'Gorges' slogan steeped in truth

When Howard Cogan penned the slogan "Ithaca Is Gorges" more than 20 years ago, it began a tourism campaign that is more popular today than ever.

JUDY HIRTLER/Special to the Star-Gazette Jim and Nicholas Fukes, father and son from Syracuse, study the geology of the Gorge Trail, which travels 2¼ miles from one end to the other at Robert Treman State Park in Ithaca.

The Ithaca advertising consultant and retired Ithaca College communications professor said he came up with the catchphrase when he and his wife, Helen, ran the Town Crier, a free weekly in Ithaca.

It's ubiquitous today, used by the local chamber and as a T-shirt slogan popular among both Ithaca College and Cornell University students and tourists.

Ithaca is uniquely beautiful, with more than 150 waterfalls within 10 miles of downtown, spectacular gardens, hiking trials and some of the most beautiful swimming holes in all the world.

Three of the gorges featured here -- Buttermilk, Robert Treman and Taughannock, -- are in New York state parks. For $7 a day, you can drive yourself, or a carload of people, into the park for the day. In fact, the $7 fee covers your entrance and parking at any state park that day, so you could visit all three here for the same fee. And, if parking outside the park is legal and convenient, you can even enter the parks on foot for free.

Here is a look at some of the parks, waterfalls and gorges that make Ithaca so very special.

Buttermilk Falls State Park

Most people who stop to enjoy Buttermilk Falls believe the park consists only of the lower falls and swimming area that is accessible from the parking lot off Route 13. The park is so much more.

Off the beaten path, in the upper part of the park, is lovely Lake Treman. Here the reflection is so clear you often can't tell where the woods end and the lake begins. A 1½-mile easy loop trail encompasses the lake. Besides the lake you will also find quiet picnic areas, a small playground for the kids and a beautiful waterfall that spills from Lake Treman.

If you like waterfalls, don't miss hiking the Gorge Trail. The trail runs between the lower swimming area and the upper parking lot. Just one of the many wonderful things to see on the Gorge Trail is Pinnacle Rock. This is a 50-foot-high stone pillar that stands majestically in the middle of the glen.

Buttermilk Falls State Park also has 46 campsites and 7 cabins available for rent. The trails within the park close Nov. 10, except for the self-guided nature trail that is open year-round in Larch Meadows, near the ball field in the lower park.

Information: 607/273-5761.

Robert Treman State Park

This park is divided into upper and lower parks with a spectacular trail that connects the two. Again, most visitors to the park believe the swimming area and campground at the lower park entrance completes the state park.

While the lower area is wonderful with its 96 wooded campsites, 14 cabins and beautiful stone bath house, it is the upper park that contains even more spectacular waterfalls and cool, rocky glens that take your breath away.

From Route 13, take Route 327. Travel past the lower entrance, go approximately 3 miles to the upper park. Take time to explore the old flour mill with many interpretive exhibits housed within the mill.

The trailhead that leads to the park trails, including the popular Gorge Trail, begins at the end of the parking lot. The Gorge Trail meanders down stone pathways and many stairs for a total length of 2¼ miles from one end of the park to the other.

If a round trip is too much for some members of your family, you may consider bringing two cars, leaving one at the lower entrance. With so many different types of recreational opportunities, Robert Treman State Park is truly a park for everyone to enjoy.

Information: 607/273-3440.

Taughannock Falls State Park

One of the best family-friendly trails is one that leads to the base of Taughannock Falls in Trumansburg.

The wide, flat dirt trail is just 1½ miles round trip. There are interpretive signs along the way regarding the history and geology of the gorge.

Another way to view the 215-foot waterfall in the gorge is by way of a scenic overlook where you can see the falls from a beautiful manmade rock amphitheatre on the rim of the gorge.

Taughannock Falls State Park is eight miles north of Ithaca on state Route 89. To access the Gorge Trail, park on the West side of Route 89 and follow the trail from here.

Information: 607/387-6739.

Ithaca Falls

On a hot day, you can find the locals skipping work to enjoy the cool spray of Ithaca Falls.

From Route 13, turn east onto Fall Street and then right onto Lake Street where you will find the parking lot for the falls. A short 15-minute roundtrip walk brings you to the base of Ithaca Falls. At 150 feet high and 175 feet wide, these falls are an awesome sight -- one that will refresh your spirit as well as your feet.

Cascadilla Gorge

Looking to enjoy one of Ithaca's magnificent gorges? Cascadilla Gorge drops 400 feet from Cornell University to downtown Ithaca. A beautiful trail climbs up the gorge and ends at the Center for Theater Arts on the Cornell Campus. The trail is approximately 1.4 miles round trip and takes about an hour.

From Route 13, turn east on West Court Street. Near the intersection of Court and Linn streets, there are metered spots to park your car.

Judy Hirtler, her husband, Dave, and their five children live in Horseheads. She is a graphic designer, writer and photographer and owner of Wine Country Logo & Design. Since moving to the area from Northern California more than two years ago, she has traveled more than 60,000 miles, getting to know the area and its people. She is working on a book about family adventures in the Finger Lakes area.

Source: The festival's Web site, www.lightlink.com/rocco/.