I’ve been hearing about Letchworth State Park for years now. “It’s the Grand Canyon of the East,” my husband has said to me on numerous occasions. Though I always kept it in mind, my need to visit this state park was cemented in 2015 when it was voted by USA Today readers as THE best state park in the United States. For Labor Day weekend, we traveled to western New York and finally decided to make a day at Letchworth. I must say, it lived up to all the hype!
Letchworth State Park
Letchworth State Park surrounds three canyons that have been carved out by the Genesee River over thousands of years. This is a very large state park, with over 14,000 acres, that was given by William Pryor Letchworth to New York State in 1907. The gorge is quite deep in some places, with walls reaching heights of 550 feet, which is why it is affectionately known the “Grand Canyon of the East.” Most of the exposed rock dates to the Devonian Period. The shale, limestone, and sandstone layers found here were deposited a very long time ago, when the area was covered by an inland sea. The layers were formed along the sea bed.
With such a large area, there is so much to do at this park. There are networks of trails that follow along the sides of the gorge, some even crossing the river at points. There are even plenty of dining options. Besides the usual picnic areas, there are even several restaurants that can accommodate your less formal or more formal tastes.
Waterfalls and Trails
The main attractions are three large waterfalls; Upper Falls, Middle Falls, and Lower Falls. It was known by the Senecans who occupied the land as Seh-Ga-Hun-Da which means “the Vale of the Three Falls.” The three waterfalls are located towards the southern portion of the park, in Portage Canyon. Vistas of each waterfall are connected by a network of trails. We hiked from Inspiration Point which overlooks the Upper Falls, down past the Middle Falls to the Lower Falls.
The main trails are up along the top of the gorge walls, but there is a small group of trails down near the water that provide a more intimate view.
There is still an active railroad trestle bridge that crosses the Genesee River just north of the Upper Falls which is visible from inspiration point. The bridge reinforces the visual scale of the canyon. The Middle Falls are the largest falls in the park, at 107 feet high and 285 feet wide.
A stone footbridge crosses the Genesee River just below the Lower Falls, giving visitors good visual access to the falls and the immense canyon walls.
Other Attractions
Letchworth contains a variety of attractions. In the northern portion of the park, you will find Mount Morris Dam. This dam was constructed between 1948 and 1954 to stop the annual flooding from devastating the local farms. There are several pull off areas where you can get out of your car to overlook the dam below. Also on site are the William Pryor Letchworth Museum, a Civil War monument, guided walks, and more. We didn’t get a chance to see these other parts of the park this time around, but we will be back!
Where is it located?
Letchworth State Park is located in Castile, in Livingston and Wyoming Counties, New York. There are several access points to get into the park, though some are only seasonally available. The Castile entrance off of New York Route 38/Denton Corners Road is open year round.
Map
There are a series of wonderful maps of Letchworth located right here at the New York State Parks page.
