Watkins Glen, NY

Watkins Glen State Park hosts a wonderful slot canyon dropping over 700 feet through a rugged, narrow chasm and over countless falls to reach the town of Watkins Glen below. To say it's picturesque is an understatement of immense proportions! Growing up in northeast Pennsylvania, I had heard of Watkins Glen of course but mostly about the town's NASCAR racing. I had no idea it contained such a wonder of nature!

We walked the Gorge Trail from the Upper Entrance which is reached by descending a Jacobs Ladder of switchback steps down to the rivers level and then followed the flow of the water through the steep narrow chasm it has cut over the millennia. Falls, too numerous to count, delight you at each turn. Cliff walls overhang your head in sections and there are two short tunnels through the walls where the chasm is too narrow for a trail. There's even water dropping off the steep cliffs creating their own curtain in a couple of areas! There are picturesque stone bridges along the way allowing the trail to switch sides of the river and giving hikers an unrestricted view down into the depths of the river's channel.

Walking down the trail is a surreal and mesmerizing trek. The path the water has carved is often curved and twisting sometimes dropping out of sight into a particularly narrow slit. The park is very popular and this Sunday was no different. A constant stream of walkers were moving in both directions along the Gorge Trail enjoying the magnificent scenery. There are other trails available along the rim on both sides but the Gorge Trail is clearly the most scenic!

Watkins Glen is a must-see for anyone who enjoys amazing scenery!