Fall Creek
1. Etna to Forest Home
| Difficulty | II-III |
| Length | 7.9 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Fall Creek Near Ithaca Ny |
| Flow Rate as of 52 minutes | 201 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 14, 2022 |
River Description
FYI: The takout is alternatively referred to as Flat Rock, Forest Home and the Cornell Plantations. There is a large parking area on the side of Forest Home Dr.
There is an alternate put-in/take-out at the Rt. 13 bridge, 6 miles upstream from Flat Rock.
This section is generally class II. Strainers can be a major hazard and care should be taken when rounding each bend.
From Etna to Rt 13 bridge, river is generally wider and quite easy; mostly just riffles. From Rt 13 bridge to Flat Rock, the difficulty gradually increases. The channel is narrower, with larger rapids, more boulders, and a higher probability of strainers. This is also the more scenic part of the river, as much of it is down in a ravine.
Just before the Cornell Plantations the river bends to the right and there is a ledge drop. Run it right and prepare to catch the wave on river right. It is a good surf at the right levels.
The dam at Flatrock can be run down the break in the middle, but the landing is shallow.
Flatrock is the last rapid before the take-out at the Cornell Plantations parking area on Forest Home Drive. At high water there are some nice surf waves and holes, however it is pretty shallow. The water is moving pretty continuously here in the spring and a swim here could be nasty, as the rocks have sharp edges and it is very shallow.
Do not go below the Cornell Plantations take-out along Forest Home Drive unless you plan to run the dam and the rapid before Beebe Lake (class IV-V). It is all private land until you get to Beebe Lake and the owners may not be fond of boaters hauling their boats through their gardens.
Finger Lakes Area Runs
...River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportCurrently no trees down between Etna and Rt 13. From Rt 13 to Flat Rock there are a few strainers. There is one tree spanning the entire river, it is soon after the abandoned Monkey Run bridge.
Put in at Etna at 3:30 pm, finished at Japes Lodge on Bebe Lake at 5pm or so.
A few low trees, but no major hazards. Big tree still down in flood plain after sand cliffs before Freese Rd.
Freese Rd. section in Varna uncomfortably low, barely passable. Another 6 inches to a foot would have been much better for that section.
Both of us ran the first dam and flatrock. Both walked Broken Dam - the landing looked kind of sketchy to us; might be better at higher flow. One of us ran Lover's Falls twice, the second time portaging up from the bottom to the ledge below the spillover.
Ran from Etna to Freese Rd on 4/4/2010
(215 cfs, about 1.5 ft)
canoe hung up on rocks but kayak mostly fine.
Tree down across the creek requiring portage between Rt 13 bridge and Freese. Just above Freese too shallow without portage.
Ran from Etna to Freese Rd on 4/4/2010 (215 cfs, about 1.5 ft) canoe hung up on rocks but kayak mostly fine. Tree down across the creek requiring portage between Rt 13 bridge and Freese. Just above Freese too shallow without portage.