Watkins Glen State Park

Watkins Glen State Park in the Finger Lakes region of New York contains one of the most dramatic and accessible gorge landscapes in the eastern United States. The park's central feature is a 2-mile gorge carved by Glen Creek through layers of shale and sandstone over 12,000 years, with walls rising up to 200 feet and 19 waterfalls plunging or cascading along the route. The main Gorge Trail — approximately 1.5 miles from the south entrance to the upper parking area — follows the creek through the narrow slot canyon, passing through several tunnels blasted through solid rock by Civilian Conservation Corps workers in the 1930s and crossing the creek on stone bridges. The trail's most dramatic sections include the passage through Spiral Gorge, where the path wraps around a column of rock, and the overlook above Rainbow Falls, where the 90-foot cascade is framed by overhanging cliff faces. The falls are most powerful in spring when snowmelt and April rains fill the creek to capacity, while autumn brings falling leaves and the contrast of warm foliage above cold stone walls. The Indian Trail runs along the gorge's rim above the main trail, offering aerial perspectives looking down into the canyon. A shuttle service operates between the upper and lower parking areas in summer, allowing visitors to walk the gorge one direction and return by shuttle. The park also contains a campground with direct gorge access. Watkins Glen village at the park's south entrance is the site of the historic Watkins Glen International road racing circuit.