Our adventure in Chittenango, New York was a blessing for so many reasons. My better half and I were crawling out of our skin and needed to get out of the house, but with cash at a bare minimum, some planning was necessary. Chittenango Falls in Upstate New York is 25 minutes away from our home and that is about all the gas we were willing to guzzle for any weekend fun.
We enjoyed spectacular views, a picnic, some shut-eye on a blanket, a hike, and an extraordinary experience with wild animals! All this, including beautiful blue skies for under $25.00.
We enjoyed spectacular views, a picnic, some shut-eye on a blanket, a hike, and an extraordinary experience with wild animals! All this, including beautiful blue skies for under $25.00.
The gorge and waterfall loop trail is only one mile long but there are other hiking opportunities if you choose. There are a couple videos you can watch on cnyhiking.com, which I find to be a very useful site with detailed info.
After our hike, picnic and nap, we stumbled upon The Wild Park, an up close and personal, privately-owned zoo with animals such as bobcats, black bears and bengal tigers. While we walked through the park, we watched the feeding of the tigers and a wolf seminar.
After our hike, picnic and nap, we stumbled upon The Wild Park, an up close and personal, privately-owned zoo with animals such as bobcats, black bears and bengal tigers. While we walked through the park, we watched the feeding of the tigers and a wolf seminar.
Itinerary:
Chittenango Falls State Park - hike and picnic
The Wild Park
What to bring:
Cooler with sandwiches, snacks, water
Sneakers
Sunscreen if necessary
Camera
Cost:
- Chittenango Falls State Park fee is $5.00 on weekends - or free for military members.
- Lunch sandwiches and snacks shouldn't be more than $5.00 if you are an extreme couponer and can gather up some snacks from your stock.
- The Wild Park is $9 per adult.
Options:
- Head to The Wild Park first and hit the falls at sunset for great photo ops.
- While in town, check out All Things Oz, open on Friday's and Saturday's in the Village of Chittenango. It's a fantastic tribute to L. Frank Baum and The Wizard of Oz, including a museum and store.
Chittenango Falls State Park - hike and picnic
The Wild Park
What to bring:
Cooler with sandwiches, snacks, water
Sneakers
Sunscreen if necessary
Camera
Cost:
- Chittenango Falls State Park fee is $5.00 on weekends - or free for military members.
- Lunch sandwiches and snacks shouldn't be more than $5.00 if you are an extreme couponer and can gather up some snacks from your stock.
- The Wild Park is $9 per adult.
Options:
- Head to The Wild Park first and hit the falls at sunset for great photo ops.
- While in town, check out All Things Oz, open on Friday's and Saturday's in the Village of Chittenango. It's a fantastic tribute to L. Frank Baum and The Wizard of Oz, including a museum and store.