Things to Do in Ithaca in March
March weather, activities, events & insider tips
March Weather in Ithaca
Is March Right for You?
Advantages
- Shoulder season pricing kicks in hard - you'll find hotel rates 30-40% lower than peak summer months, and major attractions like the gorges are genuinely quiet on weekdays. No reservations needed for most restaurants.
- The gorges and waterfalls are spectacular right now. Snowmelt from higher elevations means Taughannock Falls and Ithaca Falls are running at their most dramatic volumes, sometimes 3-4 times their summer flow. The roar is legitimately impressive.
- Maple season is happening - local sugarhouses are in full production mode. You can watch actual syrup-making at places along Route 13 and Route 96, and the pancake breakfasts at various farms are a genuine local tradition, not a tourist show.
- Cornell and Ithaca College are in session, which means the food scene, coffee shops, and evening venues are fully operational. The town has actual energy compared to the somewhat dead summer months when students leave. Live music venues are booking solid acts.
Considerations
- The weather is genuinely unpredictable - you might get a 15°C (59°F) sunny day perfect for hiking, or a -5°C (23°F) morning with freezing rain. I've seen both in the same week. Pack for all scenarios or you'll be buying emergency layers at the outdoor shops on the Commons.
- Mud season is real. Trail conditions at the gorges can be legitimately treacherous - a mix of ice patches, mud, and running water. Several trails get officially closed by the parks department when conditions are unsafe. Stone Steps Trail at Taughannock is often roped off until April.
- This is still winter in the Finger Lakes - vineyard tours are limited, many seasonal farm stands haven't opened yet, and lake activities are mostly off the table. If you're coming specifically for wine country experiences, you'll find reduced hours and fewer tastings available.
Best Activities in March
Gorge Waterfall Viewing
March is actually peak waterfall season here, which surprises most visitors. Snowmelt from the higher elevations around Cayuga Lake means the falls are running at 300-400% of their summer volume. Taughannock Falls, normally impressive, becomes legitimately thunderous - you can feel the spray from 30 m (100 ft) away on the rim trail. The base trails might be closed due to ice, but the rim trails offer spectacular views. Early morning visits around 8-9am give you the best light for photography, and you'll likely have the place to yourself on weekdays. The cold means fewer crowds but also means those stone steps can be treacherous - microspikes or good traction boots are non-negotiable.
Finger Lakes Distillery Tours
While vineyard tours are limited in March, the craft distillery scene is actually ideal to visit now. Tasting rooms are heated, uncrowded, and the distillers themselves are often behind the bar with time to talk about their process. The Finger Lakes Distilling Company and others are producing brandy from last fall's grape harvest, and you can taste through their full lineup without the summer crowds. The drive along Seneca Lake is stark and beautiful in March - bare vines against gray water - and you'll get genuine attention from staff rather than being rushed through. Tours typically run 45-60 minutes with tastings.
Cornell Campus Architecture Walks
Cornell's campus is genuinely spectacular in late winter - the Gothic and Beaux-Arts buildings against bare trees and occasional snow create dramatic views you don't get in leafy summer. The suspension bridge over Fall Creek Gorge is iconic but can be genuinely unnerving in high winds, which are common in March. The campus is fully active with students, so you get the real university atmosphere. The Johnson Museum of Art is free and offers floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Cayuga Lake - worth 90 minutes even if you're not typically a museum person. Campus is about 3 km (1.9 miles) across, so expect substantial walking.
Ithaca Commons Food and Coffee Culture
The pedestrian Commons downtown is the actual heart of Ithaca, and March is when you see how locals really live here - bundled up, clutching coffee, ducking between bookshops and cafes. The food scene is legitimately excellent and fully operational because students are in town. This is a college town that takes its coffee seriously - you'll find third-wave roasters and cafes that rival anything in Brooklyn. The weekend farmers market moves indoors to a heated pavilion and focuses on preserved goods, maple products, and greenhouse vegetables. Plan to spend 3-4 hours wandering, eating, and warming up in shops.
Maple Sugarhouse Visits
March is peak maple sugaring season in the Finger Lakes - this is the real deal, not a demonstration. When daytime temps hit 4-7°C (40-45°F) and nights drop below freezing, the sap runs and sugarhouses fire up their evaporators. You can watch the entire process from tapping to boiling, and the steam-filled sugarhouses are wonderfully warm after being outside. Several farms along Route 13 north of Ithaca and Route 96 toward Trumansburg offer weekend pancake breakfasts with fresh syrup - these are community events where you'll sit with locals, not tourist attractions. The syrup you buy here is noticeably better than anything in stores.
Indoor Rock Climbing
When outdoor conditions are unreliable, Ithaca's climbing gym scene is where the outdoor enthusiasts actually spend March. The climbing community here is serious - these aren't casual hotel gyms but full facilities with routes set by people who climb the local gorges in summer. It's a good way to meet locals and get recommendations for April-May outdoor climbing spots. Sessions typically run 2-3 hours, and the gyms offer equipment rental and brief orientations for first-timers. The energy is friendly and unpretentious, very much in keeping with Ithaca's vibe.
March Events & Festivals
Maple Syrup Festivals
Various farms and sugarhouses around Tompkins County host maple weekends throughout March - these aren't coordinated events but rather individual farm open houses. You'll find pancake breakfasts, sugarhouse tours, and fresh syrup sales. This is genuinely when locals stock up on syrup for the year, so you're experiencing an actual agricultural tradition rather than a staged tourist event.