Waterfall State Parks in the Finger Lakes

The Finger Lakes Region of New York consists of 11 lakes, countless waterfalls, award winning wineries, specialty grape pies, and beautiful state parks. 

When most people imagine a trip to New York, they automatically think of NYC, and while that is a fun trip, we are here to share with you the nature side of New York. There are two State Parks in this region that have nice trails, magnificent waterfalls, and incredible viewpoints. This area is a perfect long weekend getaway, giving you enough time to explore the parks and restaurants while not taking a lot of your PTO.

Did we mention this region is even more magical during the fall time when the leaves are changing, and the air is crisp? 

Be sure to add these two parks to your bucket list!

Watkins Glen State Park

With 19 waterfalls and 200-foot cliffs, there is so much to explore in this park. We hiked The Gorge Trail which is 1.5 miles long with a total of 832 stone steps, and recommend you hike it too! The stone bridges, spiral staircases, and winding trail will leave you amazed. Hearing all those steps may make it sound like a challenging trail, but this hike is not. You stop so much along the way to take photos and enjoy the views, that it gives you breaks between all the steps.

This is the most popular of the Finger Lakes State Parks. It is open dawn to dusk, we loved visiting at dawn as the park was quiet and we could enjoy it before the crowds. The vehicle entrance/parking is $10 per car for all-day use. The address to park is: 1009 N Franklin St, Watkins Glen, NY 14891

It is important to know that while the park is open year round, the main trail to see all the waterfalls, The Gorge Trail, is closed from October-ish until the end of May. Check their website for updated information on the trail.

Taughannock Falls State Park

This waterfall is 33 feet higher than Niagara Falls. It is the tallest single drop waterfall east of the Rockies. You will not be disappointed with the viewpoints and hiking trails below that take you super close to the waterfall.

This park is also open year round from dawn to dusk. The entrance fee per vehicle is $9 for a day pass. 

It is also important to note about this park that in the summer and fall, the water levels decrease, sometimes even almost drying up, leaving you with a view of no waterfall. If you can, we recommend visiting after a rainfall to see the rush of the waterfall. If not, you may be a little disappointed.

There are two hikes in this park that we recommend hiking:

 

  • Taughannock Falls Gorge Trail- This trail is about a mile long and takes you up close and personal to the gigantic waterfall! It is a beautiful trail, winding through the forest beside the creek before reaching the base of the waterfall. The parking lot for this trail is: 1740 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, NY 14850
  • Taughannock Falls Overlook View Point- This view point is located past the Visitor Center. This was by far our favorite view of the waterfall since you can really see the magnitude and scenery! From the parking lot, you’ll walk towards the visitor center, down the stairs to the viewing platform. The visitor center does close from October-ish until May-ish, so if you’d like to visit, check their website for updated information. The parking lot for this area is: 2381 Taughannock Park Rd Trumansburg, NY 14886