Trekking Up the Stairs of Watkins Glen State Park
New York State, September 2022
The state of New York is absolutely gorgeous. There are waterfalls everywhere, especially in the Finger Lakes Region. Trekking up the magnificent gorge at Watkins Glen State Park is a destination you don’t want to miss.
We were staying close to the Finger Lakes Region and this state park is located at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. Seneca Lake is one of the larger of the eleven total lakes in the area. The state park begins in the village of Watkins Glen at the bottom of the gorge.
Cut out by glaciers in the Ice Age, Glen Creek now travels down the 400-foot deep gorge. Climbing up the staircase gives views of cascading waterfalls, and pools and potholes of clear water. The stairs were carved into the gorge itself as you can see in the photo below.
The trail up the gorge is about one mile long, and consists of 832 total steps, and 19 waterfalls. And I did it all. I was so proud of myself. Of course, we stopped at each waterfall and took pictures and rested a bit.
Each waterfall was gorgeous. Some people were going up and others were coming down the stairs. There are other trails on each side of the gorge with parking at the bottom in Watkins Glen, or parking at the top.
Some waterfalls are tall and some are short as the river finds its way down the steep gorge. There are several bridges that cross back and forth as you work your way up or down the gorge trail.
Waterfalls are fascinating, and most people are mesmerized by them. I can watch them for hours and never grow tired of it. Wherever we travel we will seek out waterfalls. The hike is always worth it when I see the view.
As Rainbow Falls splashed over the side of the gorge onto the rocky edges below, we definitely got a little wet. And be careful here, the steps can get slippery. Rich was a bit worried I would fall off the edge in a few places.
Watkins Glen State Park is one of the most famous parks in the state of New York because of the sheer beauty of the gorge. The stream of water descends over 400 feet from the top of the gorge to the bottom. Whether you start at the top of the gorge and go down, or vice versa, don’t miss this gorgeous park.
I enjoyed going up the gorge first so that the waterfalls were always ahead of me and I could see them better. If we would have went down first, it seems I would always be turning around to see the waterfalls behind me.
At the top of the gorge, we finally reached the mile point bridge. From that point, you can walk just another half mile through the woods to the upper parking lot and catch a trolley that will take you down, or you can walk a trail along the gorge all the way back down.
We opted to walk the trail back down the side of the gorge. It was a beautiful walk through the woods, more relaxing than climbing stairs, and we even found an old cemetery.
On the drive back home we stopped and saw Hector Falls which is right along the roadside. We just parked the car and got out to take some photos.
The waterfalls in the state of New York are absolutely gorgeous. Thanks for reading about one of our adventures traveling around America.
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