National Parks With T

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New England Road Trip 2024➤

My friend Patty and I hit the road again in October 2024. Our route took us through Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and upstate New York. Along the way we hit several National Park Service Units and historic sites. On the last day, we spent the afternoon exploring Watkins Glen State Park.

Watkins Glen State Park➤

On the southern tip of Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes, Watkins Glen State Park is famous for its dramatic gorge and numerous waterfalls. Glen Creek has carved a narrow canyon through layers of shale and sandstone, creating steep cliffs, stone stairways, and scenic overlooks. The park opened in 1863 as a private tourist attraction and later became part of the New York State Parks system. Today it is one of the most popular parks in New York.

Even before entering the gorge, we could hear the rushing water echoing off the rock walls. The park has several trails, but the most famous—and the one we came to see—is the Gorge Trail. This path winds through the heart of the canyon, passing many of the park’s best-known waterfalls and viewpoints.

Gorge Trail➤

We started up the Gorge Trail and quickly found ourselves surrounded by towering rock walls and cascading water. The trail follows the creek through the narrow gorge, climbing stone steps and crossing a series of arched bridges that span the rushing stream below. In many places the path is built directly into the cliff, giving hikers an up-close view of the waterfalls.

One of the most memorable sections of the hike passes behind the park’s tallest waterfall, Rainbow Falls. The trail curves through a tunnel carved in the rock before emerging beside the falls, where mist fills the air and water pours dramatically into the gorge below. As we continued along the trail, nearly every turn revealed another waterfall, bridge, or dramatic rock formation, making it easy to see why this is one of the most photographed spots in the Finger Lakes.

New England Posts➤

Location: 1009 N Franklin St, Watkins Glen, New York
Designation: State Park
Date designated/established: December 27, 1906
Date of my visit: October 5, 2024