Use this topic for posts that will collect community stars for the Taughannock Rim & Falls course. You can also ask questions or make comments about this course.
Here’s how it works.
Click the “Post Using This Template” button below to create a new post with a Story heading and boilerplate text.
Replace the boilerplate text with your report for one or both sections. The Story header is key for distinguishing between posts and replies—don’t change it.
Your post must be on the same calendar day as your run as entered in the leaderboard.
Story
To pick up a community star, replace this text with a write-up of what your run was like, a photo you took on the run, a link to your Strava track, or something similar. Don’t delete the Story heading above.
Scott and I completed our first Challenge course today, part of my 60th birthday weekend activities. This run is one of my favorite hike/runs, and it was a lovely day for it.
I run-rambled this course on my way home from the Seneca 7 race as a recovery run - it was impossible to drive right by a Challenge course in the middle of a day off from work and not “cover the ground!” I took my time and enjoyed all the scenic overlooks. There is a brief reroute on the south rim due to nesting peregrine falcons, but it’s extremely well marked and adds maybe 10 feet to the course, so don’t worry if you come upon it.
what makes a challenge a challenge? Doing it when you know you really can’t.. but the schedule and the weather dictated this morning was this morning to try this … so try it I did. Did it the canonical way, which isn’t my favorite because you finish on such a steep incline. But the falls were as spectacular as expected, and had the course to myself for the most part. Shout out to Scott Dawson and Mike for encouragement on that last steep section. https://strava.app.link/uKJHW9d4M2b
This is my most favorite long run…up the BD, around the Taughannock Rim and Falls course, and back down the BD. After climbing the North Rim ascent, I feel like my run is almost done since the rest is downhill!. The waterfall was roaring this morning. Also so nice to see @scottpdawson running on the trail and @amy-dawson and @elizabeth.r.dawson1 hiking.
No Doubt…
as to why this course was voted into the 2026 canonical ten! I used a Friday afternoon trip to Sauders as an excuse to drop South on the beautiful west side lake drive into Trumansburg to run…or maybe I made an excuse to go to Sauders to justify the running. So scenic and I admired every overlook and creek view! Saw peregrine falcons gliding above the gorge.
I enjoyed an outing on this course on Mother’s Day. The Gorge Trail was busy as I expected, but the Rim Trail was much quieter. I started with the out and back on the Gorge Trail.
I made a quick stop to snap a picture of the falls from the base.
I attended 11th Grade College Information Night in Tburg tonight. Boy have things changed since I applied to college and grad school!
I packed running clothes just in case there was enough time to squeeze in a run. The track has zero appeal to me, so I headed to the parking lot at the Gorge Trail Head. I did the usual out and back along the Gorge. My legs felt tired and even more so as I climbed the South Rim Trail. It was more power hiking than running.
I was a little concerned about finishing before dark. I saw a trash panda snacking on Wendy’s on the trail by The Overlook but decided to leave it be.
It was a beautiful and cool morning at Taughannock Falls. When I first arrived to the visitor’s center parking lot, I found two buses full of high school students from Sidney had arrived just before me. I was quietly hoping I wouldn’t run into the mass of them on any of the narrow rim trails, and off I went before their chaperones could gather the lot of them and get them walking in any one direction. It ends up I ran into them down on the Gorge Trail, which was wide enough for all of us. Besides, they had spread out quite a bit by then. As I was jogging back down the Gorge Trail towards the parking lot, one of the high school boys jumped on the back of his friend and they began playing chicken while trying to jog along side of me. I laughed and told them that I wanted to see them do that while running up the rim trail. Then I left them behind.
Nice cool gray morning to run this course. I really enjoy this loop, it’s trails but really accessible. Plus it has my favorite view in all of Ithaca, the window through the trees of the falls, just north of the upper parking area. Highly recommend Mama said pies and coffee for a post run refuel.
When you’re at the Tburg school in the morning for an awards ceremony, you may have to run this course on your way to work!
I started at the overlook, ran down the North Rim Trail, out and back on the Gorge Trail, up the South Rim and around the North Rim back to the parking lot.
Which route do you think is the best for a fast time?
