Exploring this New York state park will have you walking over, under and beside 19 waterfalls on the fairly easy gorge trail. Even on a hot day, you can stay refreshed in the gorge and shaded from the trees. This is one of my favorite parks in the Finger Lakes region. Watkins Glen is located at the bottom of Seneca Lake. It takes about 1 hour from I 90, 4.5 hours from NYC and 1.5 hours from Syracuse to reach the park.

Some key facts:

• The park is open all year, although the gorge trail is only open from May until late October
  • The north and south rim trails are open all year
• Camping season opens mid May to mid October
  • Cabins, trailer and tent camping sites available. There is also a pool in the summer months.
• There are 3 entrances
  • Main entrance is located off Franklin St, the parking lot is located near the road and it is a short walk to the visitor center and trails.
  • The South Entrance is off of route 329, this is where the campgrounds, pool, playground and picnic tables are located.
  • The North Entrance is located off 409, there is parking and picnic tables.
• There is a shuttle bus that runs between each entrance. It is $6 each way. It runs May thru October.
• Watkins Glen is a NY state park and the fee is $10 per vehicle
  • They do accept the Empire State pass here.
  • The Fee does cover the use of their Olympic size pool, located at the South Entrance.
• The State Park is located in the village of Watkins Glen.
  • There are some restaurants and grocery stores nearby along with the racetrack, Watkins Glen International.

Before heading to Watkins Glen, make sure you and your family are prepared.

With all of the beautiful waterfalls that you will be walking by, the walkway can get slippery. So wear comfortable shoes that have some grip to them. I would not recommend flip flops or anything similar. While the Gorge trail is fairly easy, there are a lot of steps going up and down. If you have someone not able to climb stairs, then sticking to the rim trails would be a better choice. While it is not a long trail, bringing water with you on a hot day would be wise.

One of the first waterfalls you will come to will be in the Cavern Cascade. During the summer months, this part can get congested especially on the weekends. So be patient and wait for the groups in front of you to go through. Then you can enjoy walking under the falls yourself.

The Gorge trail is only 1 mile long, but take your time and enjoy this magnificent place in central NY.

After walking the Gorge trail, you can walk back on one of the rim trails or take the shuttle bus back to the entrance for $6 per person. The rim trails are mostly shaded and you have a view from above as you walk back to the entrance. They are usually less crowed as well. If you packed a lunch, head to the south entrance for a great picnic spot. There is a great playground for kids and a swimming pool that is included with your entrance fee.