Chittenango Falls State Park

Chittenango Falls State Park is a 193-acre (0.78 km2) state park located in Madison County, New York,[2][5] east of Cazenovia Lake. The park features a 167-foot (51 m) waterfall that cascades over roughly 400-million-year-old bedrock. At the bottom of the falls Chittenango Creek flows underneath a wooden bridge.[6] The park offers a variety of activities including picnic tables with pavilions, a playground, a nature trail, hiking, and fishing.

Chittenango Falls State Park
Chittenango Falls in May 2007
Chittenango Falls State Park is located in New York
Chittenango Falls State Park
Location of Chittenango Falls State Park within New York State
TypeState park
Location2300 Rathbun Road
Cazenovia, New York[1]
Nearest citySyracuse, New York
Coordinates42°59′N 75°51′W
Area193 acres (0.78 km2)[2]
Created1922 (1922)[3]
Operated byNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Visitors46,988 (in 2014)[4]
OpenAll year
WebsiteChittenango Falls State Park

Approximately 45,000 visitors come to the park each year to engage in a variety of outdoor recreational activities.[4] Although many camping guides still mistakenly list it as a campground, the park's campground was closed in the mid-2000s.

Chittenango Falls State Park is also home to the endemic and endangered Chittenango ovate amber snail (Novisuccinea chittenangoensis).[6]

Chittenango Falls once marked the boundary between the lands of the Oneida people and the Onondaga people. In 1784 the Oneidas called it “a Place where the Water runs over a Ledge of Rocks” when explaining their homeland’s boundaries to commissioners from New York.[7]

Chittenango Falls, 1993

Trails and scenic viewing

While the park is open year-round, the trail leading to the falls' viewing bridge is closed during winter months due to icy conditions. Views of the falls are still quite picturesque from the top however, with the ability to view the falls from the side of the creek or from a small viewing rail.[8] On the opposite side of the creek, there is a steep uphill trail to the top of the falls opposite the entrance. Along that trail, there are several viewing spots.

  • Entrance sign to the park.
    Entrance sign to the park.
  • View of the falls taken from the bridge.
    View of the falls taken from the bridge.
  • Chittenango Creek flowing away from the falls in May.
    Chittenango Creek flowing away from the falls in May.
  • Chittenango Falls' lower portion, as viewed from the bridge.
    Chittenango Falls' lower portion, as viewed from the bridge.

See also

References
  1. "Chittenango Falls State Park". NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  2. "Section O: Environmental Conservation and Recreation, Table O-9". 2014 New York State Statistical Yearbook (PDF). The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. 2014. p. 671. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 16, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  3. "Chittenango Falls State Park Brochure" (PDF). NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 1, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  4. "State Park Annual Attendance Figures by Facility: Beginning 2003". Data.ny.gov. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  5. "Chittenango Falls State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  6. Breisch, Alvin; Niver, Robin (2006). "Chittenango Ovate Amber Snail (Novisuccinea chittenangoensis) Recovery Plan, First Revision" (PDF). Hadley, Massachusetts: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  7. Koch, Daniel (April 1, 2023). Land of the Oneidas: Central New York State and the Creation of America, From Prehistory to the Present. State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-1-4384-9270-4.
  8. Doran, Elizabeth (January 9, 2014). "Chittenango Falls offers stunning views year-round". Syracuse.com. Retrieved April 28, 2015.


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