Last weekend, my friend and I traveled upstate to visit another friend of ours. While visiting, we decided to travel (about an hour from Binghamton, NY) to Watkins Glen State Park. This park allows you to travel on paths alongside active waterfalls. The trip is about 1.5 miles each way, depending on which trails you decide to explore. Since this is a state park, make sure you bring your Empire State Pass, if you have one, so you do not have to pay for parking!
Location
As I mentioned, we did travel to visit our friend, who lives in Binghamton (about 4 hours from central Long Island), and then traveled about an additional hour from there to the park. It was a pretty straight forward drive, and the park kind of appears out of nowhere on a main street for the small town.
Park Trails
When you first arrive, there is a visitor's center where you can receive a map to help you navigate the park. However, it is pretty straight forward since it is paved, and all you really have to do is follow the path and the flow of walking traffic. If you ask the workers in the visitor center, they will give you helpful tips for which trails to take to see the most that the park has to offer. For instance, we took the main trail (the only option from the start) all the way to the end of the 1.5 miles, and then walked the Indian Trail back, which is a non-paved trail that is above the waterfalls and the other trails. This was a good choice since the bottom trail is A LOT more crowded, so we did not have to share the path with as much people traveling back. There are also stopping points to look down at the path you walked before, which is pretty cool! There are also bridges to get better views of the falls throughout the entirety of the hike.
Helpful Tips
1) Wear old sneakers
Although the paths are "paved," it is slippery, muddy, and there are many puddles. You will get wet from the falls, and your shoes will get dirty, so make sure you wear sneakers that are not brand new. Also, there are a TON of stairs, so make sure your sneakers are comfortable since you will be doing a lot of walking and climbing.
2) Go during an off time, if possible
We went on a hot Saturday afternoon, and the park was insanely packed. The paths are narrow at times, so it can be frustrating when people are not moving and blocking the way, especially when you are in a wet zone. This park does seem to have a high tourist rate, so I think if you do go during an off time, you will enjoy the experience more.
3) Stay cool and hydrated
An obvious one, but it does get extremely hot on the trails, especially during the summer months. I recommend bringing a Swell water bottle or another bottle that keeps your water cold for numerous hours. A regular water bottle will turn disgusintly warm quickly. Additionally, throughout the trails there are areas where mini waterfalls are falling onto the paths. So, follow Nicole's lead (pictured on the left) and use the natural water to your advantage! Don't be afraid to get wet in order to stay cool. If you want to actually go in the water, there is an option at the very end of the hike to take your shoes off and go into the water to cool off even more. We did not do this since by the time we made it to the end we felt too gross to go in, and once again, it was extremely crowded since everyone was taking advantage of the water. Again, if you can, go during a less popular hiking time!
Overall, this was a great park to visit, especially if you do want to get close to some waterfalls! While they are not the biggest waterfalls, it is a very fun hike and you do get to enjoy nature in a way you may not have been able to before. So, my best advice is to grab you friends, plan a road trip, and go explore Watkins Glen State Park, and all of the other parks New York State has to offer! Below, I will post more pictures from our hike.
Many more posts to come(:
~Ashley
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