Students and community members can now enjoy all the official trails through Fall Creek Gorge, as phase one of the restoration project there has been completed.

Since May 2012, approximately 2,200 feet of trails and staircases have been renovated, with 2,700 feet of new railings and fences installed on trails between the Stewart and Thurston Avenue bridges. These include the rim trail that runs on the south side of the gorge downstream of the suspension bridge, the historic stone staircase that leads to the base of the gorge just below the suspension bridge and, on the north side of the gorge, a trail below Risley Hall.

The renovations are part of Cornell's multipronged approach to enhance the safety of Fall Creek and Cascadilla gorges and follow recommendations outlined in a report by the Gorge Safety Steering Group that President David Skorton accepted in December 2011.

The wooden railings have been replaced with less obtrusive black post and chain railings, and at points where safety fencing is needed, it has been positioned, as much as possible, below the natural eyeline. "We have tried to meet the goals of safety, access and ease of use, and appreciation of the natural beauty of the gorges," said Todd Bittner, director of natural areas for Cornell Plantations.

The trails themselves have been widened, graded and, as needed, supported with retaining structures, while the masonry in the nearly 100-year-old stone staircase was also repaired. In the process, Bittner said, utility lines were laid under the trails for the planned installation of two new Blue Lights, improved overhead trail lighting, and cameras on adjacent bridges supporting the means restriction project. The renovation also included the removal of hazardous trees, habitat restoration with native saplings, and erosion prevention.

Funding has been obtained from the university to create or improve four "destination points" next year, where people can relax and enjoy the gorge: one directly across from the Johnson Museum, affording good views of Cayuga Lake; one at the base of the historic staircase for enjoying views of horseshoe falls; a third east of the Foundry; and the fourth at the bottom of the gorge below Risley Hall.

New signs delineating the hazards of the gorges and the rules to follow while enjoying them have also been installed. At all primary entrances, maps of the area show permitted hiking trails, while a QR code connects smartphones to the Plantations trails page, allowing hikers to use their GPS devices to enhance their hiking experience and showing how the Fall Creek trails intersect with other Plantations trails.