Use this topic for posts that will collect community stars for the Cayuga Cliffs course. You can also ask questions or make comments about this course.
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Amazing views at this gem of a park
One word of caution though the first loop will be very slick if at all wet it’s very smooth packed mud so make sure you have good traction on your shoes.
Other than that it was great!
I had a blast going down the switch backs, right up until I remember I had to go back up them
But man the views
Another Gem!
My first time here and I enjoyed it so much! Fields, then woods, falls and the lake, then a large field with an amazing view, then more woods, and then a field again. A large red-headed woodpecker landed on the trunk of a tree about 20 feet from me off the trail, but then took off immediately when he saw me. Probably as close as I’ve ever gotten to one of them.
Tip #1: Take the very very short side trip to the Gorge vista overlook. SIgns are there.
Tip #2: There are beautiful views of Cayuga Lake from the trail through the woods. However, as the trees leaf out, the view is likely to become more obstructed.
My thanks and appreciation to the families who sold this land to the FLLT. Not sure what they got for it but probably much less than if they had sold it to a developer for luxury homes on the site.
Based on the activity log, I think it must have been Melissa @mplank in the car leaving just before I turned into the lot. She captured a lot of the views. Here are a few more:
A quiet day at work means a late start, which means enough time to run one more course to earn that 2025 Challenge medal. This is another fun-to-run route, even with that gut punch climb up from the lake. The singletrack has a nice flow and for the most part it’s dry, even now in April.
Cayuga Cliffs is a short drive from my place in Lansing, which will make it my home course once we’re fully moved in June. I’ll probably spend a lot of time here but I know the only competition for the QR code sign will be between the members of Team Lambert
It was another gorgeous day in the Finger Lakes so after work I headed north to the Cayuga Cliffs trail. Here I spotted Spring Azure butterflies both in the woods and around the big field, a bird of prey that I think may have been either a kestrel or sharp shinned hawk (it was too small for a red tail), many deer relaxing (but keeping watchful eyes on me) in the middle of the big field, and then, most surprisingly, a herd of Cornell trail running students. I wished them an enjoyable romp down and around the blue loop.
The loops around the field still have a few muddy, slick spots even after several warm, dry days. As others have pointed out there are great views of the lake while the leaves are still not out.
All was going well until I turned around at Fiddlers Ridge. On the way back…SNAKE on the course! Both Indiana Jones and I HATE snakes. Luckily I was soon distracted by another beautiful waterfall.
Dropped Dior off at home and picked up Kris for this run, third for the day. There were beautiful low clouds over the lake today, and lots of beautiful small flowers blooming.
Simon and I tried this one on a super windy but sunny and bright day. It’s a beautiful place, with a fun and challenging course to race. Simon is not quite as zippy as last year, and has been needing extra encouragement to run, ‘fast’, on a ‘trail’. He’s a superstar hiker and can trudge along a trail for hours and hours, but is not quite as enthusiastic about trail running. Maybe we need more snacks?
Simon took a tumble right at the beginning of this route, but recovered with no problem.
Amazing views of Cayuga Lake, several nice little waterfalls, and an abundance of wildflowers today.
I had a quite spectacular wipeout on the downhill portion of the meadow loop, where the new spring grass is slippery and is obscuring some squishy mud patches. I don’t think I have been that mud-covered in many years.
I hiked this last week with my son, recapping the first episode of the new season of Andor. My legs were tired and we were both hot but it was a lovely outing. The meadow loop was mentally challenging! I was guessing it would take us an hour and a half and we were just under that.
Wow, @adamengst you’ve outdone yourself with this trail! Sure, it’s steep coming back up, but the novelty of meadows, lake views, woods and unexpected gorges makes it worth the work. So stunning, can’t wait to go back!
Cool foggy morning on a day with a fairly open schedule so I decided to drive up and take a gander. The course itself was scenic and varied, winding up down and around through forest and meadow with a potential for some interesting views on a clearer day. Well, and drier … The course was wet and muddy, but not the shoe-sucking mud bog type of muddy. Rather, it was the “at every step you might slip” type of muddy, forcing a lot of concentration on footing and not so much on views. Even on the open grassy meadow track there were slippery spots. I managed to survive without falling down and considered that quite the achievement.
I look forward to going back and running under dryer conditions though I could see a potential for bugs in the future.
Dior and I ran a very muddy, wet and slippery Cayuga Cliffs this morning. She went from tan to black and tan. And, the backseat of the car… Well, sorry.Kris.
the first loop will be very slick if at all wet 
it’s very smooth packed mud so make sure you have good traction on your shoes.
