It's the best state park in the country. That's not me talking, that's a public vote taken by the various agencies in each and every state in the United States of America that run their state park systems. It's called Letchworth State Park and it is in Western upstate New York north of I-86 and west of I-390. It's in both Livingston and Wyoming Counties. It has several town entrances from Mount Morris to Castile to Portageville. It stretches over a staggering 17 miles and is the number one attraction in New York. That says a lot, people. It's competing with Niagara.
Letchworth is known as the Grand Canyon of the East. At some places, it is up to 55o feet deep. At some places it is only 400 feet wide. I promise you, that if you enter at the Castile Entrance, and stop at the first overlook; it will blow you away. I've been all over New York. I've wanted to visit this park for decades. I've seen thousands of pictures of the place. I didn't truly appreciate how immense it was. The closest experience that I've had to the one I had at my first in person encounter of Letchworth was indeed, at the Grand Canyon.
I was in awe of everything I saw, but the view isn't the end of it. The activities in this park are amazing, covid-19 pending. They have a gigantic public pool. You can take a rafting or kayaking trip. They have campgrounds with beautiful cabins. I don't mean a campground either. I mean many campgrounds. They have hotels and lodges in the park. They have a fabulous visitor's center. They have a banquet facility and museums. They have possibly more picnic areas than I've ever seen. They have playgrounds. They have tennis courts. It's absolutely incredible. They have a drive similar to the one that goes along the south rim of the Grand Canyon with scenic stops marked all along the way.
Letchworth State Park comes with a lot of things to do and a lot of waterfalls, but this park has three of the most magnificent waterfalls that I've seen in the east. Lower, Middle, and Upper Falls don't have fancy names, but they will take your breath away. They are the unmitigated centerpiece of the park, and the powers that be provide you with many vantage points to take photos and get an unbelievable view of the falls. Upper Falls is 40 feet high, Middle is 107 feet high and Lower is roughly 70 feet high. There are many falls in the park from Wolf Creek to Inspiration Falls, a tiny ribbon that drops 350 feet on its own. If you like waterfalls, this spot is for you. If you like to take photos, you can't beat it.
By the way, yes that is a working rail bridge 240 feet above the canyon. I wondered about it myself, until this train came over, answering all my questions. From the point where I was standing in this picture, there is a trail with steps that goes all the way to the top where the bridge crosses the gorge.
There is truly something inspirational about a dramatically beautiful natural place. It was worth the visit. Now, let me tell you a little bit about the area.
This park is in one of the most remote areas in New York that I've ever visited. Is it around the Finger Lakes? No. Is it in the Adirondacks? No. Is it in the Catskills? No. Is it near the Hudson River? No. Is it close to Niagara and Buffalo? No. Is it by Rochester? No. Geneseo is the center of civilization in this area and it is at least 25 miles from the park. Believe it or not, there are salt mines out there, and Silver Springs, New York is home to one of the largest ones around. They are one of the manufacturers of Morton Salt in a tiny community that you cannot find without a map.
Warsaw has wonderful accommodations, but no real grocery store. That's not normally a problem, but during the pandemic, you don't go out to eat. It's a beautiful little town, but you have to go to Geneseo to find real stores. If you're willing to take the drive as we did, it's a great side trip and you get to shop at Wegman's; one of my favorite grocery store chains.
Letchworth State Park even has a meeting hall. Where this place is, is bordering and sometimes on the Seneca Tribal Nation. They have a small casino south of the area on I-86. Letchworth is a beautiful and untamed land that will never be conquered by humans. It's so beautiful that it's hard to accurately describe it. It's also only a few hours from home. It took 30 years for me to go. I can't believe it took so long. It was so worth it. I would say that if you've ever loved dramatic scenery, you should go to Letchworth State Park and enjoy!
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