Lick Brook tumbles through a steep, lesser-known gorge in the Sweedler and Thayer Preserves south of Ithaca, with three major falls ranging from about 25 to 93 feet tall. The trail climbs over 400 feet up the side of the gorge through hemlock and white pine forest.
Its 93 ft drop is taller than about 68% of the 775 waterfalls we track.
Its water comes from Lick Brook. It lies in Tompkins, New York. The site is on public land managed by Finger Lakes Land Trust / Cornell University.
This is a moderate hike waterfall: a longer day hike, roughly one to several miles each way. Reaching it takes a moderate walk, so budget time and pack water before you set out. The walk to the main viewpoint runs about 3.6 miles round trip. The nearest town is Ithaca.
When to go: Spring. Flow usually peaks after snowmelt and heavy rain and tapers through late summer — a quick look at recent streamflow and the managing agency's conditions page can save a wasted trip.
