East Ithaca Recreation Way

The East Ithaca Recreation Way is mostly built on the former railroad bed of the Elmira Cortland & Northern Railroad from 1869. This multi-use trail is a great place to go walking, biking, jogging, and birding. Horseback riding is permitted along the trail section from Maple Avenue to Game Farm Road. Being close to Cornell, it is a heavily used commuter trail and provides easy-access to campus (winter maintenance provided). The northern section of the trail (Game Farm Road to Maple Avenue) runs through the Cornell Botanic Gardens Upper Cascadilla Creek Natural Area which includes a demonstration wetland and the MacDaniels Nut Grove. On the southernmost section of the trail (Pine Tree Road to Park Lane), you can enjoy traveling through the Pine Tree Wildlife Preserve, the East Ithaca Nature Preserve where a small gazebo provides great views to the west, the Town’s Tudor Park, and Cornell Botanic Gardens Mitchell Street Hawthorn Thicket.