Hike to three different waterfalls and gaze across the Grand Canyon of the East at Letchworth State Park about 40 minutes south of Rochester, N.Y.
The Genesee River roars through the gorge creating these waterfalls between cliffs as high as 600 feet in some places surrounded by lush forests.
If you are visiting Niagara Falls and want to see a more rural alls Letchworth State Park is about an hour east of Buffalo.
Entering the Park
We came into the park through the Portageville Entrance. There is a $10 fee and you are given a free map of the park.
The first parking area is by the Upper Falls, but it was full so we headed to the larger parking area where you can easily visit both the Upper Falls and Middle Falls.
At the Second Parking Area
First, we walked north from the parking area to check out Middle Falls along the Gorge Trail. Near the Middle Falls by the road is a restroom.
The Middle Falls is the largest and highest and our favorite among the three falls. Most of all it was the easiest to get to and you can easily walk along it. It is a bit over 107 feet high and 285 feet wide and has several lookouts along the Gorge Trail for different views. Walking away from the falls you receive spray from it, which is nice on a warm day, but be careful since the walkway can be wet.
We walked around it and then came to the lookout nearest the start of the falls.
If you look down, you can see a smaller waterfall that creates a rainbow.
After checking out the Middle Falls we walked back to the picnic area near the Upper Falls. Also, by the parking lot is a concession stand.
Upper Falls
Next, we walked to the south of the parking area along the Gorge Trail towards the 70-foot Upper Falls.
High above the falls is the Genesee Arch Bridge for trains and imposing sight above the falls.
I took a number of photos of the falls from the lookout. At one point we even saw a train crossing the bridge.
If you walk along the Gorge Trail towards the Upper Falls parking area you can see a smaller waterfall coming out of the woods on the right.
A sign along the Gorge Trail talks about the Native American name for the falls- She-Ga-Hun-Da.
Inspiration Point
Next, we stopped at Inspiration Point. We took the trail from the parking area down where you can see the train bridge, Middle Falls, and Upper Falls all together.
A sign along the trail talks about William P. Letchworth, the park’s namesake, and how in the 1800s the canyon was seen as a way to generate electricity. Letchworth purchased the canyon area in 1859 and saved it from development by giving it as a gift to the State of New York in 1907.
Glen Iris Inn Area
Before Inspiration Point, we could have gone left to check out the park’s Glen Iris Inn where you can stay the night in the park. Across the road is William Pryor Letchworth Museum where you can learn more about him.
Next Along the Drive
Next along the road on the left was the road for the Humphrey Nature Center which houses many interactive exhibits that especially highlight the plants and animals, geology, and river ecology of Letchworth State Park.
Then we came to the Letchworth State Park Visitor Center which has a staffed desk, informational kiosks, gift shop, and restrooms.
Follow the road towards the right going by the visitor center and then go right once more to head to the parking areas for the Lower Falls.
Lower Falls Recreation Area
We followed the road to the left to Lee’s Landing parking area. Near this lot is the Lower Falls Restaurant and Gifts.
From this lot, we did the 1.3-mile out-and-back hike along the Gorge and Footbridge Trails. This hike has 351 feet of elevation gain and a number of steps down to the river.
We headed to the right of the parking area and along the Genesee River through the woods. This is a wide trail that is easy to follow. Then we came to the intersection for the Footbridge Trail and made a left onto this trail that meanders downhill along trails with stops along the way for canyon views.
The trail goes all the way down to the river and then crosses it on a stone bridge. We stopped at the stone bridge for views of the Lower Falls in the distance and the river as it went through the canyon.
We did not do the complete trail going back the way we came and not going up the other side to the parking area on the Parade Grounds Entrance side of the park. The park can also be explored on the other side using this entrance.
Then we headed back the way we came. Along this walk, we also passed a large playground if you have small kids in tow.
The parking lot we used is not the closest to the falls. If you want a closer walk to the Lower Falls, make a right in the Lower Falls Area and take the Octagon Road to another parking lot.
Archery Field Overlook
Now we headed further into the park in the canyon area. We went out of the Lower Falls Area and then made a right onto Park Road stopping at Archery Field Overlook which is part of the canyon view section of the drive.
Great Bend Overlook
The next overlook is self-explanatory based on the bend of the river.
We skipped the Wolf Creek Parking lot which has a small waterfall nearby since the lot was full.
Eddy’s Overlook
Then we stopped at Eddy’s Overlook.
Here you learn about Tea Table Rock. Before the park walls were built, the sandstone used to jut out over the canyon. This flat, bare rock provided spots on which to spread a blanket and have “a spot of tea.”
At this overlook are some cool stone tables for picnics.
Gardeau Overlook
The name of this overlook comes from the Seneca word Gah-Da-Hoh, or “bank in front.” Meanderings of the river in this valley cut a cliff face into the gentler slope and thus formed the “bank in front.”
Hogsback Overlook
“The Hogsback” is a ridge jutting into the canyon and resembles a wild boar’s high hunched spine. The Genesee River flowers one mile around this narrow peninsula.
Dam Overlook
The US Army Corps of Engineers built the Mount Morris Dam in the late 1940s to reduce flooding on the lower Genesee River. Today, the dam continues to provide flood protection along 67 miles of the Genesee River Valley from the village of Mount Morris to downtown Rochester where the river enters Lake Ontario.
By the overlook is the Dam Overlook Gifts and Grill.
This was the last overlook and we made a right onto New York State Highway 36. Then a left onto New York Highway 408 to head to Rochester, New York for the night.
More About the Park
The 14,350-acre park has a total of 66 miles of hiking trails.
An Autism Nature Trail (the ANT) is a one-mile hiking loop that includes eight marked sensory stations, each designed to address a different sensory experience in a safe and supportive setting, using nature and natural materials as tools for skill-building.
Voted as the “USA Today’s #1 State Park in America and #1 attraction in New York State.
DETAILS
DRIVE From St. Louis: Take Interstate 70 east then go north on Interstate 71 in Columbus. Then south of Cleveland exit onto Interstate 271 which will end at Interstate 90 and go east. Then in New York exit onto Interstate 86 to Salamanca where you will exit onto U.S. 219 and go north. Next, make a right onto New York State Highway 98 until you get to County Road 243 and make a right onto this road. Then make a left onto Fairview Road or 36 and then make a left onto Rushford Road and then right onto Pike Road or 36 in Centerville, New York. This road becomes Dewitt and continues onto New York State Highway 19 then makes a right onto Griffith Road that leads to the Park Road that goes into the park. This is a 12-hour drive.
Hours: 6 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Address: 6849 Park Rd, Castile, NY 14427
Stay in Rochester
Downtown Rochester along the Genesee River has High Falls. Nearby is the Genesee Brew House for a dinner option.
The Rochester area has several hotel options.
High Falls Address: 4 Commercial St, Rochester, NY 14614
Genesee Brew House has great waterfall views and you can gain better views of the waterfall along a pedestrian bridge across the river.
Genesee Brew House Address: 25 Cataract St, Rochester, NY 14605
MORE EAST COAST EXPLORING
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