Whether you walk a mile or run the full, 16-mile round trip, the Cayuga Waterfront Trail (CWT) is a great way to experience all that Ithaca’s Cayuga Lake waterfront has to offer. Benches, scenic overlooks, interpretive signs, and trailheads with decorative paving and kiosks help make the CWT a special place to relax or exercise, all while enjoying Ithaca’s beautiful waterways.

The paved CWT is a safe and accessible eight-mile, multi-use trail connecting Stewart Park to the Allan H. Treman State Marine Park, linking many popular waterfront destinations along the way. Other stops on the trail include the Ithaca Youth Bureau, Newman Golf Course, the Ithaca Farmers Market, Cornell University and Ithaca College Boathouses, and Cass Park. The CWT also connects to the Black Diamond Trail near the Ithaca Children’s Garden, providing an additional 8-miles of rail trail along the west side of Cayuga Lake and ending at Upper Taughannock Falls State Park.

The CWT can be accessed at a variety of locations by car: Stewart Park, Cass Park, the Ithaca Farmer’s Market, and Allan H. Treman State Marine Park. By bicycle or on foot, the trail can be easily and safely accessed from the Fall Creek neighborhood where Dey and 3rd streets cross Route 13, and from the Northside neighborhood at Court and Buffalo streets.

The CWT’s six trailheads—Ithaca Youth Bureau, Stewart Park, Farmers Market, Inlet Island, Cass Park, and the Black Diamond Trail entry—have trail maps, interpretive panels, benches, bike racks, and native pollinator plantings. Other interpretive panels and overlooks have been developed at sites of scenic, natural, or historic interest including the Renwick Wildwood, Crew Cove Overlook, Southern Gateway to the Erie Canal, Bordoni Fitness Trailhead, the Cass Park Bird Garden and Kiosk, Priscilla Point, and the Inlet Overlook.

The trail is used by pedestrians, cyclists, rollerbladers, dog walkers, and people of all abilities. As you use the trail, please be courteous to other trail users. Stay right except when passing, signal audibly before passing on the left, and dismount bikes where indicated. Bicyclists and skaters should yield to pedestrians and maintain a speed that promotes the safety and comfort of pedestrians (below 10 MPH). Electric-assist wheelchairs, recreational bicycles, scooters, and skateboards are allowed on the trail but should also maintain a safe speed (below 10 MPH). Other motorized vehicles are prohibited from using the trail. Dogs are welcome on a short leash. Please clean up your dog’s waste. Mutt Mitts are provided at dog care stations in Stewart Park and Cass Park.

Winter is a great time to enjoy the waterfront trail; however, the only section that receives winter maintenance is the stretch along Cass Park. City employees do their best to clear the trail in a timely manner after every snow, so this is by far the safest section of the trail in cold weather. If you choose to enjoy the trail during the winter, be careful and have fun!

Please keep the trail clean, and contact info@friendsofstewartpark.org about any trail maintenance problems.