Lead an active, gorges life.
Outdoor Recreation & Sports
“Out of 62 counties studied, Tompkins ranks as the #2 healthiest County in New York State.”
– CountyHealthRankings.org
Wellness & Sports
Chart Your Path
Tompkins County is home to one of the fastest and most scenic half marathons you’ll ever run. The point-to-point route for the race begins along Dubois Road in the nearby town of Ulysses. Runners will follow the road into the Cayuga Lake valley for the first mile or so before turning onto the recently completed Black Diamond Trail, an 8.5-mile-long stone and dust rail trail.The path heads south along the lakeshore until you run into the Cayuga Lake Waterfront Trail, past the famed Ithaca Falls as you cross over the bridge at Fall Creek, and then cross the finish line right after you cross over Cascadilla Creek.
Parks and Trails
No matter the season, explore the beauty of the outdoors in Ithaca. Spend a sunny day touring one of the many waterfalls and gorges or relax on the Finger Lakes’ largest lake, Cayuga Lake. You’ll find over 28,000 acres of public New York State forest ripe for skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and exploring.
- Ithaca Trails
- Cayuga Trails Club
- Cass Park
- Buttermilk Park
- Stewart Park
- Taughannock Fall State Park
- Allan H. Treman State Marine Park
- Myers Park
East Shore Park
Outdoor & Water Recreation
Cayuga Lake is the longest of the Finger Lakes, just under 30 miles. Ride your bike along the Cayuga Waterfront Trail, rent a stand-up paddleboard or kayak, or book a sunset sail to explore all that Cayuga Lake has to offer.
Winter Activities
Ithaca is home to a newly renovated state-of-the-art indoor rock climbing facility. Unveiled in Fall 2016, it includes includes the Sklar Lead Wall, certified Instructors, Learn to Climb courses and over 8,000 square feet of climbing space.
Family Friendly Activities
Camps for Kids & Adults
Yoga & Other Wellness
Collegiate Sports
Go Big Red! Go Bombers! Cheer on your favorite Division I and Division III sports teams here in Ithaca.
Golf
There are golf courses conveniently located around Tompkins County for all skill levels and price range. Enjoy the challenging course on Cornell University’s campus designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones, or the scenic public course overlooking Cayuga Lake.
Adult Leagues & Intramurals
Inspiring art, engaging culture.
Arts & Culture
Ithaca Festival, a 40+ Year Tradition
One of the area’s most beloved and long-standing traditions, the Ithaca Festival is an arts and culture festival like no other. When Summer starts each year, the city is transformed with pop-up stages, vendors, performances, food, and the Ithaca Festival Parade.
This event is a can’t-miss for locals, newcomers, and visitors alike.
Arts
Art galleries, open studio tours, and gallery nights abound, as well as numerous opportunities to buy art and learn to create art. Public art such as murals, sculptures, and even painted electric boxes can be found in downtown Ithaca and throughout the county as well. If the arts are important to you and yours—there’s no better small city than Ithaca to call home.
Culture
Ithaca and Tompkins County are home to numerous museums, historic organizations, and cultural events throughout the year. our community is a welcoming one which celebrates culture, diversity, and art in all its forms. Learn about our rich cultural heritage through programming offered by Historic Ithaca or the History Center; better understand our connection to this planet with the Sciencenter, Museum of the Earth, or Lab of Ornithology.
Music
There are many places to go in Ithaca and Tompkins County to enjoy live music all year round. Whether you’re seeking a small intimate experience in a local tavern, a high-energy dance party on a tour boat, a large summer concert on the Ithaca Commons, faculty or student performances at Ithaca College or Cornell University, or the Grassroots Festival of Music & Dance in Trumansburg—we’ve got it all, and music is core to our identity as a community. The best place to locate current and upcoming live music opportunities county-wide is the Visit Ithaca website, where you can sort events by genre, add to your calendar, and link to purchase tickets.
Theater
Enhance your quality of life in our community by catching a show from one of our local theatre groups! With national recording artists and Broadway-caliber theatre mixed with young, undiscovered talents, numerous theatrical options will leave you with a fresh new perspective on the performing arts. Plus the many venues around town offer everything from a small, personalized experience to a 1,600 seat historic theatre, giving you fantastic variety for whatever you’re in the mood for. Whether you’re a child or a child at heart, there are numerous opportunities to participate in local productions as well.
Farm to fork.
Dining & Eating Locally
“There’s a tremendous amount of collaboration that happens here because of our agriculinary community. I pick up the rolls every day from Ithaca Bakery – they ask what I’m doing with them, and they give me ideas. This whole place was built on relationships.”
– Ashley Cake, The Watershed
As Local As It Gets
Ithaca Farmers Market
When you come to the Farmers Market, “you’ll get a real slice of life in Ithaca,” says Aaron Munzer, Ithaca Farmers Market manager. “It’s great people-watching and it gives you a great sense of the community that Ithaca fosters. It’s a perfect place to bring people who haven’t been to town before to really show them what Ithaca has to offer.”
Founded in 1974, the Farmers Market has grown to receive national acclaim and has recently been featured on lists like Trip Advisor’s Top 20 Markets for Foodies, American Farmland Trust’s Most Celebrated Farmers Markets, and Zagat’s 8 Must-Visit Farmers Markets around the U.S.
Dining Local
The restaurant scene in Ithaca & Tompkins county rivals that of any large Northeast city. Ithaca’s bistros, tapas restaurants, and farm-to-fork experiences blur the lines of classic and inventive. Immigrants from around the world have brought their culinary traditions here to Tompkins County – favorites include a Sri Lankan food stall at the weekly farmer’s market, a true-to-tradition Sicilian Pizza joint on State Street, and a Moroccan spot downtown specializing in mouth-watering tajine dishes. Dining in Ithaca is a gateway to exceeding your expectations and encountering incredible people. For guide to farm to table eateries, check out https://www.visitithaca.com/food-drink/farm-to-table/.
Local Produce
Whether a member of one of the over 40 local CSAs, or grocery shopping at one of America’s favorite grocery stores (or both!), Ithacans have year-round access to our region’s best. Our local co-op, Greenstar features thousands of local items each week, and America’s-favorite winner, Wegmans welcomes you through the door with produce from farms just outside of town. One of the fastest growing grocery delivery startups in the country was founded and is headquartered Tompkins county has local, specialty, and expansive grocery options with more on the way as our community grows and develops.