At the end of the last great ice age, around 10,000 years ago, a mile-high glacier scraped and gouged at the soft New York soil exposing bedrock. As it retreated north, it simultaneously melted, leaving a huge amount of water. The water worked its way downhill, eventually forming what would become Chittenango Creek. The creek twisted and turned, joining with other creeks to find a set of massive granite ledges and plunged some 160 feet to the lower ground. A few thousands of years of water constantly pounding the rocks eventually eroded it a few extra feet, and its official height stands at 167 feet. Chittenango Falls State Park was officially established in the 1930s to preserve the scenic waterfall for posterity.