Letchworth State Park, New York

July 2010

Letchworth State Park is situated in New York State 35 miles south of Rochester. Dubbed the “Grand Canyon of the East”, the park is 17 miles long from north to south, covers an area of over 14,000 acres along the Genesee River and is noted for its gorge scenery, magnificent waterfalls and dramatic cliffs reaching 600 feet in height.

Within the park there are 3 major waterfalls, Upper Falls, Middle Falls (the highest at 107 feet), Lower Falls all of which are situated in the south section. There is a path that starts at the Glen Iris Inn that leads to the Middle Falls and continues to the Upper Falls.



Middle Falls

Upper Falls

 

There are several nice lookouts along the rim of the park that provide spectacular views of the gorge and Genesee River. The Inspiration Point Lookout provides exceptional views of the Middle Falls ,Upper Falls and the Portage Bridge. The Big Bend Lookout provides an amazing view of the winding Genesee River and carved gorge. The Mt. Morris Dam overlook provides a great view of the Mt. Morris Dam.



View of the canyon gorge and Genesee River from Big Bend Lookout

View of Middle Falls from Inspiration Point

Portage Bridge is 820 feet long and 240 feet high and is still in use today by freight trains. The original wood trestle bridge which was complted in 1852 burned in 1875. Close up views of the Portage Bridge can be accessed from the Upper Falls by climbing a path with a series of steep steps.

The Glen Iris Inn is located on the top of a cliff overlooking the Middle Falls is considered the centerpiece of the park and was purchased by William Pryor Letchworth in 1859 with the surrounding 1000 acres. The Glen Iris Inn provides overnight accommodations and fine dining, has a Victorian Gift Shop and is a popular place for wedding receptions. For those staying the evening you will see the Middle Falls lit up at night with white and colored lights.

 

 

Glen Iris Inn

 

 

Letchworth has over 25 trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and skiing ranging from ½ mile to the longest, the Finger Lakes Trail, which is 24 miles and spans the whole length of the park. Other activities include rafting and hot air ballooning.

 

Letchworth is beautiful any time of the year but particularly in the autumn when it displays magnificent red, yellow and orange foliage. The park can be entered through Mt Morris, Castille, Parade Grounds and Portageville. Cost to access the park is $8 per vehicle.

For more information visit the following related links.

New York State Parks:Letchworth State Park

NyFalls.com:Letchworth State Park

LetchworthPark.com: General Park Information-Camping Information and Park Maps

BalloonsOverLetchworth.com: Balloon Rides over Letchworth

LetchworthParkHistory.com:Learn about the history of Letchworth State Park








Oxtongue River- Ragged Falls Provincial Park, Ontario

July 2010

Ragged Falls Provincial Pak is located a short distance outside the western gate to Algonquin Park off of Highway 60.

A short trail leads to a lookout of the thundering whitewater falls, one the best in Ontario. Depending on the time of year, you can climb along the rocks (with caution) to the bottom of the falls and vice versa. The view looking up from the bottom of the falls is equally impressive. One great way to access the falls is to rent a canoe at a nearby outfitter (Algonquin Outfitters rents canoes for a reasonable price for the day) and paddle along the Oxtongue River to the base of the falls. The falls are very beautiful, one of the Top Ten waterfalls in Ontario, and well worth a stop while en route to or from Algonquin Park.

If coming by car, a parking permit is required and can be obtained from a meter costing $2 per hour. But if you are staying at the Wolf Den Bunkhouse nearby, it's a nice short 15 minute walk over and you save a few dollars on parking.

 

View of Ragged Falls and the Oxtongue River

For more information visit the following related links.Ontario Parks:Oxtongue River-Ragged Falls Provincial Park