Watkins Glen State Park
Winter Harbor Marina
We spent the morning hiking at Watkins Glen State Park. It is
the most famous of the Finger Lakes State Parks, with a reputation for leaving
visitors spellbound (it did). Within two miles, the glen's stream descends 400
feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course. The gorge
path winds over and under waterfalls and through the spray of Cavern Cascade. The park is a beautiful work of natural art and it was first opened as a tourist resort in 1863. It's amazing what a little water and thousands of years can create. We got to the park just before 8:00 and enjoyed the first half of the hike without seeing another person, but by the time we left it was getting a little crowded.
After the hike we headed home along the eastern shore of
Seneca Lake...what a gorgeous area. Since this is a glacial lake the shores are
very steep and the views are amazing. This part of New York is mostly dominated by rolling pastoral land, with beautiful little farms everywhere. We stopped
at Wagner Vineyards for lunch; they have a nice restaurant named The Ginny Lee that overlooks their vineyard and the lake. We sat outside and enjoyed a
wonderful lunch with a great view. Our next stop on our way back to the boat
was Seneca Falls, they have a public dock that is close to their downtown area,
so we checked it out. This is one of the stops we would have made if we had
taken the boat into Seneca Lake...I'm glad we decided to rent a car, so we
could see more of this great area of New York.
Watkins Glen State Park - the word glen comes from an old Greek word meaning "small, narrow, secluded valley." It describes this area perfectly.
Video of Watkins Glen State Park
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