Letchworth State Park Reviews

Due to travel restrictions we had to change our planned trip to Canada to a US based one and went back to an old favorite in Letchworth. I wrote quite a comprehensive review the last time we stayed and so will share some of those points again as the review was well received.

-There is a fee to enter the west side of the park ($10, exact change or credit cards), but it is waived if you are a camper. There is no entry fee to enter the east side of the park or the Mt Morris Dam area
-the east side of the park does not have much to see on it, it is rather undeveloped
-the nature center at the south end of the park is very nice, has wifi, modern restrooms, nice exhibits
-the only trash disposal in the entire park is for campers, all other trash is carry out what you carry in
-some made mention that the trails are poorly marked- we did the trails around the 3 falls and most of the rim trail and had no such issues. we were pleased that most overlooks have a restroom as well.

Take advantage of the chance to see the canyon at different parts of the day- sunrise, sunset, shadow, full sun. Admire the stars in the night sky.

The fleet of green trucks everywhere maintaining the park is quite impressive, they are always somewhere mowing, weedwhacking, cleaning, cutting up trees, etc. Highly reccomend. If you enjoyed the review and found it helpful- click the button to say it ;)

Stunning views! The canyon is breathtakingly beautiful, enjoyed by many overlooks or a hike down into the base of the canyon. The trails are friendly, mostly easy, some moderate, all manageable with proper footwear. The park is clean, parking is plenty and if you are able to, book a rafting trip through the canyon. Enough rapids to be a thrill ride, waterfalls and wildlife along the river. I enjoyed this park with my family, aged 8-69, with young children, teens and a senior, we all had a great time!

The best place for fall foliage. The park, trails and water falls make this place a must see. We went to the park on October 26, 2019 and the colors and views were spectacular. You can drive the entire 17 mile route and stop multiple times along the way. There are several lookout ares where you can park your car and walk to explore the area and views.

Beautiful. Pink trail ( more like path) takes you to falls and overlooks. Would not a hard walk does have some stairs if you park by the entrance near the upper falls

The park is pretty, and trails are well marked, but there are NO services ! Not a single food vendor was open, and there are no services in the nearby towns. So get your food, drinks, sunscreen and gasoline BEFORE you go to this park. The one visitor's center that was open is very small and had knick-knacks (picture frames and magnets), but nothing else.

We were there during the day mid-week in July and there were more Park Employees than visitors... and the most number of restrooms that I have ever seen in a park. There had to be more restrooms than employees!

We entered at the Portageville entrance, hiked the Gorge Trail, then drove the length to the Mt Morris Dam, and returned.

You can spend a week here. Really! The park itself is massive at 14000+ acres. A 17+ mile stretch of the Genese River flows through the park, drawing visitors to its gem: the falls, specifically the Middle Falls (between the Upper and Lower of course). Although the trails are marked and a map is available at almost every brick and mortar location, the walk from the Upper Falls to the Lower is veeeeeery loooong. Space it out over two days, Upper & Middle first, with visits to the Nature Center, Museum, lunch (or even an overnight stay and dinner) at the Glen Iris Inn overlooking the Middle Falls. Day 2, the Lower Falls and maybe rafting (at the bottom) or a swim(at the pool), plus the trails around Inspiration Point. Bikes can be ridden on most trails but I not along the gorge. Fascinating park. Can't wait to return.

The area is very well-maintained with crowds spread out enough to enjoy quiet moments with the falls or canyons. The serene, relaxing atmosphere extends to all the viewpoints, with ample parking for cars. There are playgrounds throughout the park, benches, and picnic areas with restrooms nearby.

Pets are allowed and we found the trails to be easily walkable. This park is surprisingly accessible as most points of interest could be driven to, except closer views of the Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls. To see the Lower Falls up close, one would need to hike about 20 minutes into the park through a path with stairs.

Overall, a wonderful park that lives up to its reputation as the "Grand Canyon of the East"!

Went alone as a single female and stayed in cabin c16. Spent 7 days in the beautiful place. I didn’t use the pool but it was open. Staff was friendly. Walmart was only 30 min away in a small town surrounded by Aldo, Wegman, McDonald’s and Dunken Donuts. They also have a Dollar General 10 min away from Cabin C area and wood is cheaper outside the camp grounds. My cabin had 2 bunk beds and 2 folding beds, a stove and a full size fridge. I was across from the shower house. Everyone was quiet no outside creatures other than a squirrel and chipmunk. Pack a grill they my cabin didn’t have one. I had no curtains on the windows. I brought some tissue paper and taped them to the window for privacy. Walk to the falls was beautiful and if you didn’t want to make breakfast there is a restaurant on the lower falls.

Decided to visit western upstate NY and chose Letchworth SP after reading some reviews online about it and we were NOT disappointed. We stayed in the campground and found it very nice. The only downside to the campground was the bathrooms in the 800 loop are very old and dirty and need replacing. Other loops bathrooms were newer. The campground is 12 miles from the Portage Entrance (the main entrance) and the road is pretty hilly and twisty if you have a big or long rig it is drivable but challenging. Entering at the Perry entrance is a better choice if camping. The park is very picturesque and there are other parks nearby that also offer amazing scenery but the 3 waterfalls at Letchworth are the biggest and most spectacular of the area. Well worth the visit!

They say they are the “Grand Canyon of the East.” It contains a high gorge. It appears the area is in a bit of a drought right now, so there is not much water at the bottom of the gorge, but 3 waterfalls were still flowing. We drove to Inspiration Point from the Visitor Center. We hiked the 1.5 miles to the right to see the pretty middle and upper falls. We then hiked back to Inspiration Point and hiked 1.5 miles to the left to see the lower falls. All hiking was easy for the most part; there are some roots, small rocks, and acorns on the trails. There are uphill parts and often there is fencing when a trail is near an edge. If you can only do 1 hike, the right hand hike to the middle and upper falls is easier and those falls are bigger than the lower falls. The hike to the lower falls is more shaded (nice for a hot day), but there’s a lot more downhill and uphill to see one smaller fall, William Letchworth’s prior home, Glen Iris, is pretty snd has a restaurant and gift shop. Behind Glen Iris is a small museum; the info about William Letchworth was very interesting.
FYI- this is a “no trash” park; there is not a public trashcan anywhere, even in the women’s bathrooms.

Known as the Grand Canyon of the east, this park is 17 miles long with the Genesee River running through it and features several beautiful waterfalls. There are over 20 trails throughout the park to explore. We only had one day at the park but I could easily see spending a week here, hiking all the trails.

There are 4 entrances to this park. I definitely recommend entering through either the Portageville or Castile entrance! I also recommend to start your day as early as possible to beat the crowds, especially on the weekend. When you enter the park you'll get a really great park and trail map, but here are a couple that I found online that are great. Entry to the park was just $10 for the entire day for our whole family which is really awesome! It felt a lot like driving through Yellowstone where you drive around, stopping at scenic overlooks and maybe taking in a few hiking trails.

Upper and middle falls:
The upper falls and middle falls are the highlight of the park and is often the most congested. I would start your day off here for sure so you can enjoy it and take pictures without the crowds. Both are very easily accessible from the parking lot. We actually parked near the upper falls and then drove to the middle falls so we didn't have to back track but the trail between them is super easy and serene. The upper fall is 70 ft. high and is located right beneath the Portage High railroad bridge. If you drive towards the Portageville entrance you'll actually see a small pull off area to see the top of the fall from underneath the railroad bridge. The middle fall is 107 ft high and likely just as wide. You can view this from two observation points, one right next to the waterfall and another further down the path gives you a picturesque view of the immense waterfall. This was one of my favorite waterfalls in the park!

Visitor Center area:
Also near the visitor center is the museum, Glen Iris Inn, council grounds, a civil war monument, trout pond and the Humphrey nature center. We did not spend time at any of these since we were only here for a day but likely worth stopping at if you have more than a day in the park.

Inspiration point:
This is definitely a stop you'll want to make! From here you will have a great view of both the upper and middle falls.

Lower falls:
THIS IS NOW OPEN!!! It actually opened the day we visited on 7/16/20. About 2 miles downstream from the Upper Falls you'll find the lower falls. This isn't quite as accessible as the other two but you can get really close to this waterfall, enough to feel it's mist! This does require a moderate hike but is beyond worth it! Park at the octagon area for easiest access to the stairs that lead you to the lower falls, it's right behind the playground. You could park where the trail starts, it's mostly flat and shaded but there are a couple of stair cases to climb. Parking at the octagon area will save you 10 minutes each way off your trip! From the top of the stairs it is about 127 steps down and then back up but they aren't bad. Take a bottle of water to cool off after you've traversed back up it. Once you get to the very bottom of the steps, walk a little straight ahead to find the steps that lead you down to the footbridge. This can be hard to find if you aren't looking for it. The footbridge is a stone footbridge, the only one over the gorge that actually connects both sides of the park. After you're done visiting there, head back up to the main trail, where the original 127 steps ended and continue down the trail to get to the lower falls. From here it was a super easy and flat hike that did not take long to reach the falls. You'll see a meadow open up and the mist from the falls. You are close enough that you can cool off in the mist which is really awesome!!! I don't think the signs or markings for this trail is very well marked so it can be confusing to know if you are on the right trail. We were very lucky that a park ranger was on the trail and confirmed that we were going the right way. Once you're done visiting, turn around back down the path you came and back up the stairs to get back to the parking lot. At the lower recreation falls you'll also find a snack bar, plenty of picnic tables and playgrounds. At the octagon area you'll also find a nice playground and plenty of picnic tables.

Scenic overlooks:
There are several pull of spots that you can park and get different views of the gorge, I highly recommend stopping at these. Archery Field overlook offers a nice horseshoe view of the gorge. Humphrey's overlook and great bend overlook, and Snake Hill Overlook was neat as well. Be sure to stop at Wolf creek to enjoy the rolling river under the bridge and some nice scenery. Tea table has some really neat stone slab picnic areas as well as a gorgeous view. Gardeau overlook, Hogsback, and Mt. Morris Dam overlooks were also neat stops. My personal favorites were Inspiration point, Archery field, Humprhey's and Wolf Creek.

Hiking:
There are over 20 trails in the park! Here is a great resource that outlines each of them. We took a couple of easy ones and a moderate one; 19 is a short easy hike to a cute waterfall and we did a portion of 13 which is moderate to go down to the river in addition to of course the Lower falls trail. There are definitely a lot more trails we'd love to explore sometime but since we only had a day we picked just a few. There are trails on both sides of the park but those on the side with the waterfalls are certainly the most trafficked. We drove along the other side of the park and it was certainly a bit more rustic. There actually isn't a cost at all to get in through the Parade Grounds entrance.

I highly recommend checking out CNY Hiking for an overview of each trail, they have an awesome summary of every single trail.

During COVID, we visited on a weekday to avoid crowds as much as possible and did not run into any issues with social distancing. In the very few spots where we were anywhere near someone we put up our masks.

Beautiful park, however the camping isn't worth the money.
Open leach field smell all week
Bathrooms subpar, no handicapped stalls and I need the hand rails
Tent site was boggy
The waterfalls where beautiful

Beautiful waterfalls and nice parks here. Clean, lots of parking, plenty of washrooms throughout the park. It was well worth going, and a nice drive through the park. Entrance fee was only $10.

Letchworth is an incredible place to visit, with lots of scenic hiking trails along the gorge and surrounding area. There's an abundance of historical landmarks and local geological information. The park facilities are clean and very well maintained. I'm not sure I would tent camp here again, though. The campsites offered little privacy/seclusion compared to other parks we've visited. This is a much better environment for families and groups who are RV camping and don't mind a more lively crowd, particularly in the evenings.

Stunning natural beauty. If this place doesn’t impress you, nothing will. Maybe not for the mobility challenged though. Lots and lots of stairs.

The Upper and Lower Falls are both very beautiful. The whole park itself is very nice and well kept. Lots to do for the family and adults-hiking trails, a museum, a swimmng pool, and a guest house to stay the night. We did spend the night there. A very enjoyable park visit.

This park is a treasure. So clean and all the signage and trails are so well marked. We will definitely be back. Hike all three of the falls. Each one is so different and beautiful

Beautiful beyond imagination!
No words can explain the beauty and peace of this park. Waterfalls, walking trails, Rafting, tennis court, playground, water dam, HP style railway bridge. It has everything a person needs on a relaxing rejuvenating holiday. Go for it!

I had visited Letchworth many years ago and forgot how absolutely beautiful it is. It has great traisl if you want to hike, but also has many stops where the scenery is gorgeous where you can park your car. It is truly one of the most beautiful parks I have ever visited.

An amazing park got even better in my view as we planned a trip to go on a balloon trip and stay at an area B&B. We went into the park 1 of the 3 days we were in the area. I was here with my dad last year before he died so we just ate at the Glenn Iris Inn and looked at the falls. We enjoyed the drive and loved the trees and views.

Coming back with my girlfriend, we were able to do a bit more exploring and a few things closed or being remodeled in 2020 were open this year.

The first day was for the balloon ride and it was a good morning. It was dark and a bit foggy but saw a few deer and got to the launch site where we spent some time overlooking the falls (they were lit since it is near the Inn and want people to enjoy them if out for nice stroll) and using the rest rooms. The balloon ride over Letchworth was magical and the park looks beautiful from the air. We left the park for a bit and came back in the afternoon.

We started the afternoon at the William Pryor Letchworth Museum which is small but contains a nice collection of local history books, collectibles, Indian artifacts and fossils. A very nice place for people interested in the history of the area and Indian artifacts.

I wasn't adventurous enough to take the Indian trail behind the museum so I drove around the hill to get to the top of the hill. Letchworth was determined to collect and preserve Native American artifacts and one of his most significant acquisitions was the Revolutionary War-era Seneca Council House, which he rescued from decay in Caneadea, New York, and moved here in 1871. This is for view as well as a marker when President Millard Fillmore presided over a ceremony known as the "The last Council Fire in the Genesee Valley". There is also a state to honor Mary Jemison (was captured and lived with Indians) and the Nancy Jemison Log Cabin where she lived.

We next hit the Humphrey Nature Center and enjoyed the garden, some statues, the bird feeders out back which had some colorful birds and some stuffed animals and some real like a snake. The place is good for kids to learn about the wildlife in the park. They are building an area for autistic people next store which I would love to check out.

We then hit the Visitors Center and saw some displays of the Glenn Iris Inn and some beautiful photos of the park. A gift shop was some items for campers as well as some nice gifts. The garden outside was very beautiful.

We let the park to go to dinner in Perry and then re-entered to go back to B&B in Mount Morris. We stopped at a few overlooks, including the Mt Morris Dam where the oversized chair is located and the Hogsback Overlook.

This was a wonderful trip and glad got to see more of the attractions at the park. Letchworth offers so much natural beauty and historical attractions, you can spend a good day there and not see or do everything.

Decided to visit this place basically because well it was in the Mount Morris area as we were visiting a relative currently living in the area. Had to at least see the "great waterfalls" that were being talked about. I was not that impressed with the part. Yet once we arrived at the waterfalls area, They were wonderful,

We did a Fall/Winter driving tour of the park (though we will be back for the hiking trails). This place is beautifully maintained with excellent roads and view points.
Summer camping and picnics must be incredible as the facilities seem excellent!
If you enjoy nature and natural beauty...just get here...you will be impressed!

We stayed in the E cabins on the quiet side of the park. The cabin was comfortable. The bathroom across the street was very clean. We cooked on both the stove and campfire. Pushed two cots together and used a queen fitted sheet to make a double bed. Nice having a fridge to keep food and wine cold. Wish I had brought along a dish pan to get water from the shared spigot to also do dishes in. The one overhead light was very bright so a portable camplight is recommended for coziness. Saw people arriving at cabins without checking in at Visitor's Center first - you have to pick up your key. The area was extremely quiet and peaceful. The overall park is spectular with many scenic views. Hiking can be short walks or long trails. We took an afternoon trip to Keuka Lake and visited several outstanding wineries. Hammonsport is nice shopping stop too. Overall a great long weekend trip.

Outstanding park. Great walking trails. Wonderful outlooks. Pristine grounds. Worth a full day visit.

Absolutely magnificent park. We stayed at the campground, were told that middle falls was lit up at night, so we took a ride down to check it out - just stunning. Next day we hiked and saw Lower, Middle, Upper and some amazing drive by views (Inspriation point is fantastic). If you're using it as a destination for seeing the falls, really 2 nights is good enough, but it's so beautiful, you can certainly stay longer.

Be aware that the bugs/mosquitos are plentiful, but we really weren't bitten - just a nuisance.

We ate at the Glen Iris Inn for lunch - nice view of Middle Falls from there, and lunch was pretty good.

This park is not to be missed. Just fantastic.

The park itself is beautiful. The Upper and Middle falls are very pretty. The lower fall was just a little drip and very disappointing. Lots and Lots of steps from upper fall to middle falls. The restaurant at the middle falls had pretty patio seating, but no customers. The Vistas as you drive are amazing. There is a very nice big pool with a diving board in one area of the park and BBQ Grills. The campground looked nice, cabins looked a little run down. The problem is that there is nothing around the area other than Letchworth State Park, no restaurants either. There was a railroad a half hour away, but it was not running trips the weekend in August that we visited Letchworth Park. There is also a drive thru safari 45 min away. Other than that absolutly nothing in the area for attractions. For us, it was not worth the 6 hour ride. If this place is 2 hours away for you, than I would say it is worth the visit. Otherwise Watkins Glenn is a much nicer hike with many falls and nice restaurants in the area.

Hiked along the gorge. Many, many people out enjoying the beautiful views of the falls on a Sunday. The Lower Falls was less crowded; more steps and grade. Lots of green space for families to enjoy, picnics areas, historical monuments, a dam. Saw hot air balloons on the horizon. A great place to explore... have been here several times.

very nice place, very easy to see it all. there are harder trails and easier ones for people who don't get around as easy. i believe admission was $8 for the car. this is good then at all the different entrances. we went to the ny areas for a week. this park was the only one the had water going over the falls. very nice.

Our first stop was the Visitor Center, where we asked the woman at the window for directions to see the waterfalls while doing a minimum amount of hiking. I explained we would like to park the car as close as possible and only walk a short distance. She directed us to the parking lot at the south end of the park near the railroad bridge, where we descended about 250 steps to the Upper Falls. The BIG problem was climbing those 250 steps to return to our car, comparable to climbing to the top of a 25 story building. I am a 65 year-old overweight man who has had 2 heart attacks, 5 knee surgeries and many back, hip and foot problems. My fiancé has had surgeries on both feet. The climb nearly killed us.
We found what we were looking for on our own. Just south of the Glen Iris Inn is a road marked “Upper and Middle Falls area” that leads to a parking lot with a snack bar and picnic tables, which is only a short distance of mostly level ground to both the Upper and Middle Falls. Why the woman at the Visitor Center didn’t direct us here is dumbfounding. On behalf of our families, friends, loved ones, children and grandchildren, NO THANK YOU’S offered for nearly killing us. What did we ever do to you?
The park and waterfalls are beautiful. Don’t miss Inspiration Point.

We enjoyed our visit here. There is plenty of parking. Trails are well maintained and we enjoyed the views of the waterfalls. It was busy over memorial day weekend. There is a $10 entrance. Definitely look at a map to check out all the overlooks and hiking trails. We started with the upper falls. There are alot of steps. The views of the bridge and gorge are breathtaking. Definitely need hiking boots, it gets slushy. We drove to the lower falls and hiked from there. Inspiration point is not to be missed. We packed a picnic and had it at the many tables available. My son enjoyed the park as well. There are restrooms available onsite.

What a beautiful place to go walking . My boyfriend , dog, and , I try to make it here twice a year to enjoy the beauty of nature .
So many places to walk or just pull over to capture the views .
Always a great place to have a picnic too.

We went tent camping here in July 2020. The highlight of this park is the pool and the scenic canyon like vistas but I cannot recommend camping here. I would not recommend someone visiting here just for the Letchworth Falls because they are pale in comparison to the Niagara Falls which are so close by that you can see the mist in the sky from them. My first concern is that the Park businesses are somewhat of a scam. How does the Park Store get away with operating the way it does? First, the prices were on the high side and many items were not even marked. Second, on the day we went, their credit card system “was down” but “they were accepting cash”. In fact, the exact amount (and only the exact amount) of cash. And if not, “just give an amount around that” (i.e. around and ABOVE it) to which no change was returned. Third, their coffee machine was set up and appeared as if it worked but in fact did not. On to the Visitor Center. I asked a kind and apparently very helpful older lady, who appeared as if she had worked there for some time whether there was a McDonalds or similar fast food place around to which she responded “No … no there is none of that around here but we have a wonderful restaurant with finger foods.” In fact, there is a McDonalds within a mile of the north entrance. Onto the security of the Park. Here it really fails. We had no cellular service (smartphone connectivity or phone calls) in the whole 9 mile park except just weak service in one part around the pool (several miles from the campsite). Though there is a police station there, it is not always manned. When we returned to the park after hours, there was usually no one at the front gate checking to make sure you were a camper. I think you are allowed only 2-3 vehicles per tent site but the guy next to us had a truck, 2 cars plus a large RV as well as about 8 people staying there and he liked to play his RV music very loudly after 11 PM. We were surprised to see so many RV’s there. It seemed as if ½ to ¾ were RV campers (in the tent camping are we were in). When we left, ¾ of the sites were vacant. The Letchworth State Park is interesting but definitely not a favorite.

The waterfall with surrounding gorge is beautiful. There are other sites to see besides the waterfalls.

We visited this park 4 times in our 5 day stay at Letchworth. There was unfortunately a $10 fee every time we entered the park. Wish they had some multi-day one-time fee. Got expensive. This is the reason I gave it a Very Good rating instead of an Excellent rating. The park is well maintain and clean. Absolutely beautiful scenery. The 3 huge falls are not to be missed.
There are huge stone picnic tables located throughout the park to dine at. This park is a carry-in carry-out your garbage park. We are definitely returning in Fall one of these days to check out the foliage.

If you are not from NY, you most likely don't know about this park. It is a wonderful Gem. This are wonderful hiking trails, glorious sights to see, fresh clean air and nature everywhere. The canyon is impressive. we are truly glad we went.

Letchworth is truly amazing. The falls incredible. A lot of history and wonderful food at the Glen Iris Inn.

The park is known as the Grand Canyon of the East for nothing. The views justify it. The three major water falls and some minor ones provide very good views. But the forest looks too artificial with evenly spaced monoculture for quite a bit of stretch. The insight to history offered in the Museum and the village trail leading to the house & statue of Mary and the Village Conference Hall is interesting. The sprawling area is difficult to cover in a day and camping would be ideal to use maximum of the trails.

I totally agree with " Anonymous " review September 2024. The Middle Falls and Upper falls are awesome, the Lower Falls OK but nearly as dynamic. We were at the Middle Falls Parking lot around 4 ish and got to follow 3 hot air balloon soar over falls. Inspiration Point is the can't miss distance view of the falls and the gorge. We liked the Hogsback Overlook in the north end. We thought discovering the story of William Letchworth in the park Museum was worth 30 minutes well spent. The statue and cabins of Mary Jemison, " The White Woman of the Genessee " and the Seneca Council were also worth a 15-20 minute stop. I would suggest driving up to the parking lot vs using the stairs by the museum.

The good: beautiful views along the gorge trail, water falls, renovated cabins (A-cabin area - now with hot showers)

The bad: trails in poor-rough shape in places (mostly from lack of maintenance), worn rutted roads, police speed traps, visitor's center employees demanding mask utilization but they don't follow the same rules, NO cellphone service (Verizon and AT&T) in much of the park and no WiFi - so be prepared to be out of touch for much of your visit unless you leave the park.

The A-cabin renovations aren't complete renovations. They added a shower stall, on-demand hot water heater, new fixtures, appliances, lighting, etc. The bedroom is now a single room with two twin beds, and a bunk with full-sized mattresses. All new furniture. Some missed opportunities for a complete renovation (most of the windows were old and they only focused on the new stuff leaving the rest of the cabin looking worn and old) - but a new bathroom with hot shower was nice.

We didn't bother with a campfire - it got very buggy at night, and there's a bit of a Gypsy Moth Caterpillar infestation going on there. We ended up staying in the cabin and made use of the screened porch instead.

We hiked the Gorge Trail from the Lower Falls area to the High Falls. The hike to/from the Lower Falls can be strenuous - so make sure you are in good physical shape. The rest of the trail is flat to rolling, but beware of spots that are in disrepair (and have been since my last visit about 10 years ago).

The Letchworth Museum was an interesting find inside the park with local park and Native American history - it's free and worth checking out. And the new replacement railroad bridge over the High Falls was quite impressive.

Otherwise, it's a nice park that has a lot of potential and one that I have visited quite a few times over the years. If the state invested more money into it with better amenities that most people expect these days - it could be an awesome park!

Letchworth State Park is 18 miles. We started on the south end in Portageville. $10 to enter. The 3 falls are within 6 miles. We chose to drive and get out at lookouts. You can see what you want to see from the lookouts. We got there around 4p, we were done in 2-3 hours. We stayed in Perry at Park Lake motel using Expedia. Easy checkin from email. Clean, big rooms, queen beds, lots of restaurants. We came from Watkins Glen state park about 1 hour 30 minutes away. We hiked there for 2 1/2 hours. Gorgeous falls and gorges. That one is not for anyone with mobility issues.

My family and I stayed in Letchworth for two nights, three days and it truly was the experience of a lifetime. We stayed at the Glen Iris Inn, located at the Middle Falls, one of three beautiful waterfalls you will see at the park. Even if you didn't like to hike, you can see two falls just by parking nearby.
The trails are not to be missed though, and I was awed by the size and beauty of this park. Gorgeous views of the river and gorges lie just around every corner, and they are a sight to be seen.
During our time here, we rafted the Genesee River (a must-do!), fished, visited the Humphrey Nature Center (whose staff catered to our two inquiring children), learned so much history, ate lunch and dinner in the Lower Falls Restaurant and Glen Iris, swam in the beautiful pool and just took in everything nature had to offer!
You must see this park! You will not be disappointed!

We visited for the day and we all loved it. We did the trail for the lower falls. It was beautiful. Some ate at the restaurant near the beginning of that trail. It also offered bathrooms, camping supplies and souvenirs. We had a group of 8, from age 6 through early 50s, and this was a great place for us to hike. We saw waterfalls and the hike itself was just challenging enough for our group. You can do the lower falls even if you aren't super fit. The park has a lot we didn't see, but we enjoyed the parts we did explore.

Letchworth State Park is always a nice way to spend a day, but visiting in the fall is our favorite time of year to visit.

Letchworth State Park lives up to its name as the Grand Canyon of the east! Seventeen miles of wonderful forests, trails and spectacular waterfalls. If you enjoy hiking, this is the place for you. The park has nothing to envy from National Parks, it is immaculately kept and if you like waterfalls, the lower, middle and upper falls will take your breath away. In addition, there is a charming Inn, where the food is outstanding.
Could not recommend enough.

We had perfect weather for a nice fall hike. One thing to note if meeting people at the park is that you will have no phone signal most of the time. I would suggest meeting at the north end where there is plenty of parking and then setting out from there with your group - otherwise it is nearly impossible to contact those you are trying to meet up with.

This is an amazing park. We "camped" here for 2 nights & it was during the weekend, so the large campground was rather full.
The service personnel in the counter couldn't be more helpful & everything around the campground is well maintained.
The water & waste disposal was convenient & well functioning. Around loop 100 there are playground, shop & a farm sale of vegetables.
We kayaked in the beautiful river, hiked 2 trails & took tons of pictures of the beautiful views & amazing waterfalls.
We could easily come back, as we haven't seen much yet.

We were in the area visiting family and driving south from Rochester to visit Wellsville NY for the day. We drove through Letchworth, early, as the leaves were changing and thought it would be scenic. It was. The central area of the park was in full color and we really enjoyed the drive through this portion of the park. In addition, we took the time to visit Inspiration Point as we had the cameras and wanted to set up the tripod and take the popular photo that incorporates the middle and upper falls, which we did.
It's all impressive. Enjoy!

A magnificent state park with easy car access to breathtaking views. The lower falls and middle falls are walking distance from the parking lot.

Beautiful state park. We camped for a week in June 2022. No level sites so it was hard to set up. But the campground was clean and well managed. The trails are well marked. The views are incredible.

This was my second time going to Letchworth in the Fall when the leaves are turning. It’s just beautiful. You can drive from one falls to the next or walk on the trail. The lower falls require a short walk to see them but the upper you could actually see from the parking area but for a better view it’s just a short walk.

Beautiful falls in Letchworth state park. Park is free in winter. Great views, hikes, picnic areas and photo- ops. Close to Buffalo, NY.

Spectacular park that you can either drive, bike, or hike. Half my family did some trail biking and other half did some hiking. We hiked along the ridge to see all 3 waterfalls. Loved the rainbows that pop up in the waterfall mist. Museum has some interesting Native American artifacts and info about the history of the area. Lunch at the Gris Iris Inn had good service, great ambiance with hearing the waterfall nearby, but overpriced food. Much cheaper at Lower Falls Restaurant, but no view or waterfall sound nearby, so you are paying for the location, similar to most tourist locations. Great way to spend the day if visiting the area. Not as amazing as the real Grand Canyon, but much cooler and no rattlesnakes!

This is consistently rated one of the top state parks in the country with good reason. The scenery of the Gorge and Waterfalls is jaw dropping and the park is kept very clean. Camping was great as well. Sites were spacious and well kept, bathroom are dated but constantly cleaned.

Beautiful park! 3 sets of water falls. Lots of hiking trails. Playgrounds. Camping grounds! Small convenience store. Hotel/inn to stay. Pool. Gift shop & information stations! Not sure if it fits the bill of Grand Canyon of the East however it is truly a relaxing & beautiful park that I look forward to exploring more of!

This is a beautiful park with several great waterfalls. I am trying to attach several pictures of the falls and other areas of the park.

It costs $10 entry, but if you eat at the Glen Iris Inn, they will deduct that from your bill.

There are several very muddy slippery areas at the water fall viewing areas, dress (shoes/boots) appropriately.

Otherwise the trails are easy to walk and well maintained, many with stone steps!

This was our first visit to the park; we met folks who had been there annually for decades. We can see why people would want to go there more than once! It's very beautiful. We only had two nights, one whole day, and parts of two days, which certainly wasn't ideal, but was enough for the highlights. It was enough for walking from the upper falls to the middle falls and half the way to the lower falls, and if we were a bit surer on our feet with a bit more energy we'd have made it all the way to the lower falls, but the trail gets pretty steep. The fresh air, the outdoors scents, and the views are wonderful, and everyone you meet is in good spirits and friendly.

In addition to this main gorge trail, we had plenty of time to droive to the lower falls parking lot and did some exploring around there, drove further north to take in some of the vistas, and also visited the (modest) Humphrey Nature Center. We also visited the museum, near the Glen Iris Inn; it was sort of old-fashioned in its approach but interesting. One room gave an upbeat account of the life of William Letchworth; another room featured some of the construction highlights of the park; and a third room has some anthropological and historical displays, from a somewhat colonial perspective. A woman at the entrance had us sign a guest book but she seemed to take no interest otherwise in greeting people or offering information about the museum or other things. From the museum we walked up a steep path to some relocated historical buildings at the old Councli grounds.

We decided not to stay in the Inn because the reviews said that the rooms were quite small. So we stayed at the Pinewood Lodge, and that was a good choice. The Pinewood Lodge has several lodge rooms with separate outside entrances but all part of a single long building, each room named after a pine; there are also two lofts. We stayed in the "Jack Pine" room. To get your key, you check in at the Glen Iris Inn, and here's a positive call-out to a young woman named Kelly who checked us in; she was very welcoming and helpful. We drove to the parking lot to unload luggage, but to get to the Glen Iris Inn for dinner, and to get to the gorge trail which runs past the Inn, we walked down the short though steep path and steps from our room; this just took about five minutes. Next to the parking lot of the lodge are some picnic tables, one of which has a fabulous and wonderfully relaxing view of the Middle Falls, perfect for a leisurely morning coffee. The room was quite comfortable. It had a queen bed, a sofa-bed, and a rollaway cot; it had a small fridge and a small microwave as well. And it had its own bathroom was a surprisingly nice shower.
It seems a bit churlish to criticize, but the signage isn't as helpful as it could be. Trail heads and branch trails aren't generally signed with distances, and the maps don't give distances either. Similarly, if you're driving to a destination, you may find a sign pointing you in the right direction, but it probably won't tell you how far it is, and after driving a while without seeing any more signs, you may begin to wonder whether you're still on the right track.

We loved hiking to the lower falls. Middle and Upper Falls are easily accessible and require minimal effort. If you arrive before 9, there is no fee and the park is mostly vacant. You will be able to enjoy the beauty and peace before the crowds start arriving. By noon, the park will be packed. Being a picnic lunch to enjoy as the lines at the snack shack can be long with new restrictions in place. Remember you have to take your garbage out with you as there are no garbage cans.

Letchworth can be experienced in a car, gentle walks, or hikes. The three waterfalls are the star attractions (upper is most photogenic, middle was our fav, the hike to get to lower is pretty). But there are plenty of other things to explore. There is some food in the park, in case you forgot. Find some picnic benches next to the falls for a really memorable lunch.

Beautiful and easily accessible. There is parking at every attraction and nicely paved walks for those of us who don't get around as easily as we used to! Just be aware of possible wet walks due to mist from falls. Highly recommend taking the time to drive through this wonderful park even if walking isn't your cup of tea. We had an excellent breakfast at Glen Iris Inn. Quiet and peaceful on a Wednesday morning.

This is a beautiful park with multiple waterfalls -- two of which are viewable without long hikes, which is a nice perk for those who are physically challenged!!

We were visiting from out of state and made the mistake of ending up there on a weekend they were having their Fall Crafts Fair evidently -- so the place was OVERRUN with people!! Parking was extremely difficult and it limited us a bit, which was disappointing since we only had one day in the area... But it was still EXTREMELY beautiful and the fall colors added to the beauty!!

Please note -- as another reviewer states...there are NO garbage cans!!! Like...what the HECK?!!! I hadn't seen the sign -- so at one point near a restroom I searched and searched for a garbage can! Finally gave up and...ewww...brought my garbage back to my car!! Don't completely understand this maneuver...would think it would lead to littering....but who knows -- as bizarre as it is -- maybe they find it successful...??

We didn't spend a ton of time in the park due to the crowds but still enjoyed seeing what we were able to!

We spent 8 nights camping. Yes, the falls are breathtaking. No doubt about it. They are also a 30 minute drive from the campground. So is everything else.
Some sites are tight. Ours had a ten foot wide mud pit in the middle and two massive pines so we couldn’t open our awning or walk freely in our site.
Electric hook up only (50 amp). Which would be fine if bath houses were up to date or kept clean regularly. Only loops 100, 200, and 700 had updated and clean bath houses. Water spigots were every 150 ft or so refilling was easy enough with extra hoses. Dump stations were a 10 minute drive. The water at the dump stations were 1/2 inch pex. So we made a threaded coupler to rinse the tanks for a few bucks at the local hardware store (Drew’s in Mount Morris)
The staff was excellent. No complaints there.
Dam tours are free. Also impossible to get in without a reservation? We tried twice and were turned away both times.

INCREDIBLE!!
Views are amazing, everything is well maintained, bathrooms everywhere and clean, plenty of places to park and stop to see another incredible view! On our way we stopped at a rest stop and grabbed an adventure map and we didn’t even need it. Trails mapped and all the attractions are short easy stops! Nothing but great things to say!

Odd tip: when flushing hold handle down for a bit.

💜 Kristina and Henry from Manchester NH

One of the most beautiful state parks that i visited in the USA. I visited many of them. The falls are amazing and are spread sll along. Visitttttttt.

I visited Letchworth as part of a larger road trip though 8 states. I chose it as one of the representatives of New York nature.

I must say that I enjoyed certain aspects of Letchworth State Park very much. I LOVE insects and just in the few hours I spent there on my way through New York, I saw a great variety of creepy crawly critters including a snake. And this was not even during prime wildlife activity windows. This speaks to a very biologically healthy park.

However, one thing that happens when you travel a lot is you develop a very large frame of reference. I have been to a ridiculous number of canyons and gorges including Grand Canyon South and North, Bryce, Palo Duro, Glen Canyon, Kings Canyon, Royal Gorge, etc. Not to mention a ton of waterfalls including Niagara.

That being said, though Letchworth is indeed lovely, whoever dubbed it the Grand Canyon of the East has obviously never actually been to the Grand Canyon. (laugh)

Judging from most photos online you would think it was massive with a lot of accessibility to hike into the wilderness etc. However, this is not really the case.

Though it is rather large, there are very limited places you can actually drive or hike to. And even most of the hikes are walking along the road or a paved path along the edge to destinations you can actually easily see from your car or the viewpoints.

Don't believe me? Just look at the photos online. 90% of them are of the exact same area/handful of viewpoints.

Conversely, if you have a car you can drive 20+ miles along the Desert View of Grand Canyon's South Rim with numerous pull offs and hikes. This does not even include the opposite side with the shuttles and its numerous hikes including the one that actually goes down into the canyon.

Not to mention that there are other canyons in other parts of the country that are more spectacular both in scale and coloration that actually do have a very remote/natural feel and that actually do allow you to explore much of it via car, foot or horse, hike down and hike around it to your heart's content etc.

That being said, I did not venture to the dirt roaded area or any of the camping areas.

However, one thing I found odd and common in parks in the Northeastern portion of the country is a lack of garbage cans. Even in the bathrooms! The argument is that it saves the park money but I would personally think it would cost more time (and thus salary) in picking up liter from people who got tired of carrying around dirty diapers or other unsavory garbage. In fact, at one park I did actually see a dirty diaper just left on the side of a trail.

Overall, I think it is definitely worth a stop if you are in the area or passing through. However, you should go into it with the correct set of expectations so you won't find yourself disappointed. If not for my intense fascination with bugs, it probably only would have taken me 2 hours or so to experience and enjoy the park for what it's worth.

We visited this park on June 5, when most people had been confined to their houses for 3 months. This was actually the first time we had been out of our county.
It was a perfect day weather-wise. Low to mid 80's. A bright sun and blue skies with just a few clouds to make it interesting! We arrived about 9:30 in the morning, and entered thru the farthest south Portageville entrance. It was the last day of free admission, which we did not know. It would not have made any difference-so worth the State Park Admission. I would definitely enter there again. We stayed in the southern part the majority of our 4 hour stay. All 3 falls are in that area.
Our first stop was a walk to the Upper Falls near the trestle. There were a lot of stairs down to get a fantastic view (and then the same amount back up!!!) As we were going down we heard a huge loud noise, and it turned out the train was going over the trestle. It was a very long train-and an awesome experience to hear the noise, and see the train going over the trestle near the falls.
Our next stop was Middle Falls near the Glen Iris Inn. That can easily be seen without a lot of walking.
Inspiration Point is a great stop to have views of both the Middle and Upper Falls. So serene, and we saw a gentleman that had brought his lawn chair and coffee and was just enjoying the view. The Genesee River is stunning.
The final falls stop was the Lower Falls. We had a picnic (that we brought with us) at the picnic area, then took the walk to Lower Falls. Not too many stairs, but a little bit of a walk.
The bathrooms were open, which we were not sure about. At the entrance they handed us a list of open bathrooms. There were so many reminders all over the park about social distancing and mask usage. We rarely even had to use the masks because the park was fairly uninhabited. It is a 17 mile long park, so social distancing is easy to accomplish.
After this portion of the park we continued on north. We stopped at scenic overlooks-some more interesting than others. We exited at the Mt. Morris entrance after looking at the Mt. Morris Dam. There was a little food shop open near the entrance to buy food.
The weather cooperated, the people were few, the bathrooms were open, and the views made for incredible photos. I've attached a few...could have put more.

The upper and middle falls were very nice and powerful. We could've done without the hike to the lower falls. The gorge views were also very impressive.

Interesting history of the park. A Mr. Letchworth, a Quaker, saw the area from the train and bought land there. He had 1000 acres centered around Middle Falls. When he died, he gave it to the state for public use - it's now a 14500 acre park (they even took over a village at one point).

The park is 17 miles long and it reminds me of Shenandoah National Park, in that there are options to drive through and go to overlooks but also to really delve into the hiking trails. We camped there - the campgrounds are at one end of the park, the waterfalls are at the other end, but there are also a lot of grassy areas and picnic areas. We did a Trail 1- Gorge Trail that covered the three main waterfalls at the park, starting from the Upper Falls parking area. The trail goes past Lower Falls, but we turned around at that point.

They call it the "Grand Canyon of the East" (which instantly sold my daughter on going there). The rocks are white, not red, and it's 550 feet deep at the deepest point. It is beautiful and the campground was really nice as well.

This park is magnificent . Suggest you enter thru the SOUTH entrance. The terrain is prettier. Take some time to walk out & see the beautiful falls. It is clean & well manicured. If you go in the morning the park is quiet & peaceful…later in the day things get busy. You may want to bring bug spray. Be warned that there is very spotty Cell service when you leave the park. We were lost without a GPS connection but finally
were able to connect a few miles outside of the park.

Spend the day at the park driving from one spectacular view to the next, very beautiful. Had lunch at the restaurant and the food was very good. Went to the nature center which had a great display about Monarch Butterflies. I would definitely recommend the back, I would think it would be especially spectacular in the Autumn

A must visit when anywhere near the area. Was with an older crew so just did the Upper and Middle Falls.
Entering from the Portageville side seems to be closest to the Falls, but important note for those traveling with elderly or disabled...when entering from Portageville, the first parking area on the right after the entrance is to view the falls under bridge. Continue on to the Upper-Middle Falls parking area (with the ice cream stand) to have a nice flat path. We didn’t know and ended up taking all these steps to the Upper Falls viewing area from the first turn off! You can even drive from the Upper-Middle Falls parking lot to the one just for Middle Falls. Just an FYI!

If you like to walk, there’s plenty of paths. Just park your car and wander.

I grew up in NY and had never heard of this place. I read about it online and had to make a visit. It was well worth it! I wish we had more than a night and day to explore. I definitely want to return. The park and the falls were beautiful! A must see!

many hiking and beautiful sites of the falls
many beutiful memories that are unforgetable
many animals to see

This park was recommended to us by friends and it didn’t disappoint. People were enjoying camping, hiking, painting, playgrounds, picnic grounds and just driving though to stop at the wonderful scenery. There are also stunning waterfalls.

For all the people saying there's not many trails...I literally ran 41 miles at the park this summer. On the park side there are 20 miles, take a short drive to the other side, enter the parade grounds and do 20 more miles. These through woods! Did you even bother to get a trail map?!?!?! Some of these reviews are ridiculous.
Welcome to the world of hard to please! Nothing to do but hike?? Kids can't swim in the river?? It is a freakin river with strong current, want your kids to die?! Go to the pool! Ugh!

Cannot say enough great things about this NY State jewel! Only stayed 1 night in campground. Bathrooms were clean. Campsite nicely stocked. Space & trees providing privacy between sites. The next morning we hiked to the Gorgeous Falls. So beautiful!! Shopped in the Visitor Center gift shop. Nicer offerings than many. Had heard this was beautiful place. WAY SURPASSED our expectations!

This was our 2nd visit here; 1st was 2 years ago. Arrived at 6:08 PM. Office was closed with no info posted for us late arrivals. We were on our way back to Chicago and only wanted to stay 1 night. Could not! Had to book and pay in advance for 2 nights plus a $7.25 transaction fee. We ended up paying $65.25 for 1 night camping. We also had to book an electric site even though we did not have anything to plug in. We drove around park to view once again the waterfalls, then left for trip home. Sorry we booked this park and sorry we paid so much for so little.

This is a beautiful State Park in New York with breathtaking waterfalls, gorgeous trails, wonderful areas to picnic etc. The campgrounds that we stayed at was great. We enjoyed going to the museum and Glen Iris Inn. I recommend it highly

Second time to camp in the Grand Canyon of the east! Campgrounds are great. Hiking and waterfalls fun and breathtaking. Large outdoor pool, playgrounds, camp store, nature center, whitewater rafting and Glenn Iris Inn. Something for everyone❤️

We were staying nearby just to break up a long drive and go horseback riding, but at hotel check-in the attendant advised the the park was the whole reason that the hotel existed and advised we should spend some time there. We were pleasantly surprised. We had to work around existing plans, so we didn't arrive until just after 5- turns out the park is free from 5pm until 9 pm. This was just enough time to stop and see all three falls and watch the hot air balloons for a while. Turned out to be a great ending to our day. As it had rained lots recently, the falls were extra powerful and the clean, well kept park was a pleasure to walk around in. Definatey recommended if you are in the area.

We walked several of paths which were well kept and provided glorious vistas of the canyon and the waterfalls.

The middle falls are a must see. I would also advise to park in the middle parking lot so you go to either side and not walk back up to the upper parking after you've completed your tour and carry drinks with you along the walk

We drove right up to Glen Iris Inn, which is right by the middle falls, parked, unpacked in our private room & went hiking. There’s no fee to enter park if your staying at the inn.
Not crowded, gorgeous view during the night and day. Grounds are clean . Museum is informative. There’s also a gift shop in the inn, a restaurant with great food. A seperate store & info center on the trail by lower falls. Absolutely gorgeous views & canyons,falls.

Beautiful park! My husband and I camped in cabin D8, and it was wonderful! The D cabin loop has updated and very nice bathrooms and showers. They were some of the biggest and nicest campground facilities we’ve ever experienced. Cabin had two rollaway cots, small stove, fridge and table and chairs. There was a picnic table, charcoal grill and fire pit outside. It was small inside with the cots unfolded, but manageable.

I highly suggest doing the tour of the Mount Morris dam. It was free and really cool to go out on top of the day! Lucy was our tour guide, and she was terrific! She was knowledge and friendly.

We hiked portions of the gorge trail and the footbridge. We parked at Archery Field Overlook and hiked to Wolf Creek and back. We were treated to stunning vistas, and some serious uphills. We parked at the entrance to trail 6A between the D and E cabins for the foot bridge. That trail was about a half mile down to the footbridge, and not too strenuous. Plus, it provided a terrific view of the lower falls.

We were into and out of most of the park’s entrances. Within a couple minutes drive of all entrances we experienced, there was gas and snack/food options available. We got good firework from the gift shop at visitors center and camp store in the camping loops.

We’re thankful to be able to hike a lot, but this park is nice for people who aren’t as able bodied because you can see a lot from the car and a walk from a parking lot. We were there over a weekend in August and it never felt crowded. So beautiful!

Beautiful state park! Waterfalls, hiking trails and great picnic areas. There is also a campground and rental cabins.

This is an absolutely gorgeous state park. I wish we would have had time to hike all around but we weren’t able to do that the day we were there. All we had time to see that day is what they refer to as The Little Grand Canyon. It was bigger than I thought for but it didn’t have all the colors of the real one. This is a wonderful place to spend several hours whenever you are in the area.

my son and i always we make sure that we visit this restaurant a couple of times during their season. the food is great, staff friendly. our favorite is the lowerfalls burger. prices are fair

We decided to do something healthy this year for thanksgiving instead of stuffing ourselves with Turkey. We went to Letchworth to see if we could see some colours, enjoy the outdoors, and go for a walk away from the city. We definitely were not disappointed. The views were breathtaking. I highly recommend if you plan on walking along the gorge to start early to avoid some of the crowds. We spent the whole day walking and taking pictures. We brought a light picnic and stopped part way to eat. It was a bit crowded near the middle of the afternoon but it was a holiday in the states as well so obviously this is a popular place to see the lovely colours. We will definitely go back.

The staff of the Letchworth State Park take the guidelines of Covid-19 seriously. The bathrooms are sparkling clean. Signage around restaurants and bathrooms reinforce the social distancing measures. Indoor seating is no longer available. X’s are taped on the floor and sidewalks. One-way routes are followed indoors. The staff wear masks. The visitors are doing a fantastic job upholding the standards, too. So ,overall, this visit was an enjoyable day. What a bargain for ten dollars. And, the grounds are impeccably maintained. It boggles my mind as to how they the employees care of miles upon miles of grass-cutting. The trails that I experienced are free of trash and well-groomed. Incredible. I will return.

We stopped here in our trip from Buffalo to Syracuse ( a bit of a detour) and it was so worth it. We say all 3 falls, took the long trail from the lower falls by the restaurant ( good food!), had ice cream at the upper falls and viewed the middle falls from the inn enjoying a glass of wine. It was perfect and beautiful. Really that end is the most scenic. We did go up and out the north end and the dam in not used anymore and there is no water at all. The visitor center has a cute gift shop.

Let me start with, we are hikers. It's a beautiful park BUT the waterfall hike, which we started at the lower falls parking lot and walked to the upper falls parking lot is super crowded when you get near the lookout points where people drive their cars to. Also, a lot of the hike is literally on the road, not the 'nature' experience we seek when out for a good hike. We did trail 20 today from the Morris entrance, and outside of seeing the Dam, it was very boring.

We thought this park was absolutely beautiful, but the comparison to the Grand Canyon is inflated. This park can stand on its own without comparison to a 18 mile wide, 277 mile long, 6000 foot deep desert canyon. It is NO GRAND CANYON!

Beautiful Park with stunning views of the waterfall.

Highly recommend spending 1-2 days at this park. Too many hiking paths to mention.

If you love state parks and nature , then you must include this in your to visit list in North East region !
If you have half a day start from Letchworth Portageville entrance and go down to the lower falls and may be Dam. From this entrance upper falls and middles falls are visible and the paths are well maintained . Admission fee is $10 only.
Lower falls has about 167 steps to go down.
Fall foliage is really nice in Fall season, peak may be around 3rd week of October.

Letchworth State Park is a 17-mile stretch of the Genesee River that roars through the park's scenic gorge with three major waterfalls. Walking the seven-mile Gorge Trail with jaw-dropping views is just beautiful! This is our second time in the park and it didn’t fail to put us in awe.

#getaway2019 #summer2019 #letchworthstatepark #iloveNY #natureismyremedy

If you are coming or going from Niagara Falls, this is a must visit! The falls are magnificent! The park itself is amazing. Very clean. Easy walking trails. The biggest sites are just steps away from the parking lots.

Nice park, you can enter with your car and drive from one nice spot to the other. The waterfalls are beautiful and the recreation zone are in a very good state. you can make a small barbecue or use one of the restaurants.
Plenty of walks, shorter ones and longer ones, as you like.

Spent three days here and it was great! Area around the Glen Iris, middle falls tends to be a bit crowded but just walk about five minutes and it's totally quiet and peaceful. Trails are well marked and great to walk. With covid restrictions get there early, they do close down some sections of they become over crowded, mostly on weekends. The placards placed along some of the trails are very interesting.

We entered the park through the north entrance - Mt. Morris. entrance. The fee was $10 per car, which is 100% worth it, in my opinion.

There are numerous hiking, biking and horse riding trails. Also the amount of spots for picnicking is incredible, with tables, grills and working and clean facilities.

The best part of this park is the south side with all the waterfalls - the best one is the Middle fall, with beautiful park, restaurant, museum and snack shop.

Overall a great state park not to be missed while visiting this side of New York State.

Stayed right in the park (Stone House) so we didn't have to leave for 5 days. And we did not! Awesome views of the falls and canyon!

This is easily one of best state parks in New York. You can see most of the scenic areas by driving on Park Rd and stopping at the turnoff areas without having to do a lot of hiking. Some notable stopping points include the Mt Morris Dam Overlook Area, where we were greeted by an amazing display of fall colors splashed across the opposite bank of the Genesee River; and ditto at the Hogsback area. The Gardeau Overlook and the Great Bend Overlook were quite scenic too. If you are interested in hiking to see the Lower Falls, look out for the Lower Falls Rd as you are coming south past the Castille Entrance. After this detour, Inspiration Point was certainly worth stopping for. Then came the highlights of the park. The best way to see the falls is to take Upper Middle Falls Rd located south of Glen Iris Inn. This will lead you to a parking area where you can head north to the Middle Falls Lookout or head south to the Upper Falls Scenic View.

This gem of a state park was much nicer than expected. It claims to be the "Grand Canyon of the East" and lives up to that. We viewed the Upper, Middle and Lower Falls from the rim trails- stunning beauty. These hikes included many stairs, but were not too strenuous. The visitor center was helpful and clean. Would recommend this park to anyone who loves canyon and waterfall viewing.

Letchworth Park has so much to offer. Hikes of varying difficulty, tremendous views and scenery, many picnic areas, places to buy food, gift shop, an Inn, bird and wildlife watching, and cabins to rent. I never tire of a visit there.

The three waterfalls are gorgeous. Personally, I thought the photo ops for the upper falls with the bridge in the background was one of the best scenes. The middle falls (near Glen Iris Inn) is the largest (in appearance). The lower falls is best seen from the bottom (more walking that viewing it from the rim side). What's interesting is that the water volume of these waterfalls are all the same, yet when looking at the falls, it evokes a different sense of water volume coming over the falls. After that, take a drive over to Morris dam and look at the "volume" of water moving through the dam. Hint: there is water moving though the dam but it doesn't look like it at all. In fact, everyone asks "what happened to the water?" The info desk at the Nature center swears that the volume going though the dam is the same as the volume going over the falls. I've posted some photos showing the water over the falls and water at Morris Dam. By the way, if you are interested, there is a free 1 hr tour of the dam most days (at 2 pm when I was there). This is not a dam that typically "holds" water or runs turbines for electricity but is used strictly for flood control.

There is so much to do in this large state park. I'll try to summarize. We were there for three days and two nights. We stayed at the Glen Iris Inn. I'll post a review on that page.
We entered the park at Mt. Morris. When we entered, we got a map. There are fees associated with some activities. We are over 62 so there was no fee for us to enter the park; just need one of that age in the car and show your driver's license. We immediately stopped by the dam overlook. There is a store there. We had ice cream and look around.
I understand you can take dam tours, but we didn't arrange to do that.
We drove on the Park Road. The map we got was very helpful, full of all kinds of useful information and details on various spots.
As we drove towards Glen Iris we stopped at a few of the overlook areas. All had spectacular views of the Genesee River, cliffs and points of interest. Some had signage to explain the significance of the area.
We drove past Glen Iris to the Lower Falls area where we walked on the trail. At the Lower Falls area there is a restaurant/snack area, picnic tables, a gift shop and restrooms, some inside and some outside. We had lunch inside the building.
We went on to the Glen Iris Inn.
While at the park we visited the Humphery Nature Center. There was an easy trail out back that we walked. The Nature Center is impressive. They were releasing butterflies one day. They have bird feeders out back. We visited them twice, once while the center was closed.
At the Nature Center there is also an Autism Trail. We walked it. There were many stations with interesting exhibits and interactive activities. Plenty of resting stops along the way.
One day we walked along the path to the Upper Falls. When we were there a train crossed the bridge.
We walked around the Council Grounds where Mary Jemison is buried. There are some buildings of significance and signage. It was very peaceful, and we watched for birds there.
There is a Civil War monument.
This is a carry in and carry out park so be prepared to take your trash and recyclables with you. We did see some litter and were disappointed to see so many plastic bottles in waterways.

Letchworth is a hidden gem. Incredible vistas and hiking can be designed to fit level of challenge....from leisurely to quad-screaming hiking! Don't miss this if you are in the area---but beware the fee to get in is somewhere between $7-$10 a car!

A true oasis at any time of year. Nice to visit in November--not crowded at all, the leaves are gone and views to the waterfalls and gorge are unobstructed. Such a peaceful place with jaw-dropping beauty. Highly recommended--bring good walking shoes.

Loved our weekend trip to Letchworth! Highly recommend for hiking of all ages! Trails are well marked and maintained! Beautiful views of Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls! Great picnic and playgrounds for families with children!

beautiful park. thoroughly enjoyed. if u go in before 9 am and after 5pm the entry is free so u can save 10 dollars.falls are lovely nice place to go . the inn is also a very nice place to stay inside the park. good food there too.

Our friends and relatives never heard of this beautiful park which deserves its moniker as The Grand Canyon of the East and New York’s most beautiful state park. With hiking trails along the chasms which lead to three lovely, scenic waterfalls, it is a perfect way to spend the day. Even though it was overcast, every view was still picture perfect. We brought along walking sticks because there are many irregular stone steps, so be prepared. It is a fave with students from Geneseo and Rochester and a very romantic location for a picnic. There are campsites and water activities and a 17 mile hike if you want to spend more than one day. We saw the post on the I ❤️ NY app and had a lovely long weekend. Worth the 645 mile trip from Long Island!

Undiscovered gem of a park. We had planned on one day to visit the park and should have allowed more time. Easy to visit either by car, driving from vista point to vista point, or hiking any of the many trails. Convenient facilities (bathrooms, snack bars, restaurants, plenty of parking). Amazing views. We had also booked a balloon flight but got cancelled due to rain which is a chance you take in October. Will give it another try in the future. We stayed nearby in the Finger Lakes area where there are many overnight options.

This is a must-see when in the region! A stop at "The Copper Iris" for lunch and a cocktail seals the deal....!
It was a day filled with beauty, peaceful trails and great cuisine. Our expectations were surprisingly surpassed that such a mini "wonder of the world" would be tucked away as almost a secret! Spend some time in the quaint town of Mt. Morris if you can....the streets are strewn with antique shops and there's even a fine Italian restaurant "Questa Lasagna" on Main Street! Loved this day trip!!

This place is absolutely beautiful. Didn't get to see the whole park because of a thunderstorm but if you like taking a beautiful walk in nature this place is it

We were so impressed with this beautiful state park. We were there in the peak leaf color season and it was gorgeous. Locals call it the "Grand canyon of the East".

There is no helpful people around for miles as the visitor center was full of people who were snobby. We had good times hiking.

We were visited letchworth with family and stayed there a couple of days. The campground was really nice, electricity at your camp site, clean bathroom and hot water. Our hikes in the park were also nice, although being the grand canyon of the east, the tracks next to the waterfalls were for out taste a bit crowded and too well maintained, it lost the feeling of being on a hike and was more like a walk.

This place is really beautiful! Being a connoisseur of national and state parks, my husband and I decided to visit this wonderful place upon reading other reviews. We absolutely loved it, despite it being COVID season. Go early to avoid the crowds. This place has wonderful sights, especially in autumn!

This park is a green setting in a page of zenitude. Everything leads to an appreciation of nature and the peace it can provide. I recommend.

Wonderful place. Wonderful TV camping. Must be prepared for walking. Not good for dogs really. Great dining at Glen Iris Inn.

Did a short nature walk here to look at the falls in a large school group. It was pretty. The trail we did (the one that takes you to the falls) was definitely not a hike so don’t come here expecting one.

A beautiful park in western NY. The trees are stunning. The Falls and Canyon were spectacular. A must see if you are in that part of NY

Letchworth State Park is one of the most spectacular parks in the world. Breath taking beauty, hiking, restaurants, swimming, water falls, wildlife, museum, and more. Definitely a bucket list item.

Wowww...what a phenomenal experience. Definitely see why it's called the Grand Canyon of the East. The views are amazing.

There a lot of underrated state parks in this country but this is one of the few state parks that could be a National Park. It is that big and that good.

Have two young kids, so can’t do too much hiking but we stopped at all the overlooks and hiked to the lower falls. Just doing this took all day. Park stretches for over fifteen miles and the Southern end of the park is chock full of things to see.

There are around twenty trails in the park and you could probably spend multiple days in this park hiking them and seeing different things. If you are interested in hiking then, you will need to purchase a trail guide because the park map doesn’t really describe what is on the trails. There are also several playgrounds for young kids and many other activities in the park besides hiking.

The park itself is in beautiful shape and well maintained. Truly a jewel in the New York park system. There are no garbage cans in the park. Everything must be packed in and out, so you may want to bring some garbage bags.

Cost to enter park is $10. Located about forty minutes southwest of Rochester.

Tip for hiking to lower falls: Park in lot marked for footbridge and not the lower falls trail. Walk through the playground to the stairs for the lower falls. This will save you ten to fifteen minutes in the hike down to the falls from the parking lot for the lower falls trail. Also, don’t know if the sign is missing or not for the turn off to the overlook and the footbridge from the main trail but it is not obvious. If you actually reach a partial view of the falls, parallel to the falls, you have gone too far. Look down from the main trail to where there is a large platform and hike your way down.

How to describe a little slice of Heaven on earth?
This park has been on our bucket list for at least 5 years, and how I wish we had moved it to the top of the list!
The campsites were generous in size, bathhouses clean and up-dated.
But the hiking! And views! And the soaring falcons and eagles. So many things to do, next time we’re coming back for an entire week.
A true gem.

Really glad I stopped here. I started at the Southern end with the intent of checking out the 3 main waterfalls and heading out, but ended up spending the entire day at the park. The first falls (heading in from south entrance) are the high falls. There is a parking lot that gives you a glimpse from the top of the falls and of the trestle bridge to the right as you enter (first parking lot). SKIP THIS PARKING LOT - unless you want to experience New York's version of the stairmaster. Instead, go to the next large parking area for both the middle and high falls. From this parking lot, there are very few stairs and the terrain is quite flat. After visiting these two falls, get back into your car and drive to the parking lot for the lower falls (signs clearly point the way on the road). All three were pretty and worth visiting. For the lower falls, take the route that has the 129 stairs going down (the "Easy View" isn't that great), much better view of both the falls and the canyon. The foot bridge accross was CLOSED. Continuing on, there are many stopping points with scenic overlooks, many picnic areas and open fields for playing games, and many picnic tables and shelters. Beware of the police in the park, they seemed to be hiding around corners and seemed to be stopping a lot of cars towards the middle of the park. Towards the end, I saw people down below kayaking in the river, looked like a fantastic place to do that. From Rochester, the park was only about 30 minutes away.

Beautiful waterfalls (we saw the upper and middle falls). the trail is easy and wide. There are plenty of parking spot. The Glen Iris Inn is on the premise. It has a very nice restaurant.

I understand that there are great hikes etc in the park, but we did it mostly as a driving tour of the south part of the park. There are many pull-outs with excellent views. Some have short walks to get the best views; some have great views from just outside your car. This is an ideal way to see a lot of glory, especially if you're not very mobile.

We visited Letchworth State Park for the first time last week. We went on a weekday morning, and had no crowds at all - very relaxing and safe from a Covid perspective. We are sightseers, not hiking... a casual stroll works perfectly for us. To see the 3 waterfalls, enter at the southern Portageville entrance in Castile, NY. (We first drove to the northern entrance where the dam is located - there was nothing to see there (maybe better when the leaves turn colors in the Fall?).

When you drive in the southern entrance, after you pay the $10 park entrance fee, you can park in a lot on your right (1/2 mile or so north from guardhouse) that has immediate views of the Upper Falls. Drive another few minutes north to a big parking lot on your right and take a 5 minute walk to see the Middle Falls - or walk along the trails a lot farther. We appreciated the fact that we could walk a little and see the waterfalls, or go for a longer hike.
We saw several families pushing strollers on paths near the parking lots.

There were bathrooms (with running water) at all of the stops we made. The parking lots and trails were all spotlessly clean too (this is a carry in-carry out park - no trash containers - and we were happy that visitors are not leaving trash behind).

If we had to rank the state parks we have been to in the Finger Lakes region, Robert Treman and Watkins Glen remain our 2 favorites. Letchworth is easier in terms of access though, so if you just want to see waterfalls without a long hike and you are in the western Finger Lakes, enjoy the beautiful views!

We visited in the fall and the trees and views were amazing. There are three water falls that you can walk and see. A server we crossed paths with at our hotel about an hour away told us about the park. He said it was a must see if we had the time. We are so glad to have learned about the park it was well worth the few minutes out of our way that we drove.

This was our first visit to Letchworth State Park and it was spectacular. We enjoyed the scenery and also the trails. What made it stand out were the other campers who assisted with a additional length of hose, and some tools when we had to do a slight adjustment. And if all the staff are like Linda (in the camp store near the Perry entrance) you have the complete package, views and people!

Spent 2 weeks near the park so an afternoon was warranted. Not being hikers, we merely drove it north to south. Very little to see until you are near the falls. The Inn and dining room would be worth a return trip for a stay

Great park, lots of trails, great views; good vacation for family of 4 with 2 pre-teens. Awesome cabins (we had cabin B12). Did some white water rafting with local crew, there were options to swim or kayak in the local ponds, would visit again. If you want to do balloon sight-seeing, book 1 month in advance! (we didn't know, and so weren't able to book.)

It had been awhile since I had been to Letchworth and looking to get out of the house. The park is just beautiful with lots of areas to stop for sightseeing or picnicing. We drove the whole park stopping at a few overlooks and the Humphrey Nature Center (it was closed but walked around looking at gardens, local birds and sculptures.

The Museum is currently closed but the Glen Iris Inn was open for lunch. A bit pricey but very tasty. We also stopped at the railroad bridge which was an impressive structure.

My girlfriend likes going down for the Craft Fair while I believe was cancelled this year. If looking for a nice way to spend the day, this is a perfect getaway with lots of areas for hiking, birdwatching, trails for biking and horses (skiing in the winter), rafting, fishing, etc.

There are also cabins and the Inn you can stay at if looking for a longer stay

We visited mainly for the arts and craft show this time, but will go back to enjoy the beautiful park.

This place already has plenty of 5 star reviews but I have to give it another. Visited the week after Labor Day weekend, so campground and park were very quiet. Not sure if I would enjoy it as much if it were full. Lots of easy, scenic trails, and the three main waterfalls and numerous smaller ones were gorgeous. Some sections are full of birds - Letchworth is a bird conservation area. The woods are beautiful too with a diversity of types of trees. Campground was spacious, bathrooms were clean, but sites could use more screening since the loops back right up against each other. All in all an excellent COVID consolation prize for safe travel! Only quibbles are surly, unhelpful park staff and relative dearth of information, such as operating hours and days of the museum and nature center. Made up for with lots of good interpretative signage.

Even more beautiful than the pictures showed!!! My husband & I had the most wonderful time... the only thing is that you need to plan ahead if you're going to spend the night...reservations are a must within the park & there aren't many hotels close

We visited Letchworth State Park for a hike with our dog. Known as the Grand Canyon of New York, Genesee River carves a deep canyon through the park with three significant waterfalls. We parked at the Upper Falls near the Genesee Arch Bridge and hiked down the Gorge Trail. It was about 2 miles one way to Lower Falls so about 4 miles to see all three. Most of the trail was flat and easy along the rim, but a little steep to get down to Lower Falls. It's a big park and there are more than 60 miles of trail so plenty to explore beyond the waterfalls and a scenic drive down the canyon for those who don't want to hike. Overall, a beautiful park and definitely worth a visit if in the area.

Although it's fairly remote, this place is definitely worth the drive! The park is huge and one could easily spend a whole day visiting it and walking all the trails. The sights are breathtaking and the trails are well-maintained. My only issue is that the maps available are not very helpful or up to date with what trails are closed.

Just went to Mount Morris Dam.
Next trip we will take time for the tours and to see the rest. It was beautiful but very low water table

Beautiful walking trails along the Gennesee River overlooking a series of gorgeous waterfalls. Be prepared for lots of stairs if you walk the whole trail. Otherwise, you can drive through the wooded park roads and stop to admire the falls at a variety of parking lots along the river. Lots of beautiful photographs!

If you start in Mt Morris you’ll be disappointed during the first half of your journey through the park. It builds from there to a spectacular finish. Well worth a visit.

Beware of the Chalet House accommodations at Letchworth State Park. Friends and I stayed there for 3 nights. The house was infested with flies and stink bugs...plus mouse droppings on the kitchen counters. Filthy windowsills throughout the house with layers and layers of dead crusty huge bugs!! Not only the windowsills were gross but I doubt the windows have ever been cleaned. My bedroom at the top of the stairs was infested with stink bugs. I tried cleaning the windowsill in my room and it only made the stink bugs worse. I had to sleep on the couch for 2 nights. We complained about the situation and only got a 1 night refund...we should have gotten a full refund on that filthy house!!

Visited for a short stay. Waterfalls and park are beautiful and well maintained. Went in early November where we were still able to enjoy the fall leaves (due to mild weather). Walked trail 1/ pink from lower to upper level and a few other short trails. Maps were not very helpful, so we just took random trails. Park is huge! Lots of picnic areas. 2 days was enough for the off season.

Kind of like 3 smaller Niagara waterfalls in one park. We parked by the Upper Falls and walked down river. The views of this falls and the bridge are stunning. The walk to the middle falls is not very long and along a paved path. The lower falls is a bit farther down river, a longer hike down the trail through some wooded areas. The last falls is not as stunning as the first 2 so if you're not keen on the hike either skip it or drive to the parking closest to it.

We visit yearly, really a beautiful, well maintained park. Plenty of places to park, bathrooms are well maintained. Peaceful.

Went as part of a New York State park trip in May.
Upper/Middle Falls views - both can be seen easily from the Middle Falls parking lot, you can position the car in that parking lot to walk less for Middle Falls
Inspiration Point - easy walk, good view
Lower Falls - saw from Rim Trail as stairs were closed

Only had a few hours here, but like many do, we could have spent a few days here. Incredible landscapes and waterfalls. Had young kids with us so didn't do too much hiking, but the trail from the Upper to Middle Falls was a nice, easy walk. Had to drive through much of the park, but lots of good overlook spots to hop out along the way. It's a shame most down-staters (where I'm from) don't even know about it. I can see why it's called "The Grand Canyon of the East"

Huge waterfalls with miles of gorge side trails. All originally done by ccc. You won’t be disappointed that you went. Some trails can be muddy in spots.

Unfortunately it rained on the day we set aside to visit this park. The drive along Park Road traces the path of the Genesee River with many overlooks including those offering amazing views of a dam and the lower and upper middle falls.

I can see why this was voted best state park in the country. Beautiful landscape and scenery, museum, pool, picnics, waterfalls, mountains, river, trails, boating, white water rafting, canyon, and more. We got rained on and still enjoyed exploring the park. Only downside is it's in the middle of nowhere.

Many times we have been to Letchworth, because it is worth being there. Cabins are generally confortable, we had four adults in our cabin which they say can accomodate six. Maybe four children and two adults comfortably. Cabin had nice fireplace inside, small but clean toilet room, small kitchenette, one main room, two smaller bedrooms w/ two becds in each. Not bad really, considering most of the time one would be out going through the park hiking, swimming, etc. The cabin we stayed in this time is B01. Lower falls area, close to the main part of the park. No hot water inside cabin but wa close to the shower/restroom building. Very short steps to get inside cabin, mere inches so it was not much an issue for me (I am disabled, have a hard time walking and doing steps)

Letchworth State Park is quite a bit different to what you usually see in New York State. Canyons created by running water over many millennium. The scenery through the park is exceptional. There are many vista's of canyons, the river, waterfalls, and a damn. Well worth a visit if you are anywhere near New York State. Park entrance is also applied to a meal at the Trailside Lounge at the southern end of the park.

This park had it all. The nature is absolutely beautiful. The falls are amazing. We had a family reunion at this park and the areas available was perfect. Pool close by for young kids. Covered patio for the adults. It is a perfect atmosphere for a family get together.

Words cannot describe the beauty of Letchworth State Park! The falls are amazing, the grounds are pristine, no trash cans, what you bring in you must take out!
Plenty of places to hike or picnic. Many playgrounds for the youngsters. My only regret is not planning a raft trip down the Genesee!

So beautiful. Great hiking trails. Stunning views. The small town close by was very quaint. Loved every minute! Not many hotels in the area so book early if you want to stay close by.

Letchworth State Park is known as the Grand Canyon of the East but somehow it seems like a well kept secret. The views are spectacular, with three waterfalls and several walking trails everywhere in the park has an amazing view.

Went to the park to photo the waterfalls. Nice hiking area with gravel easy paths to follow. Restrooms were great; clean and nice.

Others recommended the falls & I understand that the park is more spectacular in the fall when the leaves change color. NY must not have had much rain as the lower falls weren't much but the middle & upper were.

Went to Letchworth on 4/4/2020 to get photos of the falls with the new train bridge.
I will go back to visit the park.

I highly recommend a day at Letchworth State Park. The falls are beautiful. You can hike the trails or just drive between the "must see" sights and walk a little way to see them. If you are age 65 or older and a NY resident, you get in free (otherwise, $10 per car).

This was our first winter visit to the park. Although the winter has been mild there were still beautiful ice formations.

Castile entrance is the only access point in the winter.

Take a half day and ride through the park from north to south. Stop at the many stops to look at the great vistas and then park at the south end and hike to the 3 different water falls. Very nice day!

This park is super beautiful - I recommend seeing all 3 waterfalls. I visited in mid June on a Monday and it wasn't overly crowded whatsoever but there were enough people around to feel safe while hiking solo. There are many lookout points to stop and take in a great view along your drive to park for the falls. There are shops for souvenirs and snack shops in the park. Would come here again - just gorgeous.

Spectacular. Who knew such a place existed less than two hours from Ontario. If you are travelling in Western New York, don’t miss this park. As much as Niagara Falls, this is a place worth seeing.

Letchworth offers everything from those who do not want to hike and want to simply drive to see the canyons and waterfalls with very little walking to miles and miles of trails for the novice to experienced hiking enthusiast. The rangers/workers are friendly and eager to offer advise. The park is incredible and the 3 major waterfalls are just spectacular to see. Highly, highly recommend taking the time to go.

Fantastic experience. The scenery is spectacular in the campground is lovely. Plenty of trees between the sites and spacious sites. Bath house was very clean and the water was hot. It was very relaxing for the three days we stayed. Yes, I would go back, but I would really like to go for a week or more and while there is a lot of things to see in the gorge, I could easily stay at my campsite and just chill.

We’ve had the opportunity to visit some pretty spectacular natural wonders and this was such a pleasant surprise. We heard that it was worth visiting, but WOW! We spent 5 hours in the park and hiked the middle and upper falls and then drive down to the lower falls to home that trail. We spent 5 hours in the park, and though we could’ve easily spent more, we got to see everything that we wanted to.

I grew up in the Finger Lakes right next to the Watkins Glen State Park. I had heard of Letchworth State Park but never visited it. Decades later a friend suggested we check out Letchworth. I am so glad he did. We spent an entire day driving through the park and pulling over frequently for walks to see the views. What a beautiful place! I will definitely return!

About an hour south of Rochester, this deserves its name as the 'grand canyon of the east' [and we've seen the real thing]! We all need to thank William Letchworth who donated his estate - Glen Iris - and the original 1000 acres of this park [now 14427 acres]. The 'main drag' runs from north [entrance near Morrisville] to south [Portageville], with lots of overlooks of the gorge. Ample parking throughout, frequent rest room facilities, numerous camping and cabin areas, a nature center [new in 2016], and a museum in addition to the Glen Iris inn [separately reviewed, and a disappointment]. We visited late Sept 2019, before the fall foliage was at its peak. On a Friday it was not crowded, but beware weekends and October foliage season!

Quite accessible; only limitations were the stairs to the museum and a few steps up to the nature center.

I arrived at this park in the morning to have breakfast at the Glen Iris Inn near the middle falls before starting our hike. It was a great decision. The food at the inn was OK, but it's really the setting that matters there. You can hear the roar of the waterfall from the outdoor tables and the view from the inn's back landing is spectacular. I left my car in the inn's parking lot and walked to the upper falls, which was quite a hike. I then drove to the lower falls parking lot to hike some more. You need to be in good shape to hike because there are lots of stairs and uneven surfaces. The scenery is stunningly beautiful.

Beautiful trees in the fall!. It is also known for its three falls that were spectacular!. We visited each of them! Take good walking shoes. All the falls were beautiful but the Middle falls was like a minature Niagara Falls. Well worth the trip. Huge park, lots of people that day. Lots of picnic tables, bathrooms and overlooks. Would definitely go back. Found a wonderful place in the park to have ice cream!!

Wow, this place is draw dropping. I’ve been all over the world and the natural scenery here is equal to the best and at this time of year without the crowds. Recommend going just after leaf peak! It is awesome

Letchworth SP’s
Upper Falls is worth viewing after 150+ of steps down from the parking area where trail 1 starts. When we got to the bottom, we saw another parking area that involves an easy walk on a flat trail to have a full view of the falls.

Note: Seniors may show their NY State driver license at the booth from M to F and won’t be charged the $10 entrance fee. We didn’t read beforehand so we paid. On the way out, we showed our license and the receipt to the same NYSP staff who said “I cannot refund”.

Entered at portageville entrance. Drove past the first (small) parking lot, made a sharp right turn at Upper Middle Falls Rd to a much larger parking lot. Restrooms were a short walk up a small hill. There was a snack bar nearby. Very short walk to the Upper Falls; very easy to find because you can hear the falls.

Walked to the Middle Falls, then returned to the car and moved it to the parking lot at Inspiration Point where there are several great views of the gorge and Falls.

There were restrooms directly at Inspiration Point parking lot and very close to Middle Falls overlook, without having to walk out of the way up a hill. I wouldnt have climbed to the restroom near Upper Falls had I known.

This park is a hidden gem in New York State nestled in the hills right off I86. We had the opportunity to stay at. the inn and it is a very nicely remodeled older style mansion home of Mr. Letchworth. It is comfortable with great access to hiking trails and a very good restaurant on the first floor. Should not be missed! Plan at least 2 full days for hiking and a great pool (a bit of a ride) on those hot August days

We visited the park as a side trip from our stay in Niagara Falls. It was an hour and a half drive through beautiful upstate New York on a rainy fall day, but the colors were gorgeous. The park was easy to find using Google maps, beautiful and well maintained. We stopped at the information center and asked directions for mobility challenged and found two different but equally breathtaking waterfall views within a very short walk along paved pathways easy to navigate. It was quiet and peaceful. Had it not been raining, it would have been a wonderful picnic spot.

We stopped here on the way to Ithaca. It’s a beautiful state park filled with deep gorges. If you’re short on time, park near Glen Iris Inn and take a short walk on the rim from the Middle Falls to the Upper Falls with views of the new Genesee Arch Bridge. More serious hikers can take the three-mile hike to see the Lower Falls or the 7-mile Gorge Trail. It’s a great stop! Also, if you present your $10 entrance ticket when eating at Glen Iris Inn, they will take $10 off your bill.

This was our first visit and we were not disappointed! We entered through the Portageville entrance. We stopped at the Glen Iris Inn for our lunch before we started the hike. Its about a mile from the entrance. If you give them your parking receipt they give you the $10 back! My favourite was the middle falls, but they all are really pretty. We will definitely go back to this park!

It is the Grand Canyon of the East and worth every penny and the time for the entire visit. It’s amazing.

The Genesee River runs through a gorge over three waterfalls surrounded by beautiful mature trees. Upper, middle and lower falls. We started at the visitor's center near Castile entrance to pay $10.00 admission fee. There are 66 miles of hiking trails. Some of the trail is even and paved. Other areas are muddy and uneven. We were grateful to have brought our hiking sticks to navigate the slippery stairs. We passed a couple playgrounds, pavillions and picnic areas. There are a few different parking lots. We parked near middle falls and hiked to upper and middle falls. Then drove to a large parking lot near lower falls.

Spent a morning here and really glad we did although we barely scratched the surface. We just did the three main falls (middle, upper and then lower). We drove to the middle Falls first and did the short walk to the upper Falls, and then drove down to the lower falls area, rather than walking it. I’m glad we did as we were short on time and my 7 yr old wasn’t keen on the longer walk. Beautiful place and highly recommend a visit. We would love to come back and camp in the actual grounds.

it has upper, middle, and lower falls, the falls are beautiful, worth to see all of them, there is also a Humphrey nature center, there are lots of exhibits inside, worth to visit as well. we need to pay $10 parking fee in the state park.

Incredible park. Nice part about this one is it's pretty accessible and we didn't have to hike a ton to see all the cool stuff. (Lower Falls were the only ones that required hiking.) Can drive around in a couple of hours and hit all the good spots.

What a beautiful park! My husband growing up in the area has talked about it for years. we finally made the trip so I could check it out. The views of the gorge are stunning and I loved the waterfalls. We didn't do to much hiking other than around the falls. However, the trails were clearly used and easy to hike. Their are plenty of roads to drive around to what you want to see as well to minimize hiking if you don't want to walk far.

We went during COVID so some things were shut down, but we still had a nice time. Would love to visit in the autumn season.

My wife and I learned about this park through an advertisement and spent the final day of our vacation at this magnificent place. We thought its trio of waterfalls stood on their own and were worth the $10 entrance fee. The middle and upper falls were especially stunning!! The rest of the park featured some excellent views and photo opportunities.

Even in early April when the leaves are not yet on the trees and some things (ice cream shack, for example) are not open, this is a park one should not miss. The highlights are the falls that rival others in the U.S. This is a long, narrow park that allows a visitor to drive and park and walk short distances to the highlights or to park at one point and do some hiking. We can confirm a couple of the other comments about being sure you have good hiking shoes and to be mindful of muddy conditions in some areas. We also encountered some steps that need some repair, so be careful on those. But definitely a destination site.

Letchworth State Park is a truly magical place. We RV camped here and the facilities are among the best I have ever experienced. Incredibly clean, with so many amenities including, laundry, fresh produce outside of the camp store, several educational and park viewing opportunities, etc. Definitely stop and stay here if you can.

We arrived at, or near peak foliage last week (10/8/2020). Weather was great. The leaves and views were gorgeous. The waterfalls were beautiful. Couldn't ask for a better time/place.

This rivals some National Parks we had seen.

We were told to go through the Mt. Morris entrance to see the 3 waterfalls. The falls are all located towards the southern entrance. The park is a "drive through" park, so if you have time, you can go through the whole 20+ miles, but I suggest you start at the southern entrance and see the 3 falls as the main attraction. Most require a bit of walking and you will get bitten by sandflies, mosquitos or black flies unless you have repellant. The lower falls will require going down and up 137 steps. We passed on it due to time constraints. I still prefer Watkins Glen and Ithaca Falls though.

Spent an August afternoon here. Mostly wanted to see the waterfalls and gorge and enjoy the outdoors. Very easy access to multiple scenic picnic locations by car. We were able to park and carry our picnic a very short distance and have our lunch on two well-maintained picnic tables across from a "scenic viewing point". Very enjoyable. There are three main waterfalls. We parked near the upper falls and walked a very short distance to a view point. At that point you can choose to climb a lot of stairs to see the falls from above or simply return to your car. A short distance (basically flat walk along a trail) takes you to the middle falls. These were the prettiest imho. You can also choose to walk up from there to a space where you can see the falls from above. There is also a restaurant there overlooking the falls. Getting to the lower falls was more of a challenge. Down 150 or so stairs from another parking lot. If you'd like you can hike the whole gorge trail; we chose to get in and out of the car a few times instead since some in our group weren't interested in hiking. Gorgeous scenery. Well maintained park. Swimming is an option, but only in a pool not in the river.

We camped in this park for two nights and I think any less time would not be enough to see the many beautiful sights here. The gorge trail is both hikeable and there's a road that runs along all of the overlooks, so it's an exceptionally accessible park, as well. One stunning view after the other, including the many different falls. We did some driving and some hiking and it was a great experience. Highly, highly recommend a visit here!

We visit the park several times a year, and this morning was spectacular. It was a cold night and we were greeted with early morning fog/mist and a great sunrise. To our surprise we watched 2 hot air balloons fly.

Beautiful park for day visit, kayaking, ballooning or camping. Great place to view changing color of leaves.

A really well maintained and visually spectacular state park. The gorge, the river and particularly the falls are all very easily viewed from numerous overlook stops on the road or from the many Cliffside trails in the park.
Signage is good throughout and there are plenty of restrooms. There are also a number of snack bars and restaurants. We ate at the Lower Falls restaurant and had a very good burger and an outstanding chicken salad wrap.
The falls and the gorge were truly worth the trip to see.

This place was really gorgeous. The waterfalls were pretty easy to get to and were beautiful. There is food available at the Glen Iris Inn and several concession stands. The views are dramatic and the park is easy to navigate because it was well marked and maintained. It's a must see.

So much to do here, and all so well maintained. We camped here on a Friday night and were so lucky to get the last available campsite. The views of the gorge and falls are breathtaking, and available from overlooks for those f us who can't hike anymore. The swimming pool is gigantic, and wasn't at all over crowded, even on a Saturday. Great food options are available in the park and in nearby towns. Excellent maps provided. Put this one on the to do list. You won't e disappointed.

If you are camping in a tent or in trailer, all sites come with Electricity Hookup. What a good idea. No worries about charging your electronics. Our site was large and clean.
The park is beautiful, we did trail no. 1 for a 4hr walk. We spent 3 days and I would have stayed for a full week. We were there in the last week of August from Sunday to Wednesday. The pool was closed.

Yup I meant gorges. And gorgeous. This state park is about two hours from Niagara Falls and, for my money, a lot more fun! We stayed in cabin A area. The cabin was fine, with electric a fridge and a little stove. The only down side was the cabins are all close to each other, and if you have neighbors that like playing loud music or smoking pit ( we had both), you are kinda trapped. But it quiets down by 10, and the park itself was lovely. Definitely worth doing the whitewater rafting, located conveniently in the park.

On a roadtrip through upstate NY, came here and enjoyed a mild Spring day. The gorge trail is MORE than worth your visit being so very close to the waterfalls.

Amazing wonder, real Grand Canyon of the East. Much more to see than in Grand Canyon. Beautiful water falls, amazing gorge, pretty trails and woods.

This was the beginning of our summer road trip/waterfalling adventure and what a spectacular place to start! Everything here is breathtaking. If you start at the dam and drive through the park to the south end, stopping at the overlooks and such plan for at least half the day.

Well maintained state park. You can drive through and stop at the lookout points, hike the trails, kayak the river, chill out camping (reservations needed), or attend one of the scheduled events (there is an annual hot air balloon day). Something for all levels of activity. The three waterfalls and the area of the park that earns it the 'Grand Canyon of the East' title are opportunities to get some great photos.

Beautiful place...worth the trip! The views are amazing and Glen Iris Inn is excellent for lunch or dinner.

We knew we wanted to have a stopover from Rochester to Corning. I had been to this park in the mid-80's on a video shoot. Letchworth didn't disappoint years later. Love this park, and for $6 USD it is a decent afternoon for picnicking, and photography. --David Allen

We enjoyed our trip and the beautiful sights. So many amazing views of the gorge and waterfalls. The campgrounds were nice and the facilities were well maintained.

Beautiful State Park! Once you enter the park, Park Road will take you through it. Many places to pull over to take in the scenery. Short walk to most waterfalls. There are many trails to hike. There are plenty of clean restrooms. Lunch at Glen Iris was worth every penny! Rated #1 state park in the US.

Letchworth. This is the kind of campground we like. Most sites are fairly level graveled with good space between them. Heavily wooded area with some sites wooded and some more open. The loops that do not allow dogs have older bathrooms. Dog loops are paved and nice newer bathrooms. The Camp store is stocked pretty well and has some fresh produce. Laundry with 6 washers and dryers. The falls and canyon are beautiful.

We took our two children (ages 8 and 3) here for a day visit. We entered at the lower falls, and did all the stairs all the way down and back. We drove to middle and upper falls and walked around, staying on trail #1. We had a picnic lunch near the middle falls area. But we did see plenty of opportunities for food and snacks along the way. We also witnessed several weddings taking place today. If you have young kiddos driving and stopping along the way is the best option. We were able to see all 14 miles of the park, still got 6 miles in of walking and did not completely wear the kids out.

It's not the Grand Canyon. With that being said, it is an excellent state park, with a canyon, hiking trails, nature center, and beautiful views. It offers cabins and activities for families. It offers serene spots for lovers. It offers numerous hiking trails. It offers colors in the fall. It offers three waterfalls without the Las Vegas surroundings found at Niagara. Very well designed and built park with good roads and lots of overlooks. We visited in the fall and hit it during peak color--no need to go anywhere else for fall color. The only downside is the tour busses, but they aren;t that big of a bother. If you are thinking about going there, please do. You wont be disappointed.

Just returned home about an hour ago , with my boyfriend and dog .
We go at least 2 times a year , and in awe of the beauty everytime we go .
No matter what time of year . I am partial to the fall season .
But anytime is worth the trip .
To make it extra more special , take a picnic .

This place... was a bit of an adventure to get to. If you are there to see the fabulous waterfalls... be sure to go to the Portageville entrance at the SW end of the park. We were racing daylight with serious time constraints and wound up at Mount Morris Dam on the far NE end... and it's a huge place with very bad cell and GPS ability in spots. So, be warned. That said, the falls are lovely, the canyons are impressive and the park is beautiful!! Another of the amazing natural wonders of Upstate NY.

This is a must see park. We included Letchworth in our short trip of 4 NY State Parks and it blew the others out of the water (Including Niagara Falls!)

We hiked part of the Gorge Trail starting at Upper Falls down to Lower Falls and took the trail down to the Lower Falls before heading back. There are LOTS of stairs throughout this section. You can see the 3 sets of falls without hiking by driving to each of the different sections.

Totally worth it. There's also the Glen Iris Inn where you can grab a bite, however, we didn't stop there. The visitors center has a great little gift shop with tons of different items.

We decided to take a detour on a road trip in New York state to visit Letchworth. Definitely a good idea! This time we enjoyed driving the 17-mile length of the park, following the Genessee River, and viewing the waterfalls and scenery from the overlooks.

Since we drove from Watkins Glen, NY, we entered the north entrance of the park. We didn’t realize that much of the scenery and overlooks are in the southern portion of the park. The north entrance was not easy to find; we entered the Mt. Morris Dam and Recreation Area (which was worth a quick stop) by mistake.

The park is well maintained with excellent hiking trails and picnic areas. We look forward to returning.

Park is large. Great place to visit during fall. Colors can be spectacular. Highly recommend visit. Good place to visit with family and children. Have a picnic. No great place to stay. Enter from town of perry entrance and drive thru the entire length of the park is about 25 minutes but you would want to stop and enjoy scenery at several observation points along the way.

This is the most beautiful state park I have visited. The waterfalls are so picturesque. Well set up so there is a short distance from a parking lot to walk to view the falls. Or you can choose to walk a trail. Highly recommend visiting this park. Be sure to keep your entrance fee ($10.00) receipt with you if you eat at the restaurant as they will credit it to your bill.

Beautiful park and falls. Can’t give it a 5 because the lower falls are closed and the gift shop is closed but still so worth the trip!

This is a park which I went to as a child.Pavilion Central School in New York l took us every summer to go swimming. when I was growing up.Its a beautiful park an I would tell everyone that they should go to.A beautiful an amazing place to go to enjoy with family an friends.

We don’t have waterfalls like this in southern Utah! We love our Utah state parks and I love how much we enjoyed our time at New York’s number one rated, award winning park!! We loved the fall colors as well!

Words can't describe the beauty of the Park! The three waterfalls are a must to see, esp. the middle falls. Lots of hiking trails. Great nature center. Don't miss the William Pryor Letchworth Museum. Thanks to him thousands have had the gift to visit this outstanding Park. Read about the park before you go to know the history of the Park and esp. about Mary Jemison. She was taken captive by Indians around 15 yr. old and lived out her lifetime in the area of the Park and is buried there. Make sure you have lunch at the Glen Iris Inn located at Middle Falls. We spent two days in the area visiting the Park, Mount Morris Dam, and checking out the quaint towns around the Park.

If you like scenery, water falls, small animals and deer; this is the place to visit.
You can hike lovely trails around the water falls and svisit old Indian museum.
A beautiful inn is on the grounds with antique decorations in the lovely restaurant.

With 3 water falls this is one of the most beautiful I have been to. The first fall with the bridge in the background is probably the most scenic. The lower falls is best viewed from below. This is a huge and long park with lots of places to explore.

The scenery along the main walkway is very beautiful. River gorge and several waterfalls it is really very impressive. I was looking for a bit of a wilderness hike as well and it does not seem to have that. The "trails" seem to consist of either sidewalks along the gorge or dirt roads on the less developed side of the river. The walking bridge over the river is closed, so there does not seem to be any trails into the gorge.

We went for a family trip to Central and Western New York. We've visited the Finger Lakes many times but never Letchworth State Park. I had heard it was the "Grand Canyon of the East" and didn't really think it would be impressive. Boy was I wrong. It was beautiful. We went on a beautiful day in mid-October and the leaves were wonderful. The views over the canyon with the beautiful foliage and the hawks circling overhead were stunning. It was really unexpected. I grew up in Long Island and have lived in New Jersey for the last 21 years. I had barely heard of this stunning park. Why is it such a secret (at least in this part of the country) when it should be one of our most celebrated sites? I loved it and can't wait to get back.

The scenery was amazing. The park has an awesome waterfalls and numerous hiking trails. Many of the trails follow the river, rapids and waterfalls. Great place to picnic with numerous tables to eat at. All garbage must be taken with you as there are no garbage cans in the park. There are bears in the park but we did not see any.

Two adults visited Letchworth on a Tuesday in mid-August. This is a fabulous park, sometimes called the “Grand Canyon of the East”. There are three major waterfalls in the areas narrow gorge that are visible from various trails. There are several parking lots to use to shorten the walk to the waterfalls. Stop at the Visitor Center for a map and trail recommendations by park staff. There is also a small free museum on the founding of Letchworth and other historical events. We spent the whole day there. Food is available in several areas and there is a $10 day use fee.

Didn't even know this existed until I stayed a week at the local KOA. Wow-- beautiful and so far above what I was expecting. I want to come back to this area if nothing else to explore more of this park because I didn't have nearly enough time as I work during the week. The local KOA is also spot on (see my review for that also).

Took my daughter to Rochester for a college tour. Decided to find a state park to visit on the way home. I entered "state park" to my GPS and Letchworth came up as the first result.
We didn't know anything about the park before we went. My daughter searched up online and told me about the falls. We drove up to the upper falls and walked down to the middle falls. When we headed back to the parking lot, we heard a train blowing it's horn and we hurried back to the upper falls and saw a cargo train passing. It was very nice!
Then we drove back down to the lower falls and walked down the "127 steps" trail to see the falls. We also stopped at the shop and the dam before heading out.
It was a total of 3 hours we spent there. We would certainly stay longer if we didn't have a 7 hour ride back home.
Plan on going back for camping in the future to spot Bigfoot. 😅

Not far from Niagara Falls (one hour) is a place that shows off three waterfalls, beautiful gorgeous views, trails to wander...all minus the tourist trappings you experience at mighty Niagara. Nice to walk and take in nature for a day.

Beautiful waterfalls, scenic drive w viewing areas. Steps away from attractions. Great for all ages.

Great place for fall colors. Trails are all on the rim looking down into the river gorge; no trails on the floor of the river valley although some take you up close for views of falls, etc.

One of the best state parks in the country. The main Park road running north to south is well maintained. Get a map at the main gate which lays out the entire park and walking trails. There are four main entrances on the western side of the genesse river that runs through the park. Mid October is great for the fall foliage.

Early July camping with family on two sites. After we had booked the 800 loop was turned into a dog loop when people complained to Albany according to the front office. We had one family member scared of dogs from an attack but owners were respectful. One thing I noticed that was odd was how only the dog loop bathrooms were updated (except for the newly switched 800 loop). They are the biggest private bathrooms I have seen. Shower, sink, and toilet. The non dog loop bathrooms are of pretty rough condition compared to many other NY state parks. They do not have screen doors and there were many bugs flying around at night. Showers have plenty of hot water and pressure otherwise.

Aside from bathrooms, we experienced very aggressive bugs even with spray and thermacells. Had to bring out bug head nets. Food was swarmed by little nats and had to be constantly covered.

Sites are fairly spacious and all contain electricity which was a treat. Plan on little to no cell service on campsites. Sprint did get voice service on site, otherwise you need to drive to the pool parking to get phone and data cell service.

One tip when heading out for a hike ask for the color map. Twice we were given a very difficult to read black and white map crams everything on one 8.5x11" double sided page. Finally we received a large fold out color map which is MUCH easier to understand.

Regarding the rest of the park, the views and waterfalls are very nice. Unfortunately, you cannot hike in the gorge to look up at the rock walls. If you are able to, I would make a day trip of Letchworth. We had visited Watkins Glen State Park last year and found it much more impressive and entertaining to hike in the gorge and see the water.

We were visiting Niagara Falls and went researching to see what else there was to do and see in the area. We found Letchworth State Park, named after Mr. Letchworth who was a businessman, philanthropist and nature lover who upon his death, donated his 1000 acre estate complete with the Upper, Middle and Lower Falls to the state. Plenty of hiking trails, picture taking, sightseeing and enjoying nature to be found there. The falls are beautiful, especially the big ones by the Glen Iris Inn.

We spent two days at the park and loved it. There is a lot of hiking but they also had other activities near the camp grounds/cabins (white water rafting, kayaking, ping pong, shuffle board and lots of playgrounds for kids). There is also a HUGE swimming pool that was very well maintained. We entered through the Mt. Morris entrance but many of the activities are further down into the park (some as far as 16 miles) so be ready to do some driving while you are there. We saw several snack shops and a restaurant inside the park which was nice. The trails are well marked but the map is a bit confusing so we just followed the trail markers. We stayed at a nearby hotel but I think next time we will rent a cabin since we didn't realize how large the park was and how far it truly was from the hotel.

We stopped here on our way home from New York. You can hike here or just drive and see some beautiful scenery. If you don't want to walk too far to see the waterfalls I suggest the middle or upper falls. The lower is gorgeous but it is a strenuous hike back up. Especially in warm weather. You can see the Mount Morris Dam. They do offer tours of the dam but make sure before you go due to Covid. There is an Inn in the park where you can get something to eat / drink. Definitely would return.

This is one of our favorite camp site. We camped at Site 516, like we do every year, same time same site. Although the weather did not cooperate, Letchworth is a good place to hang out, plenty of natural attractions and hiking routes. It's a big park and it's a good idea to use GPS coordinates instead of just googling the route.

One of the State Park in New York State worth going to visit at least once in the Fall.
The waterfalls are amazing!

Beautiful place, still had some fall colors. We entered on South end at Portageville. Then drove through the park and put the north end. Easy views of upper and middle falls near the south entrance. There is a parking lot just before the Glen Iris lodge. Park there for easy access to both falls. Further north is Inspiration Point. Don't miss this view. I am very impressed with the facilities provided in this park. Lots of restrooms, snack bar, picnic tables with grills, camping spots and cabins .

I have been to Letchworth state park so many times and everytime there are more places to visit and to go! Perfect for any season except the winter as the road tend to freeze but its always nice to drive through the park when the snow started to melt.

Be careful! My son and some of his friends got tickets for not following the path. There were no signs!!! Make sure to stay on the “non existent signed paths”.

We recently visited Letchworth State Park for the third time on a recent trip to central NY. This time we were treated to the most spectacular rainbows over both Upper and Middle falls. Other times when we visited the park we did more hiking, exploring, and walking between the three falls areas. This time we enjoyed watching the rushing falls and admiring the rainbows. All of our trips to the "Grand Canyon of NY" were awesome.

In May 2020, my adult family drove east, mostly on Rt 20A, from Buffalo to the western entrance of Letchworth State Park. It's around 50-60+ miles depending on whether you take the Perry or the Portageville entrance to the park. Rt 20A is scenic and you'll cross hills dotted with wind mills and, if you pass through Warsaw, watch your speed and stop at Yummies Homemade Ice Cream. From Rochester, it's about 44 miles southwest to the northern/eastern entrance of Letchworth (near historic Mt Morris-the birthplace of Francis Bellamy the author of the Pledge of Allegiance). This park is around 17 miles long and the Genesee River flows through it. The southern section of the park tends to be the most popular part. Before the recent pandemic, craft shows were held in the northern section of the park. Be aware that you lose your cell phone signal in many parts of the park.

I like to go from the Perry entrance all the way down to the Glen Iris Inn with stops in-between. If you like the outdoors, dramatic scenery, hiking, biking, bird watching and just kicking back, this is the park for you. Various restroom stations are spread throughout the park as well as picnic areas/shelters. There are multiple overlooks with excellent views of the up to 550 foot canyon and waterfalls. While there, we saw 6-8 hawks circling through the canyon and a number of warblers. In fact, Letchworth has one of the largest number of wood warbler species in the world. It also has turkey vultures, grouse, wild turkeys, woodpeckers and other bird species as well as deer and the occasional black bear or rattlesnake. Most of the hiking trails that I've been on are shaded and have great views of the canyon and river. There are side trails off the main trails that lead up to cliffs overlooking the canyon below. (Note-there have been several tragedies due to hikers walking on or crossing over walls. Stay on the pathways). Do bring water and the appropriate hiking gear as it can get hot in the summer. Besides the surrounding towns, Letchworth contains several restaurants including the renown Glen Iris Inn. Currently, Letchworth has social distancing signs posted and masks are needed when distancing is not possible. This state park is on a par with many National Parks that I've been to and a great place to cure pandemic induced cabin fever. I highly recommend the fresh air and this state park.

Definitely worth the trip! Easy to get around. Lots of snack places. Trails were well maintained. Lots of stairs! You will definitely get a workout if you aren't in good shape. Would definitely come back if I'm in the area!!

Letchworth State Park was worth the 14 hour drive! We love to get in the car and road trip. One of the prettiest state parks I’ve been to, the waterfall is incredible. Many amazing hiking paths!

We visited during Fall Foliage. Park is beautifully maintained with many easy access overlooks to see the gorgeous gorges and waterfalls. There are also areas to sit and have a picnic.

Just an absolutely beautiful park! We just came for the day, did a few short hikes, and visited the museum. The views are spectacular, and the museum is very interesting. Well worth the $10/car admission.

New York fall colors are in full bloom. The views of the gorge are incredible at this time of year. There are multiple parking lots, so don't get frustrated trying to find a parking spot. The walk along the falls trail has area's with multiple trip hazards. Look out for steep stair ways, roots and loose gravel.

This park was voted best State Park in the U.S. Admission was $5.00 per car. The Genesee River runs through this gorge and there are three beautiful waterfalls in the
first six miles from the South entrance. The park is seventeen miles long but the first six
are the best to make the most of your time. We stayed in Olean NY in a Best Western
about an hours drive from the park. The Park is commonly referred to as the Little
Grand Canyon of the Eastern US. You can picnic in the groves or there are restaurants in
the Park as well. There is a museum. near the entrance that explains the history of the
park which was donated to the State by Mr. Letchworth. About fours to six hours will get
you through everything worth seeing. The museum had a Wolly Mammoth skull that was
found during construction at its inception. The skull is intact with two giant tusks that curl
back and is quite impressive.

Great park with plenty of parking at several overlooks. There are trails to walk along the falls/ gorge. I am a "big bird" lover and totally enjoyed watching the turkey vultures fly right past us at some of the overlooks. The staff at the visitors center were very helpful. We went to the upper falls around 4pm, there is a snack shack at the upper falls. As we were eating our ice cream the booth for the hot air balloons rides opened. We hung around and got to watch the entire set up and take off of three hot air balloons. As we were driving out of the upper falls parking lot we got to see the balloons over the middle falls. Was amazing!!

Amazing history of the #1 state park & you have to experience for yourself if can walk around a bit & hike the trails to all 3 falls, also magnificent views of the gorge and history of its beginning.

Its a good day spent among the nature.

Lots of place to see and have some good time. There are picnic tables around

Beautiful views to immerse yourself in with a sure see of the upper and middle waterfalls

One can spent a full day here

This is an amazing park that is easy to drive through and has several areas to stop and walk around. The views of the gorge and the waterfalls are awesome. There are several trails to hike that are easy to navigate. I recently had knee surgery and am just getting back to being able to walk short distances and these trails were fine for me even with the stone steps in many areas. There are picnic areas and we were wishing we had brought a picnic lunch to enjoy with the scenery....next time!

I’ve always been a lover of History, and as I walked around this Park I was reminded of how our ancestors lived, and reminded that we are walking around where mammoth’s once roamed.

We visited this State Park to see the autumn colours in late October. Lovely, well maintained park with three stunning waterfalls. The National and State Parks are the jewels in the crown of the USA.

Beautiful; easy to walk; lots of parking as the park is long; beautiful house; dining room was too busy during Covid; lots of picnic spots and snack bar was great!

The waterfalls and gorge are spectacular and worth the trip. Many scenic overlooks are only a short walk from the parking areas. Good examples of CCC work in the trails, bridges, and road. Park also has restaurants, an inn, camping, and cabins along with a large swimming pool and many playgrounds. This is a great park to take a family to.

Beautiful Park that lives up to its reputation.
Very well maintained in addition to the natural beauty. Breathtaking waterfalls, great hiking for all levels, and a great restaurant in the park. I highly recommend. We did rafting with Adventure Calls which was so much fun too!

This was an incredible visit. We were visiting the Finger Lakes and stayed at Penn Yan We decided to make the trip of a bit over an hour. It was well worth it. I have a bit of a mobility issue but it was easy to get great views of the middle and upper falls. They were both spectacular We stopped for lunch at the Glen Iris Inn. Perfect day and visit! I strongly encourage a visit!

People, believe the hype. This IS the Grand Canyon of the East. Accept no imitation. Absolutely outstanding in autumn.

Amazing park, deserves the visit in winter and summer time. It looks like a completely different place and yet fantastic!! Totally worth it

Gift shop rip off! I bought a book about Nunda, Gennessee, and Portageville at Visitors Center Gift Shop only to see exact same book at Letchworth Museum (across from Glen Iris Inn) for $4 less! Not a happy camper! Speaking of camping, High Banks campground within the park is ok, but pricey for electric only site. We’ve been to Letchworth State Park twice (2018 and 2022) and we’re into the BTDT phase now.

This was our first time visiting the park and we were blown away by the size and beauty of the park.we drove over 3 hours to get here and it was beyond worth the drive. This is a place everyone needs to see at least once.. my advice is be sure to fill up before going into the park being it's almost 18 miles from one end to the other not including side roads and pull off. We stayed at the county inn and suites in Mount morris which is about a quarter mile from the entrance. The hotel was top notch.

Love this state Park as it has amazing views and waterfalls. I had a great time taking the family there as it is an easy part to get through. If you want to do the white water rafting you must book it well in advance as it sold out five days before my trip. Not sure why the rafting company is limited in it's trips. There is a large pool for summertime swimming. The Glen Iris Inn had a great reasonable meal for the quality and volume of food you are getting. The museums and Indian council house and Mary Jamison house was really cool.

Visiting Letchworth State Park is an awesome experience. The views are spectacular around each turn. One may easily spend days in the park, not just hours, taking in the park's natural beauty. We enjoyed hiking on trail #1 between the upper and lower falls, and through the wooded areas near Wolf Creek, as well as down to the river bead via St Helena picnic area on trail #13. As we drove through the park we were excited to stop at each overlook to observe the best that nature has to offer in the area. We saw many eagles soaring over the gorge in various spots as well as resting on the Mount Morris Dam via the overlook area. We spent three days at the park, and hope to return in the future during another season. This is a treasure that everyone should see!

We could see the falls from the air plane on our way into Rochester New York. We made sure that we went to see it in person. It did not disappoint. It is a state park and I believe the drive in the park was 17 miles. We were able to drive up to the area where the falls are and park and get out to see the beauty. It said it had several hiking trails, but we werent there to hike. I would recommend this to any and all families to go visit. It was pretty amazing!

The waterfalls are definitely stunning. They charge $10 per car, no discounts for seniors or military. Ok no problem. My biggest grip. While I didn't go straight for the visitor center, we went after we had a little picnic at one of there benches. We couldn't find a garbage can. So we went to the visitors center. I could probably over look that 14k of a state park has no garbage cans, but even the bathrooms didn't have garbage cans. Inside the park, there isn't anything to do, but bike and hike. No places for the kids to play in the river. Their white water rafting trips are for class 1 and 2 rapids and it's expensive.

What I gathered from this place:
1) you have 3 waterfalls to look at
2) 2-3 ice cream places that do have garbage cans

3) a over prices gift shop
4_ bathrooms at the vistors center that do not have garbage cans. they tell you , you have to carry your garbage out EVEN FOR THE BATHROOM!

Don't make a special trip to this park. Go if it's on the way. If you go in the park and stay at the cabin. BRING EVERYTHING, including the kitchen sink!

I wouldn't come back. It's a nice view. But the area also has ZERO to do.

While at Letchworth and you have the time, try going on a Mount Morris dam tour. To be able to go inside and down close to the bottom is truly an experience. The tours are only an hour but packed with history and information.

I had always wanted to visit Letchworth and finally got the chance. It was beautiful, I was blessed with beautiful weather the two days I was there in early July. You can probably easily see the park in 1 day if you don't want to do a lot of hiking or spend 2 or more if you like to hike.

The lower half of the park is definitely the best with 3 waterfalls, Upper, Middle and Lower. You can drive up to parking areas right near overlooks of each falls with the option to hike down closer up if you wish. The upper part of the park which I went to on the second day before going back to the lower half, was not as impressive. Even the scenic overlooks just overlooked the river valley.

I spent 1/2 a day in the lower half viewing the falls then returned for a full day. I spent the early morning hitting the upper half and then returned to the lower to do a little more hiking in the time I had left.

What a great park! We entered at the Perry entrance. Drove south, stopping at some scenic vistas as we went. You can pull your car over and look at the gorge from your car. It got more beautiful the farther south we went. The nature center is a great place for kids. The lower fall were pretty- there was a 127 step stairway down to get a good look at them- worth it. We then drove and parked near the upper falls and walked from there to the middle falls. It is a short walk. The park has several places to get food, lots of clean restrooms, playgrounds, places to picnic. We only had about 3 hours there and did not explore the hiking trails. I would love to stay in a cabin onsite sometime and really do some hiking.

This was such a pleasant surprise for us as we didn't know what to expect before our arrival. Such stunning vistas, waterfalls, and fall foliage. Absolutely recommend to anyone thinking of adding this stop to their next trip.

Beautiful views and an easy trails all along the river canyon with tremendous views of the falls. This is a "must see" when in upstate New York.

It is easy to see why this is the #1 State Park in the USA. Letchworth is just beautiful. Go and enjoy the 3 waterfalls, take a hike or a few. It is a very popular park so expect to see others on the trails. Also, there are no trash cans in this park. You take out what you take in. Please be aware and respectful of this and don’t litter. This park is clean and well kept. I am so glad I had the opportunity to visit & hike in this beautiful park!

We didn't have much time so we drove through part of the park. We stopped for a picnic in front of the middle falls. That was fun.

We spent a day going from north entry to park and existing at Castile entrances. We did part of gorge trail and hike to lower, middle and upper falls with excellent views. Had lunch at Glen Irish Inn and that was awesome experience. View of gorge, river and falls was worth the trip. Quite a few overlook spots to catch a view of canyon and river below.

One of my favorite parks ever! The views and waterfalls are incredible! We started at the visitor center and then parked at Inspiration Point. We hiked to the lower falls, which had a lot of steps and a cool bridge. After that leg of the hike there was a playground for the kids. Then we headed back. I believe it was about 4 miles total. On our way out we parked down at the upper and middle falls areas for some more easily accessible awesome views.

By far this is one of the most impressive state parks you can visit, bar none. The beauty of the gorge and the three waterfalls makes this place a smaller version of Niagara Falls, but without all of the commercialism. And although this is a place of stunning beauty there are challenges if you plan a visit here.

First, Letchworth is not an easy place to get to. It is sandwiched between Interstate highways 86 (to the south) and 90 (to the north), and a ride here requires navigating a choice of two-lane secondary roads that can be a challenge to drive after dark. So, stick to the daylight hours for travel and be sure to leave the park before dusk settles in.

The crowds on weekends can get quite large, and even though this is a huge state park acreage wise, the lines to get in can be fairly long -- especially when the secondary entry gates are closed. Once inside, it is best to drive as far south as possible in order to see the upper and middle waterfalls, which are spectacular. If you park too soon when you enter you'll have a long and somewhat treacherous walk along the trails to reach the southern end attractions. Best advice here is to visit during a weekday in dry weather. The present cost to visit is $10 per vehicle, which is really bargain when compared to some places that charge per person.

The trails themselves are easy to follow, but use caution when walking on them. Some areas have overgrown roots and rocks that you can easily trip over and cause bodily harm. Slow and steady on the trails is highly recommended.

Besides nature's beauty, the park also features a nice restaurant (the Glen Iris Inn) and a visitor's center with a small gift shop among some other attractions. Rest rooms are readily available, but it's a smart move to circle them in advance so you'll know there exact location when the urge arises.

Overall, Letchworth State Park is a stunning attraction and makes most other state parks look quite ordinary. But, it's a place everyone should see and experience at least once in their lifetime.

The Upper and Middle Falls are amazing! The steps are rock steps and fairly easy to climb.

The parking lots are awesome. We enjoyed the hikes.

The lower falls I honestly wouldn't do again...not nearly as pretty and a lot more steps to get there and then the mud is slick.

Make sure you stop at Inspiration Point...great view.

You have to pay to travel into the park but it's worth the small fee. We have a son in a wheelchair and was able to view thelower and middle falls from the walkway. Our only suggestion would be the road that leads to an overview of upper falls be paved. There was a other family with their child in a wheelchair and it would have made access for us a lot easier to simple pave that small portion. There is a walk down to the upper falls that is not accessible.

It's a pretty drive through the park and at the end we stopped to see the dam but the water was so low there was nothing to see. Still a very beautiful place to visit if your in the area.

We met our kids at the Highbanks campground. Sites were nicely wooded and bathrooms were close. There was poison ivy everywhere so be careful. We stayed at the Pinewood Lodge by the Glen Iris Inn. The staff was wonderful when we checked in and our room the Austrian Pine was better than expected. Very clean, large bathroom and at the end of the complex. You can hear the falls from the room and they light the falls at night where you have a prefect view. The hike the next day was lovely. The only downside is that cell service is a little spotty and I could not log onto the Wifi from the room. Overall a great couple of days.

Letchworth State Park is an absolutely gorgeous place to spend a day. We drove through the park stopping at many of the scenic areas along the way to the falls. We took in several of the hiking trails. The sights and views were very beautiful. We stopped into the campground to check it out and the sites looked beautiful. We finished off our day at the pool and were again impressed. If you get a chance be sure to take in this gorgeous place!!

What a beautiful park - on a beautiful fall day. The sun came out - the sky was blue - and we decided to travel the entire Park Road, making stops along the way to enjoy the overlooks and gorge views. Gift shop was a bit of a disappointment, but we didn't come to shop anyway! I wish the map described the overlooks and recreation areas a bit better, but we did not mind exploring.

I traveled solo to Letchworth State Park this past week for some peace and quiet and was not disappointed! I stayed in Mount Morris that had easy access to the park from town and was able to easily come and go. The trails towards Mount Morris are kind of off the beaten track and found a lot of hunters gravitated towards these trails, so I tended to steer clear of these ones. However, the road extended easily towards the falls trails and other aspects of the park.

The falls and surrounding views absolutely exceeded my expectations for this state park. The signs on the roadways made it easy to navigate towards the separate falls as I wanted to visit the lower, middle and upper falls. I found the middle falls to be the most peaceful yet breathtaking of the three, but they are all stunning to witness.

As far as restaurants and activities, as I was traveling to this area during COVID- the Glen Iris Inn on property of the state park was undergoing renovations and was not open, so if you have read reviews for the restaurant and plan to go, make plans accordingly. Not sure about the museum as I didn’t look into going there. I did look into the cabins and they were either all booked up, or not available for the time that I came, so I stayed off site of the park.

All in all, even traveling during covid, the views exceeded my expectations of this park- being there on the off season gave me an incredible opportunity to be in the park with really no one to bother me. If you’re looking for a lot of activities and people to interact with, November or early winter is probably not the time, but I came for the serenity and peace, and it achieved exactly that.

We enjoyed camping and did the wonderful hike along the waterfalls.It was so peaceful and beautiful scenery! The park is huge so you can't just walk to the falls from the campground , its several miles away. But it wasn't a problem.

Beautiful quiet park the waterfalls were lovely. We stayed in campground. Don’t use site 629 it was a muddy site where the fire ring and table is. Most sites were gravel and private. Quiet campground. Camp store nearby. River rafting available in park

Beautiful falls, nice hiking paths and April is a slow time so few people. It was cool and some of the walkways were not yet open as well as some of the restrooms, plan accordingly. They need so additional signage and update on the info boards as they were faded and not readable. This is the first park that I have seen to have a porta potty for wheelchairs

Unfortunately a downpour arrived within 30 minutes of arriving at Letchworth. We got to take in the gorge views from an overlook and visit the visitors center but hiking was not in the cards.

The views were great and the facilities seemed nice - we saw some cabins and playground and pavilions near the falls area. Maybe one day we’ll get to return for more exploration!

Letchworth is a very nice destination. We were disappointed a little in the upkeep of the park. Most of the roads were in bad shape, and the hiking/biking trails were not well-maintained either. We are spoiled with great state parks in Georgia, so that was our comparison. There were plenty of pull-outs to view the gorge if you could not hike or needed to do a driving tour. Overall a very nice park.

Awesome place. Nice trails, very clean and well maintained. Drive able as well. Food was good. Staff was very friendly and helpful

Absolutely Beautiful Park. We had a great day hiking and picnicking in the park. Cant wait to go back and camp and raft down the river. It is well worth the 1-1/2 hour ride from Buffalo. Take cash for small gift/snack shops snd admission @ $10 per car. Bring your own trash bag to take your trash out of park. Letchworth donated his 1000 acres to preserve the falls and gorge. The inn was their residence and know hosts guests and has a lively gift shop and restaurant. He pasted in 1910 and is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetary in Buffalo.

My sister and I were at the park for a day and a half. The first afternoon we spent at the North End of the Park as we were staying at a Campground in that area for the night. Not much at the North End but a Dam and some overlooks. The 2nd Day we spent entering from the North End again (Mt. Morris Entrance) and drove the entire park from North to South stopping at all of the overlooks that we could along the way. The only negative thing about when we were there, June 24th & 25th, was that it was during the Pandemic and the Gift Shops/Stores were closed. We collect magnets from all of our travels and couldn't get one! We spent about 6 hours the full day that we were at the park, could definitely spend more with all of the hiking trails that they offer. One other thing we were disappointed about was that while we were there the trail to the Lower Falls was closed (due to repair) so we only saw those falls from up above. After viewing Middle Falls we stopped and had a glass of wine on the patio at the Glen Iris Inn, such a beautiful building with really neat history behind it. The last stop was the Upper Falls, SO Stunning with the Railroad Bridge in the background and exited out the Portageville Entrance. Wish we had more time but still had an amazing visit, SO Green.....could only imagine it in the Fall with the Autumn Colors! Gotta Check it Out!

I have been here many times, but coming here when the hot air balloons were flying was unforgettable! We stayed at one of the cabins in the park for the night. We ate at an outside table at the Glen Iris, which was magical with the fairy lights and an exceptional dinner! This is a cross between a mini Grand Canyon meets a mini Niagara Falls, but without the crowds. A must see if visiting Western NY.

Anyone traveling near northwest New York must see this amazing place. You are traveling in relatively flat farmland and then you enter this amazing park with a gorge that is approximately 600 feet deep with three fantastic waterfalls and other natural marvels. It should not be missed! This 17 mile long park has deer, turkey buzzards, hawks and other wild life. Visiting in the autumn makes it even more magical with the brilliant foliage. A must see location and a bucket list destination.

This place is great. The park itself is huge, you can spend hours if not days wandering around, there are camping sites even. But even for one day it's pretty cool, there are forest paths, and a waterfall and other things like that..

They call this park the Grand Canyon of the East. It is by far one of the most beautiful parks I have ever visited. The hiking is stellar and trails are endless. I camped there for two weeks and did not run out of trails, and if I left the park it is a short drive to more trails.

The surrounding towns are cute but typical of an upstate NY town. I loved the local brew pub Silver Lake Brewing Project in Perry, so make sure you go there.

If you camp in the campground there are great choices depending on how you are camping. All sites are nice and they are upgrading all the bathrooms to single large rooms that are very nice, clean and convenient.

Check this off your bucket list.

We drove almost 2 hours in the snow to see this place. Even though top and bottom of the falls were closed due to weather, place was beautiful. Worth the drive for sure! Would love to see this in a bit winter season!

Everyone should visit this beautiful park. The views of the canyon walls and river are breathtaking, and the waterfalls are amazing. It's easy to see why it is called the Grand Canyon of the East. We visited during a period when the area was affected by the wild fires in Canada, so visibility was not as clear yet the views were still amazing. The park road goes from one end to the other and offers several pull-off spots where you can stop and view the river below and the waterfalls. You don't need to be able to hike to enjoy the park. At one end is a lovely Victorian inn and restaurant with the cutest little gift shop. We spent the entire day here and enjoyed every minute. We did not eat in the restaurant but there was a food truck and several people were enjoying picnics at the many tables scattered throughout the park. Well worth the visit.

Beautiful park and well maintained

Trails easily accessible and you can also drive through the park making the park extremely accessible for those who like to hike or those who want to experience the park but cannot get around as easily.

We were able to walk most of trail 1 (starting at the lower falls restaurant area) then walked back on the road to where the car was parked as it was a quicker and easier route.

Plenty of places to stop for refreshments and comfort breaks.

My personal highlight was the middle falls at Glen Iris Inn… looking over the waterfall and seeing a beautiful rainbow in its setting was romantic and stunning.

Letchworth park smashes Niagra out of the water, I’d recommend Letchworth every time.

Could have spent days here. There are many trails and hidden falls throughout the park. Everything was clean and maintained. Upper and middle falls were spectacular. Didn't get to lower. Snack shack was located between upper and middle falls. High priced food, but good.

I can see why it's called the Grand Canyon of the East. Reminded me of Niagara Falls. Could feel the mist when you're near the falls. Beautiful well kept park. A lot of walking so where comfortable footwear. No railings just stone walls. Wouldn't recommend if you're afraid of heights. Drove through the park after walking the trail to the falls. Had many stops to view the falls/canyon/dam. Saw a few deer along the drive. Ate at one of the snack shacks. Tasty. Went duing the week. Quite the crowd so try to go during the week because I'm sure it'll be really crowded on weekends.

One of the most beautiful parks we have ever visited. About one hour drive from Buffalo. Our teenagers greatly enjoyed the hike along the Gorge trail to se the threw water falls. The trail is uneven with lots and lots of stairs. Would not recommend for young children or people with mobility issues.

I’m giving it a four stars. I love this place but loop e with the cabins was not a fun experience. I wanted to get a tent site but, the online site wouldn’t let me book one site for one night and one site for another night. No sites for both nights. I messaged them and heard nothing. So I decided to go with a cabin in e loop as that’s all there was. It seems like they have put absolutely no money in e loop. The bathrooms were clean but very small and rusty! I really wouldn’t mind this but, my nights were not the greatest. First night was ok but, second night got no sleep at all. Mattress was not comfortable and I’m not sure when they have bought new ones. Date on the mattress said 93. I heard a noise early in the morning. Knew it was a mouse or rat. Tried to make noise to scare it away. That’s when I heard the fluttering of wings and saw something flying in the cabin. Birds are sleeping at night. My only guess was a bat! I much of rather slept in a tent! No fun at all. They could fix holes in the cabins and use better mouse, rats traps. They had very pathetic ones! Oh, yes and when I got there no one knew where I was supposed to check in for loop e. Where your supposed to check in for tents and rv, the women told me to go out of the park to get to loop e and check in. She was right but, that’s not where you check in. It’s the visitor center to check in to loop d and e. Otherwise a good trip. Always beautiful!