Watkins Glen State Park

On the first leg of our summer camping trip we decided to visit Watkins Glen State Park in New York, probably the most popular state park in the Finger Lakes region. This made a great base camp for us because it is located just south of Seneca Lake (the largest of the Finger Lakes.) Watkins Glen State Park features three trails, the Indian and South Rim trails which run along the top of the gorge on both sides and the Gorge Trail. The Gorge Trail is the most popular and understandably so as it provides the most spectacular views of the park’s sculpted rock and 19 waterfalls!

When planning a trip it is important to note that the Gorge Trail is only open from mid-May to early November. It is absolutely beautiful and not to be missed. It can get busy on the weekends so I’d recommend visiting on a weekday to avoid the heavier crowds and incidental photobombing of your gorgeous waterfall pictures. Trails are open from dawn to dusk and are much less busy early and late in the day. Since Kris wanted to take his time photographing the waterfalls, dusk worked best for us.

We had a good laugh the evening Kris was trying to take pictures. Only a handful of people were still in the park. At one point Kris has the tripod set up to take a picture of one of the waterfalls. A man passes us (the only person now that we’ve seen for at least 15 minutes) and proceeds to stop about 50 feet away from us. We wait, but he just stands there. He is looking down at his phone, so socially unaware of what he’s doing. I wonder about people who are so attached to their phones that they are clueless as to what’s going on around them. I suppose it’s possible he was talking someone through performing brain surgery, but I doubt it.

Since we were staying in a rustic cabin in the park we always entered the Gorge Trail at the south entrance since it was closest to the cabin. While we found that entrance to be most convenient for us, most people enter and exit through the main entrance. There is a shuttle bus that runs between the main and upper entrances but it costs $5/person so we avoided that. $25 seemed like a lot when we didn’t mind walking back. From the south entrance we walked the Gorge Trail towards the upper entrance. 

I read ahead of time that proper footwear is a must. While I agree with this I ended up being happy I wore my flip flops. Water puddles easily on the trail’s uneven surface. It can get slippery so use caution and keep small children close by. Next time I would wear better shoes that I didn’t mind getting wet. Then I’d change into something else at the car when we were done.

At the end of the Gorge Trail at the upper entrance you need to climb 180 steps at the section known as “Jacob’s Ladder.” The only time I was particularly thirsty was after that section of the trail. Those steps are no joke. Keep in mind that while the trails are open until dusk, the gift shops at both the upper and main entrances close at 5 p.m. We didn’t realize that and had been hoping to purchase some bottled water. It was hard to find a working drinking fountain so I recommend bringing water with you.

Rather than taking the steps back down to the Gorge Trail we walked along the Indian Trail to get back where we started. The Indian Trail is an easy way to get back to the south entrance. However, the Indian Trail doesn’t offer the beautiful views like the Gorge Trail does.

I highly recommend taking the trail map with you. It features a fairly detailed map of the trails as well as a description of the different parts of the trail. The descriptions are interesting and help to explain the climate and types of plants seen in an area. Using the trail map helps to ensure you’ve covered all portions of the Gorge Trail before leaving. Our favorite parts were the Spiral Tunnel and Cavern Cascade, one of two waterfalls the trail runs behind.

Also, while the park consists of over 800 stone steps, they are mostly concentrated at Jacob’s Ladder and Couch’s Staircase. The rest seem to be distributed pretty evenly throughout the park.  If the stairs would be hard for someone in your group, using the trail map will help you get around them. Also, avoid the steps if you were just hitting up the Seneca Wine Trail. That might not end well. 

Curious about where to stay?

We stayed in a rustic cabin within the park. The second leg of our trip was tent camping in the Adirondacks so I was happy for the cabin to mix things up a bit. The cabin ended up being great for us. While it costs a little more than a regular campsite it’s still less than what you would pay for a traditional hotel. We made our reservation through ReserveAmerica. We stayed in 125C, which is located in the Oneida Village.

The cabin featured a single and double bunk and a small counter to set things on. It is considered rustic because it doesn’t have electricity or running water. This was not a problem for us. We were using it mostly for a place to stay, and the bathhouse was close by. We just covered the mattresses with a sheet and put our sleeping bags on top. That alleviated the need for lots of linens. With the windows open we slept comfortably and were able to get restful sleep each night. We hung our camping lantern in the center of the cabin on a hook. That gave us adequate light for changing clothes and for the kids to play games/color.

There is a fire pit and picnic table outside. We never used the fire pit but enjoyed breakfast in the morning at the picnic table. For breakfast we ate light pastries and cereal that we brought with us. That combined with packed lunches helped save money to spend on other things like dinners out. The five of us enjoyed Jerlando’s Ristorante & Pizza Co. and the Village Marina Bar & Grill. That’s where we spent the $25 we saved from not taking the shuttle!

In our opinion, you only need one day to experience Watkins Glen. It’s a must-see in the Finger Lakes. The girls gave the Gorge Trail an A+ and Kris and I equally enjoyed it.

Things to remember:

• The Gorge Trail is only open from mid-May to early November.
• There are no restrooms along the trail.
• Watkins Glen does not allow dogs on the Gorge Trail.
• Bring water.
• Cost is $8/vehicle
• Gift shops close at 5 p.m., and the gift shop at the main entrance is larger.