chittenango Falls. On the other hand I would have deprived myself of a beautiful afternoon.

I immediately found out the gorge trail was closed. I understand why. The amount of water flowing over the falls was epic. To say I wasn’t a little disappointed would be lying.

I get it. It is for my own safety. There was a lot of water. The roar was intense.

I walked in a direction of the park I have never visited. I was rewarded with a scene I did not know existed. I feel the water in this stream dries up during the summer. I will check it more often now that I know where to look.

It was a beautiful day. The park was not crowded. I’m already here, might as well explore. There are images to capture.

I stop at the overlook next to the top of the waterfall. Damn. That is a lot of water. And yet, I’m amazed that there are portions of trees clinging to the rocks. I wonder how long they can hold on before they end up at the base of the waterfall, or further downstream.

I head upstream.

The view of Chittenango Creek as it works its way toward the great plunge.

There are trails on the left side of the creek. There is only a partial trail on the right. I head right. The view at the turn in the creek should be worth a look. I’m hoping there isn’t so much water that I can’t get close enough with the camera.

I wait here as there is a person with their dog currently standing at the spot I want. I’m in no hurry. The sounds of the water are relaxing. I should sit down. Soak it all in.

Oh look, they moved on. My turn.

There is a larger opening through the trees here. I can capture a wider view.

Bonus!

A couple showed up on the opposite side of the creek. They are out exploring as well. If I wait a few minutes I can include them in the image. I don’t normally include people but for this view they add scale. They don’t stand still. My shutter isn’t fast enough as I prefer to blur the water. Oh well, they will have to be slightly blurry…

Back toward the waterfall. I wonder how far I can go on the opposite side. I would still like to get a view of the falls to show the water. I stop on the bridge to get the opposite view to the one above. The last few feet of creek before it heads into the gorge.

Most of the trail on the right side of the park is closed. Understandable. Again, disappointing, but I get it. So much for a grand view of the waterfall. I can still convey the power. I have to let go of the “iconic” view and find the image. Finish the story…

The top of the 167′ cascade waterfall. Can you hear the roar?

If you look closely at the second image you can see the pedestrian bridge over the creek below. I typically setup on the right side of that bridge to capture the view of the waterfall. Check out an iconic view when the water isn’t so powerful… Simple Beauty.

I took today off from work. My original plan was to drive to Ithaca and walk a few of the state parks. After my experience at Chittenango Falls I checked out the websites for the parks and found the trails I want to walk are not open yet. There is one park I could visit but I will wait until I can make a day of it.

I’ll still take the day off. I’m betting the views at Pixley Falls are worth a look. I’ll let you know…