Hidden away in western New York, Watkins Glen State Park is famous for it’s memorizing Gorge Trail that passes 19 jaw dropping waterfalls along a beautiful stone walkway. With a large amount of outdoor activities such as camping, swimming, hiking and picnicking, this state park is a very popular spot in summer for groups of any age.
In this guide, we’re going to show you exactly how to hike the Watkins Glen Gorge Trail to Rainbow Falls.
Our Watkins Glen Experience
Kristen grew up about 80 miles from Watkins Glen State Park and we temporarily lived in the region when Mark first immigrated to the US in 2019. It’s one of our personal favorite New York state parks and we’ve visited many times in various seasons. Our Rainbow Falls photo can even be found in Gestalten’s Great American Road Trip.
All of the photos in this guide were taken by us during an October 2022 visit. This is our favorite time of year because the gorge comes alive with vibrant fall foliage. We arrived as soon as the park opened and had the entire gorge to ourselves for a few hours. Read more about us.
What Is Watkins Glen State Park?
- State Park: Watkins Glen
- City: Watkins Glen
- State: New York
- Website: parks.ny.gov
- Telephone: (607) 535-9989
- Campgrounds: 279 and 9 cabins
- Activities: Hiking, waterfalls, photography
- Open: Year Round (gorge trail closed end of October to late May)
- Annual Visitors: ~ 1 million
Picture nineteen waterfalls plunging through a spellbinding natural gorge, complimented by exquisitely crafted human made stone staircases and bridges. No, you have not been summoned to the council of Elrond in Rivendell. You are hiking the Glen Creek Gorge Trail to Rainbow Falls inside Watkins Glen State Park, the extraordinary crown jewel of New York’s Finger Lakes region.
Rainbow Falls is an incredibly photogenic natural terrain and unquestionably the park’s gasp-for-air, weak at the knees knockout feature. The entire 1.5 mile length of the Gorge Trail is breathtakingly beautiful and it’s our top recommendation for the area.
The state park is open all year from dawn to dusk, but the gorge trail typically closes from the end of October through the end of May due to ice and dangerous water levels. So if you visit between the months of November and April, you won’t be able to hike to Rainbow Falls. Check the official website for exact opening times because it’s weather dependent.
READ: What to do in the village of Watkins Glen
Directions To The Park
Watkins Glen State Park is located in the village of Watkins Glen nestled within the Finger Lakes region of western New York. The small village is quite literally built up on either side of the park’s main entrance which means you can easily walk to it from many hotels nearby.
- Address: 1009 N Franklin St, Watkins Glen, NY 14891
- Location: Google Maps
Let’s take a quick look at driving distances and times from nearby major cities including the closest airports if you’re visiting from further afield.
Watkins Glen distance from nearby major cities:
- Rochester NY – 80 miles (1h 30m)
- Syracuse NY – 90 miles (1h 30m)
- Scranton PA – 125 miles (2h 20m)
- Buffalo NY – 146 miles (2h 30m)
- Albany NY – 205 miles (3m 30m)
- New York NY – 242 miles (4h 20m)
If you’re flying into the Finger Lakes region, search for your flight using Skyscanner. We love this platform because it compares prices on all flight platforms to find you the best deal. The same goes for renting a car, get a benchmark price using Rental Cars or Discover Cars and then see if you can beat it.
Here are the closest airports near Watkins Glen State Park:
- Greater Rochester International (ROC) – 87 miles (1h 35m)
- Syracuse Hancock International (SYR) – 90 miles (1h 40m)
- Buffalo Niagara International (BUF) – 138 miles (2h 20m)
- Newark Liberty International (EWR) – 231 miles (4h 00m)
- John F. Kennedy International (JFK) – 264 miles (4h 30m)
READ: Tips for finding cheap flights
Entrance Fees
You don’t have to pay an entrance fee and you don’t need a reservation to visit Watkins Glen State Park. However, you might have to pay $10.00 for parking your vehicle depending on the time of year.
Most New York state parks charge a day-use vehicle fee to enter each facility. So while Watkins Glen is free to enter, a vehicle fee is collected between mid-May to mid-October daily from sunrise to sunset. Payment is not taken at the gate but at a machine in the parking lot where you can pay cash or card.
Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed on the gorge trail, but they can be anywhere else in the park as long as they are leashed.
Best Place To Park
There are 3 main entrances to Watkins Glen State Park. Most visitors begin at the main entrance which is found in the middle of town, but no matter where you park, you’ll still have to pay the $10.00 fee.
Here are the details for each parking area:
- Main Entrance – Located on N Franklin Street, there are two parking lots on either side of road. The lot directly next to the park on the west side contains about 50 parking spaces with 3 disabled spots. Across the road on the east side, this is a larger lot with over 100 parking spots.
- South Entrance – This entrance is about 1.0 mile from the main entrance. Follow Old Corning Road and take the first right onto Walnut Road before turning into south entrance on S Pavilion Rd. There are over 100 parking spaces here with restrooms, a snack bar, a swimming pool, picnic area, playgrounds and camping. From this location, you can access the Gorge Trail via Couch’s Staircase.
- Upper Entrance – Located 2.0 miles from the main entrance, this is the most primitive option along Steuben Street (Route 409). There are no marked spaces and it’s a long oval shaped road. You can access the Gorge Trail via Jacob’s Ladder.
We like parking at the main entrance because it’s more convenient and you’ll have direct access to the Gorge Trail from the lowest elevation. You can also find the popular visitor center, the Glen Cafe, restrooms and several informational boards. However, this lot fills up extremely quickly so try to arrive early in the day to guarantee a spot.
A seasonal shuttle bus runs between all 3 of the entrances from May to October. It costs $6.00 per person, but children 10 and under are free. The shuttle runs from 9:00am to 6:00pm on weekends in the summer, but you can check the official website for the exact schedule.
If you want to avoid the parking fee, you could leave your car at your hotel and walk to the main entrance or park on one of the side streets in town along N Franklin St where there are no parking meters.
Watkins Glen Gorge Trail Walkthrough
Hiking is one of the main attractions at Watkins Glen and there are a total of four hiking trails. Here are the four official hikes with distances listed one way:
- Gorge Trail – 1.5 miles
- North Rim Trail – 1.1 miles
- South Rim Trail – 1.8 miles
- Lover’s Lane – 0.3 miles
The most popular hike is the Gorge Trail which is 1.5 miles in length one way. You can combine this trail with one of the rim trails to make a complete loop or you can walk back down the gorge. This hike is very similar to the Buttermilk Falls Gorge Trail, but it’s more challenging.
We’re going to show you exactly what it’s like to hike the Gorge Trail first then loop around up to the North Rim Trail back down to the main entrance.
- Trail distance: 2.6 miles roundtrip
- Difficulty: Moderate
The difficulty is listed as moderate because there are 832 uneven steps in the gorge. Additionally, sections of the Rim Trail can be steep. But by hiking this loop, you’ll see the best highlights of the park.
You can expect the hike through the Watkins Glen Gorge to take 1-2 hours, but if you plan to take a lot of photos like we did, it might take longer. Check recent comments on AllTrails to see what other hikers have said about current conditions and use this trail map to help you find specific points of interest in the park.
Without further ado, let’s hike the Gorge Trail to Rainbow Falls:
1. Sentry Bridge
If you begin at the main entrance, you’ll pass the gift store and restrooms on your right. If you have to use the toilets, this is the best place to go because there are none in the gorge. You’ll continue through a beautiful park which showcases information about Indigenous groups and history of the area. But if you don’t feel like reading this information now, you can do it on the way back to the parking lot after your hike.
The enchanting Gorge Trail begins at Sentry Bridge and it’s visible before you reach the hiking trail. Your first glimpse into the gorge is a narrow crack in the Earth, a small silky waterfall flooding through the bottom and a beautiful arched stone bridge connecting the two sides.
Crossing Sentry Bridge transports you into the magical gorge. But in order to reach the overpass, you must first climb up a beautiful stone spiral staircase cut into a turret.
2. First View Upstream
As soon as you enter the Watkins Glen Gorge, you instantly know it’s going to be a special landscape. Once you cross Sentry Bridge, look to the right for your first view up the gorge. You’ll see a very narrow, jagged and photogenic ravine with Glen Creek flowing gently through before it pours out of the gorge right behind you at Sentry Bridge.
Low running water allows you to see much greater detail in the eroded shale rock. But this is just an appetizer for the main course coming later. If you visit in spring, you can expect more water in the creek.
3. Couch’s Staircase
Couch’s Staircase is a series of 120 stone steps leading up and away to your left side. You don’t need to climb this series of stairs unless you want to see the Watkins Glen south entrance area. This trail leads to South Rim Trail with a good view looking back over the main entrance. But it’s definitely one you can miss if you want to avoid unnecessary stairs.
Hiking Tip: If you park at the south entrance, this is where you’ll enter and leave Watkins Glen Gorge Trail.
4. Unnamed Vista
After the sign for Couch’s Staircase, you’ll see a short staircase leading down to the right. It’s the first spur you should take on the Watkins Glen Gorge Trail. There is no official name, but the path descends to a viewing area looking upstream at multiple waterfalls with Cavern Cascade just about visible in the background. It’s a very quick detour and you’ll only need a few minutes here.
5. Cavern Cascade
You probably know all about Rainbow Falls from magazine front covers or images like ours, but one of the most amazing aspects of hiking Watkins Glen Gorge Trail is the amount of surprises you’ll encounter. Cavern Cascade waterfall is one of those unexpected surprises and it’s one of our favorite spots along the trail.
Climb the next set of stone steps after Point Lookout aiming for what appears to be a dead end. All you can see is a thin 30-40 ft high waterfall flowing out of a 3 meter wide gully caused by shale rock eroding underneath tougher sandstone layers.
Eventually, you’ll see the path actually curves behind Cavern Cascade falls. Walk in an arc right behind the waterfall and don’t forget to reach out and touch the water as it cascades down into the pool below.
6. Spiral Tunnel
Next to Cavern Cascade, you’ll notice a deep and dark orange light bursting out of a tunnel. Walk through this cave like tunnel and spiral round to the left as you gain elevation. Make sure to turn around a few steps into the tunnel so you can see the Cavern Cascade through the opening for a cool photo. This is one of our favorite photography locations in the park.
7. Suspension Bridge
After climbing through the spiral tunnel you walk alongside Glen Creek and the gorge narrows. Look up to see a suspension bridge crossing over Watkins Glen Gorge and connecting the two Rim Trails together. You’ll have the chance to stand on this bridge later.
8. Lovers Lane Lookout
Continue hiking through the gorge and you’ll come to two splits in the trail. The first split leads up to Indian Trail which is effectively North Rim Trail and back to main entrance. Second you’ll arrive at a split leading to Lovers Lane Lookout.
You can climb the steps here and walk up to Lovers Lane. However, we recommend you stay in the gorge and stop at Lovers Lane on the way back to the main entrance from North Rim Trail instead.
9. Glen Cathedral
At face value, Glen Cathedral is one of the least exciting parts of the Watkins Glen Gorge Trail hike. However, if you look closely at the towering walls flanking Glen Creek you can see horizontal layers of rugged sandstone and shale. These layers were formed almost 400 million years ago.
Climb yet another stone staircase and you can see another thin waterfall ahead. The Gorge Trail passes through another small cave like tunnel and reveals a beautifully ornate stone bridge.
10. Central Cascade
The razor thin Central Cascade waterfall drops almost 60 feet beneath the bridge and is the tallest waterfall along the trail. This is another excellent photo stop and one of those unexpected surprises. Cross Glen Creek via the stone bridge to continue walking upstream.
As soon as you’re on the other side, you’ll see a long line of short waterfalls plunging a few feet into circular pools. This series of waterfalls is incredibly photogenic and marks another of our favorite spots in the gorge. However, it’s about to get even better!
11. Rainbow Falls
You’ll see another stone staircase ahead, take it and look to the right as Rainbow Falls finally comes into view for the first time. Rainbow Falls in Watkins Glen State Park is dramatic, beautiful, piercing and delicate all in one emotional punch. It’s almost too much information for the brain to handle and requires a good 5-10 seconds to process what you’re looking at.
There is just so much to admire about this scene.
Waterfalls and pothole pools, wispy water falling from above, a gorgeous stone staircase and bridge in the background, vibrant colors and dark shadows contrasting all combine to make Rainbow Falls in Watkins Glen Gorge one of the most extraordinary photo spots in the US. This is the cherry on top of an extremely tasty ice cream sundae, so spend the most amount of time here.
Travel Tip: If you visit on a late sunny afternoon at just the right time for sun rays to penetrate the gorge, rainbows appear as light reflects and refracts in water droplets.
READ: How to find the best waterfalls in NY
12. Frowning Cliff
Head up the steps and cross the bridge that will be in dozens of your photos from behind Rainbow Falls. You’ll find yourself walking into a very narrow section of the trail. After the excitement of Rainbow Falls you might think it would be difficult to be wowed again on the hike but the fun isn’t over yet.
In this section, water falls down the cliff side in small cascades giving the appearance the walls are crying, hence the name Frowning Cliff. But this section of the hike receives very little sunlight throughout the year so the walls here are mostly bare. It’s the most dangerous in late spring when stubborn ice remains along the trail.
13. Spiral Gorge
Depending on recent rainfall levels, you may pass under a very thin waterfall as you walk through Frowning Cliff towards another stone staircase. As you approach this set of steps, you’ll notice a razor thin waterfall carving through the rocks.
This is the beginning of Spiral Gorge and it’s another wonderful photo spot to admire. Climb the steps to see more small waterfalls plunging beautifully through the narrow Spiral Gorge section.
14. Mile Point Bridge
You’ll notice another arching stone bridge ahead, this one is called Mile Point Bridge and it essentially marks the end of Watkins Glen Gorge Trail.
There is an option here to cross Mile Point Bridge and hike South Rim Trail back to south entrance. Personally we have never taken this turn here, instead continuing the hike straight ahead beyond the bridge as the trail flattens.
15. Jacob’s Ladder
The trail remains picturesque but not on the same level as inside the gorge proper. You’ll follow the side of Glen Creek on a much flatter and easier going path until eventually you reach the beginning of a lengthy staircase. This staircase is known as Jacob’s Ladder and it consists of 180 steps.
Now, by all means you can climb the steps to upper entrance, but there’s really not much point unless you’re parked there. Instead, take a photo of the railway bridge crossing Glen Creek and turn around. You can take a shortcut at Mile Point Bridge up to North Rim Trail via Indian Trail instead.
Hiking Tip: If you park at the upper entrance, this is where you’ll enter and leave Watkins Glen Gorge Trail.
16. North Rim Trail
From this point on, you’re basically just making your way back to the main entrance. There are a few places to stop, including Lovers Lane Lookout, Point Lookout and the suspension bridge you passed under a long time ago.
In truth, views from above looking down into the gorge are not as exciting or interesting. Much of the view is blocked by leaves or the gorge itself. The hike back to main entrance is much quicker compared to the hike up Gorge Trail.
Hiking Tip: You can ignore North Rim Trail and hike back down the Gorge Trail to the main entrance. Just expect a lot of foot traffic going the opposite way.
Best Time To Visit
Watkins Glen State Park is extremely busy on weekends between April and October, particularly during the holidays. This is the best time of year for families and we recommend arriving very early in the day if you plan to visit in the peak months of summer. However, hiking the gorge trail in summer is not always enjoyable because you’ll constantly have to wait for people along the route.
Our favorite time to visit Watkins Glen is the last week of September or first week of October. Spectacular fall foliage colors illuminate the gorge and Rainbow Falls becomes even more beautiful. The weather is perfect for hiking and the crowds are minimal compared to summer. We arrived around 7:00am in October and had the gorge trail to ourselves for a few hours.
In winter, the gorge trail is closed, but the rim trails remain open. The gorge closes due to ice and snowmelt which causes very high water levels making the trail dangerous. If this is your first time visiting, we wouldn’t recommend winter because you’ll miss the best hike in the park. However, if you want to hike a gorge trail in winter, head to Taughannock Falls State Park.
In late May, the gorge trail typically reopens. This is the best time of year to see heavily flowing waterfalls and experience comfortable hiking conditions. You can check the open status on the official website.
Photography Tips
The Gorge Trail is an illustrious and celebrated nature photography location and Rainbow Falls is the star attraction. Perfect photography conditions would be an early morning on an overcast October weekday with minimal crowds and optimal lighting. And this is why we visited on an early morning in October.
Here are a few photography tips to consider:
- Use a mirrorless or DSLR camera and lens with focal length anywhere between 16-55mm depending on the type of frames you want to create. We use our 16-35mm lens and 24-105mm lens.
- You absolutely must use a tripod for stability if you want to capture the silky waterfall effect. There are one or two spots you can place your camera on the wall but you won’t have any flexibility over camera angle.
- Shoot 0.3 second to 3 second exposures using at different apertures to get a nice mix of focus depth and silky waterfall effects.
- If you’re a beginner, shoot in RAW and JPEG. You can use your jpeg now but once you have more experience you’ll be grateful for the RAW file you can edit in post.
- Visit early in the morning before the sky is blown out by daylight. Use a ND filter to stop down to the light or a CPL filter to dim the glare in pools below.
- You’ll see a lot of glare in the closest pool if you try to capture a frame with the entire bridge in shot. Move to your right, cutting off some of the bridge but removing the glare altogether.
Restaurant Recommendations
You don’t need to leave the village of Watkins Glen to find fantastic places to eat. If you’re visiting in summer we recommend making a reservation because they fill up fast. Even in fall you should play it safe by arriving early to dinner or booking a table in advance.
Here are some of the top rated eateries within half a mile of the main entrance:
- Nickel’s Pit BBQ – BBQ meals, craft beer and live music in a historic building
- Jerlando’s Ristorante – Family-run restaurant styled to look like an Italian piazza
- Thai Elephants – Traditional Thai dishes
- Babcha’s Pierogies – Homemade pierogies, cabbage rolls and kielbasa
- Blue Pointe Grille – Lakefront dining located in the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel
- Seneca Cheese Company – Wine and cheese bar with terrace
READ: Where to see the best Finger Lakes waterfalls
Where To Stay
The best way to visit Watkins Glen State Park is by staying in a village hotel the night before and waking up early to be the first person hiking the gorge trail. Every hotel in the village is located within walking distance to the Gorge Trail. However, if you stay on the shores of Seneca Lake, you’ll have to drive to the main entrance parking lots.
You can either read our guide to the 8 best hotels in Watkins Glen NY on our sister site or take a look at our top cheap and luxury options below.
Here are the best Watkins Glen Hotels:
- Budget Inn Watkins Glen – budget
- Lakeside Resort – private cabins
- Longhouse Manor B&B – luxury
- Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel – luxury
We’ve stayed at both the Budget Inn as well as the Harbor Hotel. While the Budget Inn is very basic, it’s only about 0.5 miles from the main entrance so you can walk or easily drive to the park. Be sure to grab an ice cream at the Glen Dairy Bar right next door. The luxurious Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel offers beautiful lakeside rooms and it’s the quintessential lodging option in the village.
READ: Tips for booking cheap hotels
Camping Options
If hotels don’t fit your budget or you’d prefer to be outdoors surrounded by nature, there are 279 campsites and 9 rustic cabins in the park all located near the south entrance. All camping options are available from from mid-May to mid-October. But prices are increased for peak season from the end of June to the end of August.
Campsites cost $18.00/night in the off season and $30.00/night in peak season. You can book a campsite here.
Cabins cost $58.00/night with a $7.00/night out of state fee and there is a 3 night minimum. You must bring your own bedding and you can book one here.
Watkins Glen Interactive Map
Click on our interactive map to find all the points of interest as well as our hotel and restaurant recommendations. Here is the map key:
- Yellow – Parking lots at each entrance
- Brown – Restroom locations
- Light Red – Points of interest along the gorge trail
- Purple – Restaurant recommendations
- Blue – Hotels and camping
You can also access our interactive map via this link here.
The Morgan Conclusion
Watkins Glen State Park is an extremely popular destinations for families in summer. It’s home to a beautiful gorge trail that we think is one of the best hikes in the US.
But is Watkins Glen State Park worth visiting?
Yes, we think the Gorge trail at Watkins Glen is worth visiting because it featuring 19 stunning waterfalls alongside a beautiful stone walkway you won’t see anywhere else. The gorge is unique because it follows Glen Creek as it flows directly into the southernmost tip of Seneca Lake, one of the most popular Finger Lakes in the region.
Visitors should plan to spend about two hours walking through the gorge to Rainbow Falls. But the trail involves a total of 832 stairs from main entrance to upper entrance which might be difficult for some visitors. You can avoid 180 of these steps by turning around at Mile Point Bridge and taking a shortcut to North Rim Trail.
Unfortunately, the gorge trail is not open in the winter and it’s weather dependent from remaining snow and ice on the trail. We recommend you visit late spring to early fall to see the gorge at its best. Spray from waterfalls in full flow and wet leaves on the paths can cause slippery stone surfaces, so always use caution when hiking.
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We hope our guide to hiking the amazing Watkins Glen State Park gorge trail helps with planning your visit!
Please let us know if you have any questions about this state park or the Finger Lakes region in the comments below.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.
Where Are Those Morgans has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Read more about us.
Just wanted to say thank you for this article – it had all the information i was looking for. Thank you and safe travels!
Hi Farah, thanks for letting us know and have a great visit to Watkins Glen!
Hi! We are planning to visit Watkins Glen soon! Question though, as I think I might not have understood: If we park at the Main Entrance and take the shuttle to the Upper Entrance, can we avoid the hiking up 800 steps? My partner has some older injuries that don’t necessarily hinder us from hiking, but don’t want to push it 😉 thinking a one-way only hike, more downhill, would be easier for us.
Yes that’s right, take the shuttle from Main to Upper entrance, walk down Watkins Glen Gorge Trail all the way through the gorge to Main entrance. There might be one or two small sections of steps but almost all steps are going UP gorge trail so you won’t have many to contend with. Hopefully the recent heavy rain hasn’t caused any issues inside the gorge. Have a great trip!