There is an amazing gorge, with multiple waterfalls and water features, which has become a New York State Park. While Watkins Glen is famous for automobile racing, the gorge is what first brought people to the area. They came not for the beauty but for the power created by the falling water. The area was known as Jefferson, in honor of one the country's founders. Sam Watkins came to the gorge and built flour and saw mills powered by the flow of the water. After Watkins death, the community made a decision to change the name of the village to honor Watkins and the gorge, or valley, or glen, where his mill was located.
The Village of Watkins Glen formed at the mill and the county courthouse is just across the street from the new visitors' center. The park is right in town.
As you enter the park, the rock gorge cut by the water can clearly be seen.
The beauty of the park made it ripe for tourists and resorts. A resort was developed along the gorge, first opening in 1863, attracting visitors from around the world. The State of New York acquired the land to become a state park, allowing all to walk the gorge and soak in its beauty.
A young woman, working at the park as a part of an Americorp project, had the duty of providing tours with detailed descriptions and history. The morning of our hike up the gorge we had a private tour due to our lucky timing. The walkways were all wooden during the resort days. The stone walkways were built as part of a CCC project during the depression. There are 19 waterfalls in the park and 800 steps along the trail. Here the walkway passes under a waterfall.
The waterfalls in Watkins Glen State Park are numerous, but they are not the only spectacular falls in this area of the state. Less than 10 miles south of Watkins Glen is the even smaller village of Montour. In a residential section of the village is the showy falls known as Shequaga.
We returned to Shequaga after a rainstorm and found the falls to be much more active.
The Watkins Glen State Park is most worthy of a visit and the surrounding area offer even more interesting sights. And, did you know that the Finger Lakes region is known as wine country?
