10 Scenic Spots You Must Visit Before Graduating From Cornell

Cornell University is often cited as one of the most beautiful campuses in the world with good reason – it's home to two stunning gorges, an 100-acre arboretum, 25-acre botanical garden with 12 specialty gardens, and incredible structures with the perfect mix of historic and contemporary style. Be sure to explore this beautiful place and don't leave Cornell without seeing its gorgeous wonders.

1. Newman Overlook

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Newman Overlook, located at one of the highest points in the arboretum and on campus, provides a spectacular panoramic view of both the arboretum and far distant points. This majestic vista was created when Fall Creek’s waters carved out a giant bowl 12,000 years ago. The stone structure was made from llenroc (Cornell spelled backwards), a form of New York State bluestone. Chess players, joggers, geology students, and birders particularly enjoy this beautiful spot. Visitors often ring the huge bell on the overlook, making everyone within the 100-acre arboretum aware of their presence. (#141 thing to do on the Big Red Ambition list)

Location: F.R. Newman Arboretum, eastern edge

Best Season: Year-round

2. Houston Pond

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Beautiful pond located at the central of the F.R. Newman Arboretum. Take a stroll on the bridge and spin yourself around because every angle is perfectly beautiful.

Location: Bottom of the Newman Arboretum bowl

Best Season: Year Round

3. Mundy Wildflower Garden

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This site, an active floodplain of Fall Creek, is a small remnant of the floodplain vegetation once common along creek valleys. Mundy provides a tranquil and picturesque place for a casual stroll through the woods, and stream-side benches for rest, reflection, and a reconnection to our natural world.

Location: There are two entrances to the Mundy Wildflower Garden. One is next to the Forest Home bridge at the intersection of Forest Home Drive and Caldwell Road, where parking is available. You can also walk to the garden from the botanical garden/visitor center by taking the north stairway beside the herb garden, crossing Judd Falls Road, continuing eastward on the footpath across the lawn, and then following the stairs down the steep slope into the garden. A maze of trails winds through the garden.

Best season: April - June

4. Beebe Lake

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Beebe Lake is a favorite place on campus to exercise or just relax. You can walk or jog on the trails beneath the shady forest canopy and along the lake shore, catch some sun on Beebe Beach, or find a quiet spot to ponder life or study.

Location: North Campus

Best season: Year Round

5. The Botanical Gardens

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The Botanical Gardens is the broad name for the area at the heart of Cornell Plantations. Visitors with only a short time to see Plantations will want to focus on this 25-acre site, which features 12 specialty gardens. These include herbs, flowers, vegetables, rock garden plants, rhododendrons, perennials, ornamental grasses, groundcovers, vines, container gardens and plants with winter interest.

Location: Behind Nevin Welcome Center

Best season: Year Round

6. Cascadilla Gorge

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Cascadilla Creek drops 400 feet from campus to downtown Ithaca, carving through bedrock - shales, siltstone and sandstone - exposing sedimentary rocks that were deposited 400 million years ago. Look for ripple marks on the rock surface, which once was the muddy floor of an ancient ocean. Here also is a tremendous variety of forest and creek habitats packed into a small area. You can hike the trail through Cascadilla Gorge from Rhodes Hall (the Cornell Theory Center) to Collegetown, and then all the way to downtown Ithaca.

Location: You can access a trail through the gorge from the "Treman Triangle" off of Linn Street in downtown Ithaca and at the trailhead behind the Schwartz Performing Arts Center.

7. Fall Creek Gorge

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Fall Creek and its associated gorge are an integral part of the Cornell University Campus, and the surrounding communities. The gorge provides scenic views, recreation, trails, plant and wildlife habitat, hydroelectric power and a drinking water source for Cornell University and the hamlet of Forest Home. The creek and gorge also provide research and teaching opportunities, for Cornell University and other institutions.

Location: Fall Creek Gorge, with its forested and rocky slopes, extends from Triphammer Falls past Ithaca Falls to a small city park in downtown Ithaca.

• To get to Ithaca Falls from campus, start at the Johnson Museum of Art and head downhill via University Ave and Lake St. Trails from the small park at Lake St. lead to the falls.

• The Cayuga Trail (marked with orange blazes) runs from Stewart Ave along the southern lip of the gorge eastward toward the Plantations.

• Another trail begins on University Ave directly across from the Johnson Museum of Art. From there this trail (with steps) leads down to the stream and also to a suspension bridge, which provides a fabulous view of the gorge and downtown Ithaca.

8. The Morgan Smith Trail

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The Morgan-Smith Trail is a historical remnant of old-growth forest that connects the cultivated horticulture collections of the arboretum with one of our nearby natural areas, Park Park. The half-mile trail through old-growth and replanted forests is a great place to see trees that are more than 150 years old.

Trail Access Point: Look for the Morgan Smith Trail at the east end of the Zucker Shrub Collection in the F.R. Newman Arboretum.

9. Park Park

Jessica Zheng

Park Park is one of the further areas of Cornell Plantations. There are a few scenic sitting areas by the water. It a perfect spot for outdoor picnics with friends!

Location: Park Park is situated on either side of Forest Home Drive, near its intersection with Route 366. Limited parking is available at the meadow on Forest Home Drive and at the intersection of the drive with Route 366. There are trail heads into Park Park directly from the meadow parking area.

• You can also get there by taking the Morgan Smith trail from the Arboretum. (Recommended)

10. Cornell Orchards

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Cornell Orchards is a working orchard, vineyard and fruit farm managed by the Department of Horticulture. In addition to apple, the Orchards also grow peaches, plums, cherries, pears, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, currants, pawpaws, chestnuts, and beach plums. Visit Cornell Orchards during their harvest seasons and taste some fresh Cornellian fruits! Need another reason to go visit the Orchards? Apple picking at the Cornell Orchards is one of the 161 things to do at Cornell. So, go pick some apples and check #22 off your list.

Location: 709 Dryden Rd. (Rt. 366) across from the Vet School.

Best season: Harvest and sales season usually runs August through April. Days of the week and hours vary by season. Visit its website to find out current hours.

Check out the Cornell Plantation Visitor Map for directions and more beautiful natural areas.