Black Diamond Trail gets major upgrades in Trumansburg 

On July 28, New York State’s Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) announced significant upgrades and overhauls to the Black Diamond Trail near Taughannock Falls State Park in the village of Trumansburg.

The Black Diamond Trail is an 8.4-mile stone-dust path, converted from an old railroad bed, that runs along the western slope of Cayuga Lake. The trail, which stretches from Cass Park in the city of Ithaca to Taughannock Falls State Park, offers scenic views. It is popular for recreational activities such as hiking, biking and cross-country skiing.

The improvements include an enhanced bridge crossing, new restrooms and a new parking lot. All in all, the overhauls are meant to provide a more welcoming experience for people who enjoy walking, running and biking on the Black Diamond Trail, according to a OPRHP press release.

Ulysses Town Supervisor Katelin Olson told Tompkins Weekly that the overhauls will be a boon for residents and visitors alike.

“The new parking lot replaces a much smaller one that was on Jacksonville Road at the bottom of a blind hill, which helps the safety of visitors and residents in the neighborhood,” Olson said. “Having restrooms off the Black Diamond Trail will also improve the experience for users. The Black Diamond Trail is a gem, and I appreciate the continued investment by New York State Parks in Ulysses.”

The $1.4 million upgrades include a new 70-vehicle parking lot and year-round public restrooms at the trail’s northern end near the park’s iconic 215-foot waterfall, as well as rehabilitation of a historic railroad trestle that serves as the connecting bridge between the park’s north and south rim trails. The restroom building’s design aesthetic reflects a train depot, in keeping with the trail’s railroad history, according to the press release.

“Trailways like the Black Diamond Trail provide New Yorkers with an affordable and healthy option to explore their communities and enjoy the great outdoors,” New York State Parks Commissioner Pro Tempore Randy Simons said in a press statement. “These improvements make this already-popular trail even better, will benefit hikers, cyclists and skiers, and further strengthen the connection between Taughannock Falls and Ithaca and our communities.”

The 8.4-mile northern segment of the Black Diamond Trail follows the route of the former Lehigh Valley Railroad. The trail is part of the railroad’s former flagship passenger line. Known as the Black Diamond Express, this luxury passenger service ran from New York to Buffalo from 1896 until 1959.

Today, the trail connects Ithaca’s Cass Park and the Allan H. Treman State Marine Park to Taughannock Falls State Park. The Black Diamond Trail first welcomed outdoor recreation enthusiasts in 2016 and has received several upgrades and expansions since. 

The stone dust route passes through mature forests of maple, hemlock, oak and hickory to views of pastoral agricultural lands and dozens of ravines where cascading waters flow toward Cayuga Lake, according to the press release.

The project supports the state’s Get Offline, Get Outside” initiative to encourage outdoor recreation, which was launched by Gov. Kathy Hochul last year. 

The governor’s initiative is meant to promote physical and mental health by encouraging kids and families to put down their screens, take a break from social media, enjoy recreation and the outdoors and put their mental and physical health first, according to the press release. 

New York’s OPRHP oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more. It welcomes more than 88 million visitors annually.

Eddie Velazquez is a local journalist who lives in Syracuse and covers the towns of Lansing and Ulysses. Velazquez can be reached at edvel37@gmail.com.