The Open Space Institute has purchased four acres beside Buttermilk Falls State Park for $1.3 million, preserving land that could support a new trailhead, more parking and housing for park service members.
The property lies between the existing park entrance and Route 13 in Tompkins County. It will remain closed to the public while OSI owns it, the conservation organization said in its October 29 announcement.
OSI bought the land from the Margaret M. Rumsey Trust and intends to transfer it to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation as an addition to the Ithaca-area park. The announcement does not give a transfer or construction date.
A possible gateway to a wider trail network
The acquisition creates an opportunity to reconfigure parking, improve traffic circulation and signs, and establish a trailhead connecting visitors with the region's growing parks and trails network, according to OSI.
Buttermilk Falls State Park encompasses more than 800 acres and attracts nearly 400,000 visitors annually, the organization said. Its attractions include waterfalls, gorge trails, a swimming area, picnic grounds, woodlands and open space.
The park is an anchor in long-term plans for multiuse trails and public transportation. Those plans include the developing Black Diamond Trail expansion, which is intended ultimately to connect Taughannock Falls State Park, Allan H. Treman State Marine Park, Buttermilk Falls State Park and Robert H. Treman State Park.
More than eight miles of rail trail have already been built by state and local partners, with additional connections underway, OSI said. The newly purchased parcel preserves an opportunity to connect with that wider network while easing congestion and improving traffic flow during busy periods.
OSI President and CEO Erik Kulleseid said the purchase creates possibilities for improvements that would help visitors connect with nature. State Parks Executive Deputy Commissioner Tom Alworth described the future park addition as a way to improve access and protect the environment.
The parking and trailhead changes remain proposed future uses, rather than facilities that are now open.
Former bed-and-breakfast could house service members
The property includes a former bed-and-breakfast that could eventually house AmeriCorps members serving Buttermilk Falls and other Finger Lakes parks.
OSI will maintain the property's buildings during its ownership and work with State Parks to assess future needs, according to the announcement.
Dave Rumsey, speaking for the family trust, said the Federal-style brick house was built around 1825 and was part of a larger farm that included Buttermilk Creek and its gorge.
He traced the property's connection to the park to Hugh Rumsey and Robert Treman's division of the land. Treman and his wife later gave the gorge and surrounding hillside to the state, creating Buttermilk Falls State Park in 1924, according to the family's account.
Margaret Rumsey converted the brick home into Buttermilk Falls B&B in 1983 and operated it until a few years before her death in 2021. The family said it welcomed the homestead's transition toward a future park use.
State Parks has identified conserving the parcel as a high priority for the Finger Lakes region, OSI said. Public access to the acquired property will remain closed during the organization's ownership.
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