Western Hills

Ithaca is surrounded by amazing biking country in all four cardinal directions. Although the Eastern side tends to be more popular with cyclists, the West is just as spectacular.

Overview

The route becomes tough right from the beginning. You start off by climbing all the way to the top of West Hill, one of the hardest climbs around Ithaca. The whole climb is often referred to as Elm, even though only the first part is actually on Elm St. The hill may not be as steep as many others, but it is unusually long for an Ithacan hill, almost four miles. Mentally prepare yourself for a couple false summits near the end.

You’ll already start to descent shortly after you reach the top. While going down, you’ll see an ominous and frightening view of the next hill ahead, Harvey Hill. Harvey Hill is not quite as bad as it looks on the descent, but it is still pretty tough!

After all that climbing in just the first nine miles, the next part of the route fortunately covers more rolling terrain. The route soon passes by Cayuta Lake, a small lake that is generally not considered to be one of the Finger Lakes. You won’t actually see the lake unless you turn onto a gravel road labeled Cayuta Lake Fishing Access Site. This is a nice place to take a break and enjoy the view of the water.

The next hill is Hosenfeld Rd, a gravel climb. The gravel is soft and doable on a ride bike. Hosenfeld may not be as difficult as Elm or Harvey Hill, but after having already done so much climbing, it will definitely sting. While climbing, don’t forget to look around and enjoy the gorgeous views. Near the top, you can even see Cayuta Lake below in the distance.

The next part of the route goes along pleasant gravel roads, all doable by road bike. If you generally prefer staying on asphalt, you can alternatively go straight on Newtown Rd instead of turning onto Bergen Rd to limit the amount of time spent on gravel.

The landscape surrounding the remaining part of the route is somewhat different from what came before. Whereas the first part was very hilly, the second part is flatter and closely resembles Lansing. The last stretch on the route is along the Black Diamond Trail, a rail trail stretching from Cass Park all the way to Taughannock Falls State Park which will take you straight back to the Ithaca Children's Garden.

Traffic

The further you go from Ithaca, the less cars you'll see. Elm St and Perry City Rd are a little busy, but the other roads rarely see any traffic.

Scenery

The beginning of the route passes through beautiful hills and valleys surrounded by expansive views. The second part is flatter and slightly less unique.

Starting point

Please note that the starting point for this ride is not East Hill Plaza. Instead, you can park at the Ithaca Children's Garden.