Letchworth State Park – New York

Have you had a chance to see some pretty fall leaves before autumn comes to an end? It’s definitely something I think about this time every year. I’ve totally turned into my mom. I can recall her driving my sisters and I down this one particular street to our elementary school saying, “Guys, look at all the pretty leaves!” Oh my gosh, this is me now. So when the weather starts getting cooler and pumpkin spice everything hits the stores, I want to drive to see leaves. Sometimes it’s just a drive close to the house. Sometimes we go for a longer trip. Letchworth State Park in New York state would make a great place to do this! In fact, I bet it’s beautiful all year long.

This summer we went to the Finger Lakes region of New York and stopped at Letchworth State Park. It costs $10/vehicle to enter the park. We entered the park from the north end at the Mount Morris entrance and drove to the southern end of the park. Most of the park’s attractions are located on the southern end. While driving we kept commenting on how well-maintained the park is. There are lots of beautiful picnic spots. I mean lots! It’s no surprise this park was rated the #1 state park in the United States by USA Today readers in 2015.

Letchworth State Park is known as “the Grand Canyon of the East.” The main feature of this park are the three waterfalls. The Genessee River goes over three waterfalls on it’s way through the gorge. They are the lower, middle and upper falls.  In our opinion the middle falls were the prettiest and easiest to photograph. The middle falls are impressive and the largest of the three falls. You can see them by taking a short walk along a paved trail. Also, you can get some very nice, distant views of the Middle Falls from Inspiration Point.

It requires more exercise to get a good view of the lower falls. From the parking lot we walked past the Lower Falls Restaurant & Lounge and made our way towards the trail.

The trail will come to a point where you can go left down some stairs or to the right for an easier view. We chose to take the steps. The trail is going to split again at the bottom of the steps. We did not take the path to the left, but I understand it leads to an area with nice distant views of the falls. We opted to take the trail to the right. It ended in an area where there are no fences. This area can get wet and slippery but offers a great view of the lower falls. Since there are no fences in that area you need to use extra caution with very young children.

Currently the trail leading towards the upper falls in closed due to construction so we weren’t able to get a great view. Please note that the Portageville entrance to the park is expected to be closed until September 2018 as construction is being done on the Norfolk Southern High Bridge. As a result, a few trails are closed.

So if you’re looking for an easy half-day adventure in the Finger Lakes, a trip to Letchworth to see the falls would be a perfect trip. While we chose to pack a lunch that day there is a Lower Falls Restaurant and four snack bars within the park. Letchworth is a “Carry In-Carry Out” park. There are no trash receptacles in the picnic or day use areas. You’ll need to take trash with you and dispose of it outside the park.

While we are avid hikers we chose not to take advantage of the numerous hiking trails throughout the park. Instead our focus was on seeing the falls since we hadn’t left ourselves much time to explore the park. We merely scratched the surface of what this beautiful park has to offer. If hiking is your thing you probably want to give yourself at least an extra day. The park has over 66 miles of trails ranging in difficulty and length. I hiked the Mary Jemison Trail many times with my grandparents when I was younger. The trail is 2.5 miles round trip and travels through a forest and along a pond. If we had more time I would have taken the girls here.

Lastly, I cannot stress enough that while these parks offer some of the most beautiful scenery, you need to use caution every time you hike or explore. Letchworth has unfortunately had many sad stories in the news from people not following the rules. You need to stay on designated trails and climbing on/over walls in strictly prohibited. Seriously, there is no view worth risking your life or your children’s over.

In conclusion, Letchworth should be near the top of your list for enjoying fall foliage.

What to Remember:

• In the popular Finger Lakes region of New York
• $10/vehicle
• Lots of good picnic spots. Remember to take trash with you.