Watkins Glen #12722

The Story

Watkins Glen is a famous place for flowing water, high rock walls, and a spindly yet reliable trail, and it is internationally known. On both my visits there I heard multiple languages being spoken, Chinese, German, French, and more, and the park can be very crowded at times.

They have all come to see a very unique and wondrous slice of nature on a mile-long hike in one of the most scenic places in the eastern US with nineteen waterfalls along Glen Creek. The gorge here is deep, winding, and very scenic.

For the best chance to have clear shots, I made it a point to get onto the trail very early to photograph with minimal tourists on the narrow single path. But not long into mid-morning I still had to ask my companion to hold them back for a few moments at times in order to get a clear shot, such as this one.

Although there were rudimentary trails here from early on, the current highly developed trail and bridges through the Glen were built by the CCC back in the 1930’s, and we are still enjoying them ninety years later! There is much more scenery around this park in the Finger Lakes region of New York, so plan to stay, especially if you enjoy wineries, lakes, and landscapes.

Location: Watkins Glen State Park, Watkins Glen, Schuyler County, New York.