Watkins Glen State Park

My mom used to take my sister and I and our friends to many of the waterfalls and gorges in the Finger Lakes region when we were little, but we have never been to the Watkins Glen State Park before. My mom told me the last time that she went there was when she was a teenager in the 1960’s. Things have changed quite a bit since then. She said you used to be able to picnic anywhere, now there is a small designated picnic area at the South entrance. My mom and her friends also used to swim in the natural pools in the park. Swimming is now prohibited since people have died from the strong undercurrents in the pools.

The park really is beautiful. The pathways, stairs, and bridges are made from natural rocks, so they blend in perfectly with the natural surroundings. There is a lot of climbing, so I definitely got my workout that day. :) It was well worth the hike though, as the scenery seemed to get more beautiful the farther out you went. My mom was telling me that her favorite part of the park as a girl was the path where you could walk under the waterfall. We were hoping that was still a part of the park, and happily, it was. My mom was so happy that it still was there. She went up to the falls and put her arms out to catch the water, and had me take two pictures of her doing it. She was so excited, it was so cute. :)

After we got to the path under the waterfall, we turned back, since we thought we had a lot of climbing to do since most of the way there was downhill. However, we took a path called Lover’s Lane that was much shorter and didn’t have nearly as many stairs, so the way back turned out to be easier than the way in.

My parents used to bring me camping in or near this park when
I was a kid in the 1970’s. Some of my earliest memories are of this place. We used to camp with a big group of friends.

I spent 5 hours in the park with my 4×5 Field camera – even thought the trail is not very long it’s easy to spend all day there.

For me this place is the most beautifull, sacred place I have ever been. Each hike reveals something new, yet I have traced my way through the trail so many times that it is as familiar as my own home.
One of the most beautiful and memorable hikes was also the most challenging. We had started out later than we had planned and the sun set before we could make our way back to the mouth of the trail. Only a sliver of moon to light our way, the descent became a profound and intimate journey. The trail could not be negotiated by sight alone, so all my other senses went on high alert. The sound of rushing water echoing off the stone cliffs (devoid of tourist’s chatter) was like a primal lullaby, the scent of damp earth and ferns perfumed the night as I hugged the rough stone walls. I knew I should get to the entrance before the gate was locked for the night, but it was such a rare gift to experience the gorge at night that I didn’t want my walk to end.

The gorge trail, with over 800 stone steps, follows the gorge, going over and under waterfalls, thru short tunnels.