Letchworth State Park, known as the "The Grand Canyon of the East", is in western New York, in Wyoming county. This is a big park, open year round, with lots of stuff to do, such as camping, hiking, horseback riding, balloon rides, etc.. The park contains a 22 mile long segment of the Genesee River. The cliffs of the Genesee River Gorge are 550 feet high in places.

For waterfall lovers, the highlight of the park are the three waterfalls along the Genesee river. They are all within a few miles of each other. The trail along the gorge's rim leads to all three falls.

The park is quite civilized. You can find snacks, ice-cream, and balloon rides. You can also hike along the less crowded parts of the rim trail for some lovely views. Trail #7 is particularly nice.

There are numerous other minor waterfalls in Letchworth created when creeks flowing into the Genessee fall off of the gorge walls. Some of these are 300+ feet high, but many are very seasonal. Deh-ga-ya-soh Falls, located between the Middle Falls and Inspiration Point, is the most dependable of these falls. It is over 150 feet high and has a decent flow year round. To fully appreciate it you have to see it from the east side of the gorge. The 300' tall Inspiration Falls is also nearby, but rarely has much water. Inspiration Falls is the water stain seen on the cliffs in the above photos.

Wolf Creek Falls is another waterfall that falls into the gorge. It is a long cascade that must be over two hundred feet high, but it is impossible to see all of it (or even much of it), except possibly from the bottom of the gorge. Unfortunately, outside of a raft trip, there is no access to the river here.

The park is open in winter. Only the Castille entrance remains open to cars. The park is popular with snowmobilers.

Behind the Glen Iris Inn is a manmade fountain. The fountain is gravity fed. The pressure of the water fed through the pipe creates the "geyser". Every winter the spray freezes freezes forming a fantastic ice column.

This page has been accessed 57416 times.
Last Modified: Saturday, 22-Apr-2017 18:56:15 MDT.