Oct 13

Oct 13 Hiking the Gorge Trail in Watkins Glen State Park

Dubbed New York State’s flagship park as well as the most famous park in the Finger Lakes Region, Watkins Glen is by far one of the most beautiful places you’ll visit in the state. Within the park’s ravine, you’ll find tumbling waterfalls, quiet pools, towering cliffs, and charming stone bridges. Watkins Glen is unique to me in the sense that you’re driving through an ordinary small town when all of sudden you pull into the parking lot and see this massive gorge.

Pathway to the Gorge Trail at the Main Entrance

Some brief history about the park… Before becoming a park, the Watkins Family purchased the land in 1794, and later Samual Watkins had a flour mill at the entrance to the gorge in the 1830s. Samual also established the town of Jefferson in 1842 but it was later renamed Watkins Glen in his honor.

It then opened as a scenic tourist attraction resort in the summer of 1863 by Morvalden Ells, a local newspaper owner, and the landowner. It transferred ownership over the years before the NY State Parks department in the region took control in 1924. A lot of the stonework in the park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1935 and 1941; they actually arrived just days before the Great Flood of July 1935. The flood brought eleven inches of rain in just two days and the debris ravaged the trail and changed the contour of the gorge, it also affected the village nearby.

Watkins Glen came in third for the Best State Park in the United States in 2015.

Know Before you go

Below are some of my tips for visiting Watkins Glen State Park and the Gorge trail. These tips include ideas on where to stay for your trip, the best time to visit, getting around the area, and more.

Where To Stay

State Park Campground & Cabins: The park offers about 279 campsites and 9 cabins you can stay at.
The Village of Watkins Glen has a variety of Bed & Breakfasts, hotels, rentals, and more.
I personally stayed at Taughannock Falls State Park campground when I visited because I was also exploring the Ithaca area and Robert Treman State Park - all are only about a half-hour away.

>> Related: Tips for Your First Solo Female Camping Trip <<

Important Info

The park’s entrance fee is $8 per vehicle collected from May to October (luckily your parking pass is good for the entire day at all New York State Parks). Alternatively, you could try to find other parking in the village. There is free street parking but it could be hard to find depending on when you visit the park.
The park is open year-round, but the Gorge Trail is open seasonally (closes early November to mid-May).
Pets are not allowed on the Gorge Trail but they are allowed on the Rim Trail.
The Gorge Trail is weather dependent so call the park office at 607-535-4511 before heading out if you’re unsure. The trail can also be very wet and slippery after it rains.
There are guided tours of the Gorge Trail from late June to early September.
There is a shuttle that runs on weekends during the busy season that takes visitors between the Upper Entrance and the Main Entrance. The cost is only $5.

When To Visit

Since this is an area with numerous waterfalls, the Springtime would allow you to see the falls really flowing. But in the Fall, the gorge and its waterfalls are accented by the stunning fall colors. The Summer is also a great time to visit, but the trail is closed in the Wintertime.

That all being said, any season the trail is open is a great time to visit. My main recommendation is to visit either early in the morning or late in the evening, or on weekdays, preferably in the Spring or Fall. Otherwise, the park might be a little hard to enjoy because of the large crowds.

Getting Here

The nearest airport is Rochester International, Syracuse Hancock International Airport, or Ithaca Tompkins International Airport. The best way to get around is by car but you can find Lyfts and Ubers available as well. The town of Watkins Glen itself is easily walkable when exploring.

Upper Entrance: 3310 NY-409, Watkins Glen, NY 14891
South Entrance: NY-419, Watkins Glen, NY 14891
Main Entrance/Gift Shop: 921 S Franklin St #919, Watkins Glen, NY 14891

Hiking the Gorge Trail in Watkins Glen State Park

There are three ways to enter Watkins Glen, the upper entrance (at the top of the gorge), the south entrance (located at the campground), and the main entrance (at the bottom of the gorge). All give access to the Gorge Trail, but I’d recommend starting from the main entrance. The main entrance is located in downtown Watkins Glen, and you’ll find a gift shop and the information center there as well.

>> Related: Hiking As A Solo Female: 5 Tips <<

Most of the main sites in the gorge have nameplates labeling them. Be prepared: the Gorge trail has a lot of stone staircases. While there is a lot of steps, it's not as daunting as it sounds; there are tons of places to stop and rest or to take pictures.

Funny story… I visited Watkins Glen twice on the same day and both times it stormed while I was hiking the Gorge trail. Luckily there’s plenty of spots along the trail I was able to hide under to avoid getting soaked.

Quick Facts About the Gorge Trail

Length: 1.5 miles (one way)
Difficulty: Moderate
You’ll walk up (or down) 832 steps
There are 19 waterfalls

Popular Sites Along the Trail

Starting at the main entrance on your way to the trail, you can walk through the ecology and creek path. You can learn all about the park and its geology here with infographics and pictures. The rock in the gorge is about 380 million years old; you can even see the ripples of the ancient sea that was once here along the path of the Gorge trail. Glen Creek has spent thousands of years slicing through these rocks to create the beauty you see today.

The trail takes about 1-2 hours depending on your pace and how long you stop at the scenic sights.

Entrance Tunnel and Sentry Bridge

The first thing you’ll see is the Sentry Bridge and its small waterfall. On the right of the bridge, you’ll walk through a quick, narrow tunnel with steps leading to the top of the bridge where you will start the Gorge trail. You can get a different view of the waterfall from the top of the bridge.

Couch’s Staircase

From there you’ll continue on the trail up more steps showing off stunning views of the gorge. Once you reach the top of this set of stairs, you’ll see the Couch’s Staircase on the left, which is 120 steps. Going up the stairs will lead you to the south entrance and the campground, so keep to the right to continue into the gorge.

Cavern Cascade

Keep going and you’ll come across the next big site of the gorge, the Cavern Cascade. You’ll actually get to walk behind this thin, veil-like waterfall, so depending on how much it’s flowing, be prepared to get a little wet. This is a great spot to see the ripples in the gorge rocks as well.

Spiral Tunnel and Suspension Bridge

After walking behind the cascade you’ll go through the Spiral Tunnel, which was hand cut in 1927 (the tunnel is illuminated by lights and there is a railing if needed). Once you come out of the tunnel, you’ll be able to look up and see the Suspension Bridge, which was built in 1870 and is 85 feet above the trail.

The Narrows and Glen Cathedral

Continuing on, you’ll reach the Narrows, which is a part of the trail that is hidden from sunlight making it very cold and damp. In contrast, after the Narrows, you’ll come across the wide-open area known as Glen Cathedral. This is probably the only place you’ll come across much sunlight and is a great opportunity to view the ripples in the rock from the ancient sea.

Central Cascade

At more than 60 feet tall, Central Cascade is the tallest waterfall along the trail. Atop the falls is a stone bridge that you’ll get to walk across in order to continue on. From here, you’ll start to see the small plunge pools below.

Rainbow Falls

Eventually, you’ll reach the highlight of Watkins Glen… Rainbow Falls. If you’ve ever seen a picture of this state park, I can bet this is the waterfall in the picture. This waterfall is beautiful when it has even a little bit of a flow to it, but the reason it’s so special is that on a sunny day the light can hit the falls creating a rainbow. Below the falls you’ll see a few small, smooth, and rounded plunge pools (there’s also a cute heart-shaped one as well). After walking behind Rainbow Falls (be prepared to get a little wet), you’ll enjoy more stunning views of the gorge.

Frowning Cliff

Up next is Frowning Cliff, a narrow part of the gorge that receives so little sunlight, that there’s very little vegetation and it’s very cold through late spring. Continuing from here, you’ll come across more plunge pools and small waterfalls.

Mile Point Bridge and Jacob’s Ladder

A mile into the trail you’ll reach the Mile Point Bridge (aptly named), which was constructed by the CCC after the 1935 flood. From here you can continue on to Jacob’s Ladder which is 180 steps that leads to the upper entrance.

Leaving the Gorge Trail

If you take a right at Mile Point Bridge, it will lead you to the Indian trail. You could also take a left for the South Rim trail, but I’ve heard it’s not as scenic. Due to Covid-19, the Gorge trail is a one-way trail, but normally you could just turn around and head back through the gorge. If you continue

Continuing along the Indian trail, you come across the Lover’s Lane Lookout - a poured concrete lookout that is all that remains from the old trail before the 1935 flood. When you reach the Suspension Bridge, you have two options: walk across it and head to the Lily Pond and the south entrance, or continue past the bridge on the trail. There’s a few scenic viewpoints along this trail, including Point Lookout, before heading down the stairs back to the main entrance.

Nearby PLaces to Explore

If you’re looking for similar views but fewer crowds, consider heading over to Robert H. Treman State Park near Ithaca.

Save For Later Trip Planning

Dubbed New York State’s flagship park as well as the most famous park in the Finger Lakes Region, Watkins Glen is by far one of the most beautiful places you’ll visit in the state. | Upstate New York | Watkins Glen | New York State Parks | Watkins G

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Oct 13 Hiking the Gorge Trail in Watkins Glen State Park