Watkins Glen State Park: First Time Visitor Guide
Watkins Glen State Park is not only one of the most iconic places to visit in Finger Lakes New York, but it also a place whose beauty is frequently seen on social media and I can tell you from personal experience that it is even more amazing when you visit this place in person which is why I wrote this post to guide you on your first visit here.
Quick info:
- Name: Watkins Glen State Park
- Location: Finger Lakes NY
- Family friendly place? Yes!
- Hike distance: 2 miles in and out
- Cost to enter: $5 parking fee
- Visitor ratings: 5 out of 5
Background:
Watkins Glen State Park is probably one of the most popular parks in the whole NY state. It is a mile long gorge which has over 15 waterfalls, tunnels and views that you won’t see in any other park/place in the state. There are 3 access points into the park:
- Eastern end parking lot (best for most visitors)
- Southern access parking lot through the Watkins Glen Campground ($15 parking fee)
- Western end parking lot to Jacob’s Ladder (picnic area, some amneties, but least accessed point in the park)
My recommendation is to go through the eastern end for your first visit as you will be able to see the park from beginning to end this way. There is also a convenience stand, bathrooms and more amenities near this area to access.
Things to know:
- There’s 2 main trails in Watkins Glen State Park: The Gorge trail (best views) and the Rim Trail which takes you over Watkins Glen. It’s recommend to start on the Gorge Trail to go up, then take the Rim Trail back down.
- The Gorge trail is usually closed between late October through late May due to ice on the trail (check status).
- The Gorge trail is accessible for most people and kids and there are over 800 steps to walk on there (not handicap accessible).
- The most popular waterfall in the park is known as Rainbow Falls which is a cascading waterfall over a tunnel you walk underneath.
- There is a “secret waterfall” located further west of the Gorge Trail which is only accessible through the western end of the park (details below).
- Swimming in the main Watkins Glen State Park area is NOT allowed.
Photos:
Best times to go:
I would only recommend going to Watkins Glen State Park when the Gorge trail is open. The Rim trail comes nowhere near to the beauty you’ll see in the Gorge trail which is why you really have 3 seasons to consider:
- Spring time (May-June): This is when the Gorge trail opens up and has a lot of moss and green in the area.
- Summer time (July-September): This is when the park is most crowded and also when it’s most hot in Finger Lakes. However the good news is that the Gorge trail is very chilly due to the closed environment of the canyon you’re in.
- Fall time (October): If you want to see fall foliage in Watkins Glen State Park, my recommendation would be to arrive in mid October or later (right before the Gorge trail closes basically). This is when you’re most likely to capture peak fall foliage views in the park.
About crowds: Watkins Glen State Park is usually very crowded on weekends between Spring and Summer, so your best bet to avoid them is to go to the park very early. However this is one of those rare cases where you’ll rarely find few crowds in the park due to it’s popularity.
Insider tips: Finding the hidden waterfall!
Once the Gorge trail ends, there is actually another “add on” trail that continues and it is part of the Watkins Glen area. The best places to access it are from the campground or the western end of the park entrances. However to get to this trail and the hidden waterfall requires a more classic hike that is not for everyone but it does lead to another amazing waterfall with less crowds. I’ve created a map above (with an X) to show you where it is:
I have personally explored the Watkins Glen swimming hole and think it is incredible! It makes for an awesome add on hike after you explore Watkins Glen. I’ve also seen people swimming in the area there but don’t know if it’s allowed or not. Here is a photo of it:
Things to do nearby:
Watkins Glen State Park is one of many incredible gems of places you can explore in the area. While this is my favorite spot, the bottom line is that Finger Lakes NY as a whole has tons to see and do and there’s even places/parks that also look a bit like Watkins Glen too. Here is a list of my personal recommendations:
- Robert H Treman State Park is another Watkins Glen look alike which is 30 minutes away.
- Buttermilk Fall State Park is very similar in views to Watkins Glen too and it has it’s own Gorge trail too.
- Taughannock Falls State Park is also worth exploring in my opinion as it has hikes and a giant waterfall.
- Seneca Lake and the town of Watkins Glen are also worth exploring and staying at (great for multiday trips).
- If you have time, visit Ithaca which is a large town with many waterfalls in the area and it’s also a great place to stay at.
My last recommendation is to visit this entire area for a few days. While Watkins Glen State Park is in my opinion the best thing to explore in the area, making your trip there a weekend or multiday trip so you can see the other places will make for an even better experience and you may even find some of the spots I recommended are even better for you.
There are soon many waterfalls in the fingerlakes, you could spend weeks here! Not too far away is also Letchworth Falls, and the of course, Niagara Falls on the Canadian border. Go to the east and explore the Adirondack mountains. Everyone thinks of NYC, but the rest of the state is fabulous for nature lovers!!!
Yeah most people who I show photos of that are from New York can’t believe that those areas (the ones I talk about and that you mentioned) exist in this state, and I completely agree with you too Cathy.
i’m glad you shared this. The epic scenery can pass for a movie location! The good thing is that it doesn’t look dangerous to trek, as what you have also mentioned.
I never knew that New York has a hidden paradise that is accessible and has a lot of accommodation option for families who wish to stay a bit longer or has little kids and pets to trek with. Exploring places should not be expensive but meaningful and I Glen State Park is a good example. Thanks for sharing!
New York State in general has spots like this if you know where to look and in this case, Watkins Glen is within the Finger Lakes area of New York, where areas like this are close by to one another. I included a link of the region and what else there is to see there, but yes, Watkins Glen is my favorite so far and it is safe to walk there for the most part.
Vitaliy, you are 100% right, this looks like an epic place to check out. Great photos, btw.
My fiancée and I are full-time RV Lifers, and even though we aren’t mobile yet, within the next year we hope to start our journey out into the US. We are constantly looking for cool places to add to our list of potential travel destinations, and it looks like The Nature Seeker just helped us to lock in a good one. Neither of us had ever even heard of Watkins Glen, but it’s going on the map of our other places now.
I’m curious, do you know if there are any good RV parks near the area?
Thank you for the informative article Vitaliy, we definitely appreciate it. I can tell you seriously enjoyed your time there, it shows through in your writing and the excellent photos you captured. I hope we will enjoy it just as much!
I wish you great success, and I hope you have an excellent day!
Bobby
Hi Bobby, thanks for the kind words. There’s actually a bunch of camping sites around all 5 areas in Finger Lakes, where Watkins Glen is. I do believe a lot of them contain RV spots as well. I’ll be doing a post on this soon, but a simple Google search shows these spots in the area.
Glad you added Watkins Glen to your list, and I would suggest exploring the greater Finger Lakes region because there’s much more to see besides this spot (which is still stunning on it’s own).