Fairy Tale #09297

The Story

Coming back from exhibiting at an art show in Rochester NY, I stopped into Letchworth State Park to photograph this enchanting scene of a pedestrian footbridge over the Genesee River that suggested the title too. This picture shows the river flowing between high limestone cliffs and the narrow stone bridge above is made from that same limestone. Many such arched stone bridges in New York state parks are built the same way using the nearby rock, such as nearby Watkins Glen State Park.

Located in the very woodsy and sparsely populated central New York, Letchworth State Park has sometimes been called the “Grand Canyon of the East”. It’s a long, linear park following the course of the river for seventeen miles through a deep gorge and flowing over large and dramatic waterfalls. As a result, the park road has many vantage points and pull-offs to enjoy the striking scenery. There are long views aplenty of the river and the extensive high limestone cliffs from above.

The Genesee River appears green in this picture because of the reflection from the new foliage of Spring. That’s a contrast against the gray of the high cliffs. A few trees hold a precarious grip growing into the rock walls. Out of frame, the dense trees with new green leaves were all around topping this deep gorge. It was formed by river erosion into the soft, even layers of the limestone bed. Oddly enough, this is one of the few rivers that flows northward, here on the way to Rochester and the big lake there, Lake Ontario.

If the scenic Eastern woods landscape is your thing, New York State Parks certainly offer it. You shouldn’t miss scenic Letchworth State Park and the Genesee River flowing through it. It’s very rural there so come prepared, but the views are quite rewarding. There are many other water features in central New York worth your time as well.

Location: Letchworth State Park, Livingston and Wyoming counties, New York. Picture and story © Andrew Dierks