Letchworth State Park

“Holy Good Gracious Saint Ignatius!!”

Those were the exclaiming words that came from utter amazement and out of my mouth the instant I saw this view from the car.

“Dan, look up…” This is what I remember hearing last before I took my eyes off the navigation app, and looked up as we emerged from the forest drive. The above image smacked you right in the face. It was by far the most amazing view I have ever seen in my life.

Referred to as “The Grand Canyon of The East”, Letchworth State Park in New York State is one of America’s best kept secrets.

Located in Wyoming County, NY, it was voted as the #1 State Park in USA Today back in 2015. It was also voted Best New York State Attraction in USA Today in 2017.

We immediately found an area to pull over and take in the view. It was absolutely breathtaking. Note: we came in through the Castile Entrance. I highly suggest you do the same.

The above image reminded me of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. However, as unsurprisingly expected, there were no man-eating crocodiles in this river.

From here, we got back in the car and drove further down Park Rd. We eventually came to a parking lot, and proceeded to discover one of three amazing waterfalls.

Upper Falls, Middle Falls, and Lower Falls. At 70 feet high, Upper Falls provided such a picturesque view.

At 107 feet high, Middle Falls, the highest, produced a blissful scene of mist filled rainbows to everyone’s delight.

In all, the park is 17 miles long, following the Genesee River gorge, and 1.5 miles wide. There are many trails to hike, nothing too difficult. There are also several options to enjoy yourself, your family, or date. I believe they offer Hot Air Balloon rides over the valley, golf, campgrounds, the Glen Iris Inn, bike trails, horseback trails, a rafting company, canoeing and kayaking with permits, and no trash cans. Apparently, animals were causing quite a disturbance with the trash, so the park put in place a Reduce – Reuse – Recycle program where everyone keeps their trash.

Overall, it was glorious discovery on our behalf, and a most magnificent way to kick off our NE expedition.