Chittenango Falls State Park is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "Federated state, state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on accou ...

located in Madison County, New York, east of Cazenovia Lake. The park features a waterfall that cascades over roughly 400-million-year-old bedrock. At the bottom of the falls Chittenango Creek flows underneath a wooden bridge. The park offers a variety of activities including picnic tables with pavilions, a playground, a nature trail, hiking, and fishing. Approximately 45,000 visitors come to the park each year to engage in a variety of outdoor recreational activities. 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 Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

and endangered Chittenango ovate amber snail (''Novisuccinea chittenangoensis''). Chittenango Falls once marked the boundary between the lands of the

Oneida people The Oneida people ( ; wikt:autonym, autonym: Onʌyoteˀa·ká·, Onyota'a:ka, ''the People of the Upright Stone, or standing stone'', ''Thwahrù·nęʼ'' in Tuscarora language, Tuscarora) are a Native Americans in the United States, Native Ameri ...

and the

Onondaga people The Onondaga people (Onontaerrhonon, Onondaga language, Onondaga: , "People of the Hills") are one of the five original nations of the Iroquois, Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy in the Northeastern Woodlands. Their historical homelands are in ...

. 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. 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. 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.

Gallery

File:Chittenango-state-park.jpg, Entrance sign to the park. File:Chittenangofalls.jpg, View of the falls taken from the bridge. File:NY Chittenango Falls Facing Away.JPG, Chittenango Creek flowing away from the falls in May. File:Chittenango-falls-lower.jpg, Chittenango Falls' lower portion, as viewed from the bridge.

References

*This article incorporates public domain text (a

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...

work of the United States Government A work of the United States government is defined by the United States copyright law of the United States, copyright law, as "a work prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person's official duties".: ...

) from reference.

External links

*
New York State Parks: Chittenango Falls State Park

Chittenango Falls State Park trail map
State parks of New York (state) Waterfalls of New York (state) Parks in Madison County, New York Landforms of Madison County, New York {{MadisonCountyNY-geo-stub

Trails and scenic viewing

Gallery

See also

References

External links