Parking, surface, grade, presence of stairs and access points are provided for the four most heavily-visited natural areas on Cornell’s campus:
Beebe Lake Trails
There is a ½-mile trail loop through wooded areas around Beebe Lake
Parking: The closest parking area is located at 124 Comstock Knoll Drive at the Nevin Welcome Center, which is approximately 50 feet from the Beebe Lake trail access point.
Trail Surface: crushed compacted stone.
Grade: flat in some areas and slight grade in others.
Stairs: There are stairs in several locations along trails.
Access: There are two access points to the trail that don’t require traveling on stairs.
Mundy Wildflower Garden
A web of trails pass through this wooded area along Fall Creek.
Parking: There is a small parking lot at the east end of the garden next to the start of a trail that leads to the rest of the trails in this area. There are no parking areas here with an accessible designation.
Surface: Crushed compacted stone.
Grade: Flat.
Stairs: There is one set of stairs at the western access point to this area from Judd Falls Road.
Access: There is a flat and wide trail at the parking area.
Cascadilla Gorge
A trail follows this gorge from Linn Street in downtown Ithaca up through to the Cornell campus. One section of trail that spans from Linn Street to College Avenue in Collegetown consists mostly of steep staircases. At College Avenue, the trail crosses the road and follows an almost flat grade alongside a much shallower part of Cascadilla Creek. The surface along this section is compacted dirt. One-half mile from this point is a wooded bridge where people can exit the gorge via a staircase, or return the same way they came.
Fall Creek Gorge
There are four access points to four trails along the gorge rim or that travel to the level of Fall Creek. The Cayuga Trail follows the rim of the gorge and has a compacted dirt surface. This trail leads to a suspension bridge overlooking the creek, gorge and falls. The Horseshoe Falls Trail and the Risley Trail ascend the steep gorge walls to creek level via long staircases.