Watkins Glen State Park, State park in Watkins Glen, New York.
Watkins Glen State Park is a state park in Schuyler County, New York, containing a narrow gorge system with nearly 20 waterfalls along Glen Creek. Stone bridges and rock-cut pathways lead through the roughly 120-meter (400-foot) deep gorge lined with sheer limestone walls.
A private individual operated the gorge as a commercial attraction for travelers beginning in 1863 until New York State took over the property in 1906. The first stone pathways and tunnels were built during this early period to give visitors access to the waterfalls.
The name Glen comes from Scottish Gaelic and refers to a narrow valley carved by water over time. Local visitors often start early in the morning to walk through the mist rising from the creek bed below the falls.
The main route through the gorge runs over wet stone steps and narrow passages that can become slippery after rain. Visitors looking to avoid the stairways can use the rim trails, which climb more gently and offer a view from above.
Behind Cavern Cascade, a waterfall roughly 16 meters (52 feet) high, the main pathway runs through a narrow rock passage. On sunny days, light filters through the falling water and casts shadows on the wet stone walls around.
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