Three Falls State Park
| Three Falls State Park | |
|---|---|
Waterfront along Cayuga Lake | |
Location of Three Falls State Park within New York State | |
| Type | State park |
| Nearest city | Ithaca, New York |
| Coordinates | 42°33′25″N 76°37′30″W / 42.557°N 76.625°W |
| Area | 90 acres (0.36 km2) |
| Created | 2026 |
| Operator | New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation |
Three Falls State Park is a 90-acre (0.36 km2) New York state park that opened in 2026. It contains three waterfalls and approximately .5 miles (0.80 km) of shoreline on Cayuga Lake.
In the 19th century, the land, centered around Frog Point (later known as Frontenac Point), was the site of a ferry across the lake and a trading community. In the 1920s, the land was purchased by the Baden-Powell Council of the Boy Scouts of America, who operated it as Camp Barton from 1928 to the 21st century. The council sold the camp to the state in 2025 to fund settlements over sex abuse cases filed against the BSA.
Geography
The park contains three waterfalls that are formed by Trumansburg Creek, including the 128-foot (39 m) Frontenac Falls, and approximately .5 miles (0.80 km) of shoreline on Cayuga Lake.[1][2] It is north of Taughannock Falls State Park, and near the towns of Trumansburg, Covert, and Ulysses.[3]
History
Frog Point (also known as Port Deposit and Trumansburg Landing) was the landing site of a ferry that went across Cayuga Lake to Lansing as early as 1829. During that century, Frog Point grew into a small community centered around trading. A hotel was built on the site c. 1870.[4][5][6] In 1887, new proprietors changed the hotel's name to Hotel Frontenac, and the point became known as Frontenac Point.[6] The community declined towards the end of the century after expansion of the Lehigh Valley Railroad rendered steamboat traffic across the lake obsolete, and in the 1920s the area was purchased for usage by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).[4][5]
Camp Barton
Camp Barton was opened in 1922 by a local council of the BSA at Taughannock Point on Cayuga Lake. It was named after Frank Barton, a colonel in the US military who worked at nearby Cornell University. After several years New York state took over this land to form Taughannock Falls State Park, forcing the BSA to move the camp.[7] By 1927, the camp moved to Frontenac Point,[5][8] and within a few years the council had built a council ring and dining hall and converted the old hotel building into their headquarters.[9][5] The camp was active into the 21st century. By then, the tract was 129.8 acres (52.5 ha) and owned by the Baden-Powell Council.[10]
As early as 2002, the Baden-Powell Council was considering selling the camp, which was still in use by local scouts, to address financial difficulties.[11] Instead, in 2003 they opted to open the camp to reservation by non-scouting parties, and non-local scouts. In 2007 The Ithaca Journal reported that the camp was thriving.[12]
During the COVID-19 pandemic the camp saw declines in enrollment.[13]
Sale
The council was forced to place Camp Barton for sale in 2021 to fund settlements over sex abuse cases filed against the BSA.[10][14] In 2022, 40 acres (16 ha) of the camp were sold to a family. As early as January 2023, New York state entered into discussions with the Baden-Powell Council to buy the rest of the camp.[15] The purchase was finalized two years later, and the state purchased 90 acres (36 ha) of the land for $5 million.[16]
The land was dedicated as Three Falls State Park on March 9, 2026. It is run by New York state in partnership with a local development corporation, which is in turn managed by the local towns of Trumansburg, Covert, and Ulysses.[1] Upon the park's dedication, the state announced plans for future development of the land, which it estimated could take up to 15 years.[14]
References
- ^ a b Rovenolt, Mikayla (March 18, 2026). "Former Camp Barton Named Three Falls State Park". Ithaca Times. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ^ Smith, Jeff (March 9, 2026). "Finger Lakes has a new state park named for signature waterfalls. What to know". The Ithaca Journal. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ^ "New Parkland on Cayuga Lake to be Named Three Falls State Park - NYS Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation". parks.ny.gov. March 9, 2026. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ^ a b Northrup, Esther; Dean, Nancy (2004). "Town of Ulysses". In Kammen, Carol (ed.). Place Names of Tompkins County (PDF). Office of the Tompkins County Historian. pp. 107–108.
- ^ a b c d "Old Hotel at Frontenac Point Preserved by Boy Scouts". The Ithaca Journal. July 24, 1945. p. 5. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- ^ a b Sisler, Carol U. (May 17, 2003). "Scout camp once scene of trading". The Ithaca Journal. p. 15. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- ^ "History of Camp Barton Long and Enviable Record In the Service of Boyhood". The Ithaca Journal. July 8, 1929. p. 8. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ^ "New Camping Site Proves Very Popular". The Ithaca Journal. June 2, 1928. p. 8. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ^ "Camp Barton Depends Upon Fund Payment". The Ithaca Journal. April 2, 1931. p. 5. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- ^ a b Steecker, Matt (September 19, 2021). "Boy Scouts to hold vote on selling Camp Barton". Press and Sun-Bulletin. pp. A2. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ^ Scott, Rion A. (October 21, 2002). "Proposed sale of camp splits Scout leaders". Press and Sun-Bulletin. p. 7. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ^ Levine, Sam (August 14, 2007). "Boy Scout camp opens up". The Ithaca Journal. pp. 1B, 2B. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ^ Cole, Krystal (April 29, 2026). "Scouts sell summer camp to New York to create state park". Spectrum News. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ^ a b Figueroa, Fernando (March 16, 2026). "State unveils plans for new park on Cayuga Lake". The Ithaca Voice. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ^ Shaw, David L. (November 8, 2023). "Sale of Boy Scout Camp Barton to state moving forward". The Finger Lakes Times.
- ^ Vogel, Maddy (December 9, 2024). "Waterfront Property on Cayuga Lake, Formerly Camp Barton, Sold to NYS Parks for $5 Million". Ithaca Times. Retrieved May 29, 2026.