New York · Hiking

Campground Trail

1.0 mi
round trip
1,060 ft
climb
894 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Aug–Sep
best months

Campground Trail is a moderate hike in Buttermilk Falls State Park in New York, managed by State Park and Recreation. The trail is an out-and-back route that starts and ends at the campground, with a total round-trip distance of about 2 miles and a total elevation gain of about 1,060 feet. The one-way climb reaches a high point of about 894 feet, and the trail's low point sits at about 487 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Ithaca show July highs around 80°F with lows near 58°F, while winter brings highs in the low 30s and regular snow days from December through February. Several other trails lie close by. Owl Creek Trail is about 0.1 mile away, and Rim Trail and Bear Trail are each about 0.4 mile off. Gorge Trail is about 0.6 mile away.

  • Best time to go · Aug–Sep

    Best time to visit Campground Trail

    Best months: August–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      31° / 15°

      16 wet · 12 snow

    2. Feb

      33° / 15°

      13 wet · 10 snow

    3. Mar

      41° / 22°

      14 wet · 7 snow

    4. Apr

      54° / 33°

      14 wet · 2 snow

    5. May

      67° / 44°

      14 wet

    6. Jun

      76° / 53°

      13 wet

    7. Jul

      80° / 58°

      13 wet

    8. Aug

      79° / 56°

      12 wet

    9. Sep

      72° / 49°

      12 wet

    10. Oct

      59° / 39°

      15 wet

    11. Nov

      47° / 30°

      15 wet · 4 snow

    12. Dec

      36° / 22°

      15 wet · 9 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Ithaca Cornell Univ, NY, 3.9 mi away at 960 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Lake Treman TrailPhoto: vwcampin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lake Treman Trail

~2 min drive

Easy out-and-back hike to a scenic glacial lake in the Finger Lakes.

East TrailPhoto: Russ Nelson, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

East Trail

~2 min drive

East Trail is a 1.70-mile loop in New York with 565 ft of elevation gain.

Cayuga TrailPhoto: seabamirum, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Cayuga Trail

~10 min drive

Nearly 8-mile point-to-point trail near Cayuga Lake in New York's Finger Lakes.

Gorge TrailPhoto: vwcampin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Gorge Trail

~7 min drive

3.68-mile out-and-back hike in New York with 1,603 ft elevation gain

Finger Lakes Trail (Eastern Finger Lakes Region)Photo: javajoe6, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Finger Lakes Trail (Eastern Finger Lakes Region)

~3 min drive

0.30-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 121 ft gain and 453 ft loss.

Backbone TrailPhoto: javajoe6, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Backbone Trail

~26 min drive

11.22-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 1,127 ft elevation gain

Yellow TrailPhoto: Russ Nelson, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Yellow Trail

~10 min drive

A short point-to-point trail perfect for a quick New York hike.

Finger Lakes Trail Spur - Buttermilk FallsPhoto: javajoe6, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Finger Lakes Trail Spur - Buttermilk Falls

~3 min drive

1.97-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 325 ft gain.

Interloken TrailPhoto: Seabamirum from Ithaca, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Interloken Trail

~26 min drive

A 10.91-mile point-to-point New York trail through scenic terrain.

Abbott LoopPhoto: javajoe6, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Abbott Loop

~12 min drive

A 6.77-mile point-to-point trail through New York's natural landscapes.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors