No. 4 of 8 · Trumansburg, New York
Trumansburg gorge camping trip: three nights reserved above the tallest single drop in the state
from $420 for two people, $210 per person, three nights near Trumansburg, campground charges inside, taxes on top
On the west shore of Cayuga Lake a creek falls about 215 feet in one plunge, taller than the falls at Niagara, into a bowl of dark shale. A Trumansburg gorge camping trip gives you three nights in the farm country above it, with the village of Trumansburg for dinner and the lake a few minutes downhill.
- Where
- Trumansburg, Tompkins County
- Nights
- three
- Season priced
- Jun to Sep
- Depth, rim to stream
- about 290 feet
- Stream level
- about 440 feet above sea level
- Drive from the office
- about 1 hour 55 minutes, 85 miles
- Ways to sleep
- tent, cabin, inn
Measured below the falls
Dark: the Taughannock gorge, read along a 900-meter line. Pale: the other seven, same scale. Source for Trumansburg: USGS 3DEP, 10-meter.
Our section crosses the gorge between the falls and the lake, where the walls are about 290 feet deep at the lower rim. A level trail follows the creek bed up to the base of the falls, and rim trails on both sides look into the bowl from above.
Ridge campgrounds between gorge and village
Glamping campgrounds and campground resorts sit on the ridge between the gorge and the village, and the inns are in Trumansburg itself and along the lake road. The drive from the office is about 1 hour 55 minutes, through Geneva or along the Seneca shore.
| Way to sleep | How the figure is made | From |
|---|---|---|
| Platform tent | three nights at $158 a night, $35 campground charge inside | from $510 for two $255 per person |
| Campground cabin | three nights at $131 a night, $25 campground charge inside | from $420 for two $210 per person |
| Inn room | three nights at $205 a night, no added charge | from $620 for two $310 per person |
Totals are rounded up to the next ten dollars.
Inside the Trumansburg figure for two
- Three nights for two near Trumansburg, at the campground or inn you choose
- Linen, cleaning, first firewood: the Trumansburg campground charge, if any
- A written quote for the Taughannock gorge
Outside the Trumansburg figure
- New York sales tax and the county occupancy tax, which the Trumansburg campground or inn adds
- The drive of about 85 miles each way, fuel and parking
- Meals in Trumansburg, unless breakfast comes with the inn
- Entry to the Taughannock gorge, wherever a gate charges it
Lake season on Cayuga
The falls are fullest in spring, but the campgrounds here run from June, and July and August are when the lake is warm. September brings harvest at the farm stands and fewer people on the gorge trail.
Settled at confirmation in Trumansburg
The campground confirms the tent or cabin, the quiet hours, and whether a summer weekend needs three nights, which is why the trip is quoted at three. Dates and availability can move the figure for the Taughannock gorge; the written confirmation from the campground or inn is what you pay.
Shallower next: glamping near Watkins Glen. One deeper: Niagara gorge weekend in Lewiston.
Dates for the Taughannock gorge
The form takes gorge requests 24/7. Written replies land before 5:30 p.m. Eastern on the next business day; phone answers run +1 (585) 663-2741, Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time.