The camp offers a variety of accommodations on the 340 acres containing Rattlesnake Gulf.  There are ample hiking trails, ponds for swimming, boating, and fishing, and picnic areas around this picturesque area. The camp also has a Ropes Course referred to as Goliath’s Challenge which combines high and low adventure elements for team building purposes. Too much to cover in one day? Set up a tent, or book one of the modern cabins for an extended stay.

Rattlesnake Gulf is very typical of the type of glens and gorges in the Finger Lakes region. You will find towering shale stone walls sandwiched with limestone layers. However, Rattlesnake Gulf is unique in the breadth and scope of this characteristic. With a steep grade towards the Tully Valley, the creek speedily rushes downhill, and for centuries has cut a sharp ravine into the bedrock. During this time, when the water reached tougher rock layers, or extended periods of low flow, waterfalls stalled and cut deep potholes into the weaker, soluble rock below. Rattlesnake Gulf is full of these deep blue basins, colored by the minerals from the limestone that the creek passes through.

The gulf alternates between the shale and limestone layers, with the lower falls and plunge pools cutting through limestone, shaping them into multi-tiered cascades. Nearly all of the waterfalls have wonderfully deep pools below, many of which are smooth and moss-lined, affording peaceful and refreshing swimming opportunities. The glen is well-shaded with mature forests which provide respite on hot summer days.

In the recent past, Rattlesnake Gulf has suffered from landslides, which are common in the Tully Valley. The glacial till (dirt, sand, stone and clay) make-up of the valley is highly unstable, especially during and shortly after periods of high rain. Landslides are a dangerous reality here. Be careful and check the weather prior to exploring this gully.

There is also a woodland/cliff trail (Wilderness Trail) that takes you through the forest and up above the massive shale cliffs that surround the gorge. This is an easy stroll but does not provide you with any views of the waterfalls in the area.

The more recent geological history of the area is typical of the surrounding Tully Valley. During the last ice age, the edge of a giant glacier stood at Tully Valley and had built up an enormous end moraine, about 600 feet high across the valley. As the torrents of melt water flowed south, they spread quantities of gravel and sand that now make up much of the valley floor. It is the most extensive area of glacial outwash in Central New York. The ravines above the floor of the valley have gradually eroded, forming steep gorges that make up the numerous waterfalls in the area, consisting of both Tully Limestone and shale. Just south of the moraine and Rattlesnake Gulf, lies the Tully Lakes, pothole and kettle lakes formed from enormous melt-waterfalls and chunks of ice from the receding glacier.

The area has recently been known for landslides that dropped portions of the clay-based hillsides down into the valley, the biggest being in 1993. This area, as well as the whole Onondaga Creek watershed, are often disturbed by farm run off, gravel mining, and denuding of the hillside for housing developments. Just a few years ago there was a large landslide in Rattlesnake Gulf that choked off portions of the creek and formed two small lakes. This activity will no doubt continue in the future perhaps one day closing off the gully forever under rocks and sediment.

The history of the camp.
The camp was owned and operated by the Syracuse Rescue Mission from the late 1960’s to 2003. Previously known as Camp Id Ra Ha Je, which stood for I’d Rather Have Jesus, the camp was a ministry outreach to inner-city youth. The camp’s retreat center was known as the Moosewood Christian Camping Center. After 2003 the camp sat vacant for a few years and is now privately owned and is no longer connected with the Syracuse Rescue Mission. Currently, Paul and Linda Adams along with their children operate the camp which is now called Adams Eden Camp.

Authored by Matt Champlin