Wonderful waterfalls hike and easy. Park in dirt parking area and the falls is in view right away…read more If you follow the water upstream you will come to a bigger falls you can walk behind. There is also an upper trail. Beautiful area. Be careful of poison ivy. Water shoes are recommended. Uneven surface and slippery conditions.

A wonderful place to enjoy. We always take a trash bag to…read moreclean up after those that are inconsiderate.

This park is beautiful! It's tiny, with a small playground and a little pavilion with a grill…read more There is a little swing seat by the falls as well. There is a path down, but it was rushing enough that we didn't try to go down. But still, it was beautiful!

Small public park with a steep off beat path down to a waterfall overhang, small veranda and a lot…read moreof teens swimming in the watering hole here. The area is a little slippery with the rocks and you have to be careful to not turn an ankle. Not handicapped accessible to the falls aside from the view at the rim. Deep overhang helps keep it cool but also have to watch falling rock eventually.

This park is so lovely! And much bigger than I expected it to be…read more Situated along Owasco Lake, there are beach areas, a dog park, sizeable pavilions, a boat launch, and all sorts of spaces (the Merry-Go Round Playhouse Theater is also located in this park). My one complaint? There could certainly be more / better signage. When looking for the bathroom recently, the first closed one (over by Merry-Go Round) directed you to the large pavilion on the main (other) side of the park. When there, you were directed to actually use the bathrooms at the little league field (up near the entrance back on the other side of the park). Also, for newcomers who are trying to find the dog park or whatnot, some extra signage would be helpful (the dog park is kinda tucked away). TL;DR Very much enjoyed my recent visit here - I'll be back! :)

My wife, two teenage sons, miniature poodle, and I visited this state park on a hot day in July…read more2025. We parked on the East Bay Drive entrance (which has a very steep but short climb to view the bluffs). Please note the east entrance to the Bluff Trail has a limited number of parking spots with two porta-potty units instead of a full restroom. This is NOT the main entrance to the state park (which offers a larger parking lot and picnic benches). Although we did not have enough time to explore the other sections of the park or walk the full 1.3 miles of the Bluff Trail, I think the dramatic view of the drumlins with Lake Ontario in the background was more than worth the 1 hour drive from Penn Yan (on Keuka Lake) where we stayed for vacation. Another benefit of parking on the east end of the Bluff trail is that you have convenient walking access to Dragon View Beach (a popular spot to go swimming in the summer).

Nice walk from west parking. Be sure to spray for mosquitoes first! Maps don't all show, but…read morethere is also parking On the east side. From there it's stairs to the view vice the 1.3 mile walk from the west. For me, I prefer the walk. Noisy jet skis kind of detract. Walk it nice and smooth with nothing too steep or rough.

A great park for picnics and hiking A lot of good scenery,…read morefree parking There is a bathroom building but there's no running water, no soap & like an oven on a sunny day

Cute and relatively easy hike! It's likely "lightly moderate" as it has some steep incline and…read morerocks at points. It can be a bit tricky to navigate the turns but if you pull up your GPS in the All Trails app it's easy enough. This trail has free parking near the trailhead, restrooms, and a cookout pavilion. It's a little over 1.2 miles total and follows a circular loop. There are a few small rivers with bridges to cross, a pretty lookout and of course the main waterfall. The trail is dog friendly as well. I've seen more beautiful views but this is very nice for the area.

We enjoyed hiking through Taughannock Falls State Park in Ithaca NY (Jul 2026). There's terrific…read moreviews of the falls from an overhead Taughannock, a small pedestrian bridge, and a spacious viewing courtyard.

Overlook is half way point of North Rim Trail. Since half of the trail was close during winter…read more People just drove and park here (free parking). There is a visitor center and bathroom but it wasn't open when I was there. View is not bad. It is a 2-minute stop. Take some picture and then go back to the car. Gorge trail has better view because you can get close and feel the energy of the waterfall.

[Tuh-Gan-Ick] Falls state park is one the of most beautiful state park in NY. It has spectacular…read morenatural attractions of waterfalls, and a lake front on the other side of the road The Gorge Trail to the waterfall is very easy to access. I visited in the winter to see the falls frozen over, and the park rangers had done an excellent job keeping the trail well maintained. It takes about 20 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the waterfall, and there's very little elevation change along the way. North Rim trail entrance was close during winter due to ice and snow. But you can skip the dangerous part of the trail by parking at the Taughannock Falls overlook point and start hiking from there. Then you will reach the upper falls. Parking is only $10. lot is small so warmer weather probably will fill up pretty quickly.

I visited Taughannock Falls State Park about a week ago when my husband and I were in the Finger…read moreLakes for the 4th of July, and I'm glad we included it in our itinerary for our trip. The highlight of the park - and its namesake - is Taughannock Falls, a 215-foot plunge waterfall. That's what we were there to see, but let me explain more about the park. The park crosses Taughannock Boulevard. On one side of the road, is the park of the park with lots of amenities: the marina, boat launches, a beach, a concession stand, bathrooms, a playground, and more. We were there on the morning of the Fourth of July, so lots of families were setting up for a fun day for the holiday: picnics, beach, boat day, etc. On the other side of Taughannock Boulevard is the waterfall and several trails. There is one parking lot by the trails, which was already full when arrived around 9am on Saturday, which was the Fourth of July, but we parked near the entrance on the other side of the park and walked over to the trail. There is signage requiring cars on Taughannock Boulevard to stop for pedestrians; it felt safe to cross. We took a little walk around the side of the park with the amenities, but we were there for the falls. We walked along the Gorge Trail - a .95 mile trail that is very flat. While not paved, it was a flat, wide dirt path, making it much more of a walk than a hike. Compared to other parks with falls in the area, it really doesn't feel like you're *in* a gorge, but you do walk along Taughannock Creek. But it's not quite as beautiful of a trail as some others in the area. But we were for the waterfall, which is incredible. It's worth a sweaty walk (it was a hot, hot day) to get to. We took a million pictures, watched the hawks flying over the falls, and took in the falls for as long as we could before heading back along the Gorge Trail. (Unlike other parks nearby, the Gorge Trail doesn't connect to the other trails, so you have to return on the same trail.) It might not be my favorite of the state parks we visited during our time in the Finger Lakes, but the waterfall is stunning and well worth a visit. It's also a great option for anyone who wants to visit a waterfall but isn't up for a more challenging hike, as the Gorge Trail is extremely flat and easy!

We stopped here on our way camping a couple weeks ago. The playground was fun, and included a…read morelittle zipline. The splash pad is huge. Staff sprays off everyone's feet so they don't bring in beach debris. The swimming beach is so shallow. My boys walked for the longest time and even when they started to swim, they could still stand if they wanted. Warm, too. Not the softest sand, but the way out into the lake isn't too bad. The way back, it feels a little more prickly. Guess the rocks face away from the beach. Plenty of parking, seating and shade.

Seneca Lake State Park has several good things going for it. It's nice to look at and clean; it's…read morealso a fun place to head for if you want to go jogging or take a walk. Tip: There's a path here which (upon closer examination) is actually an old street that's in a pretty far-gone state of disrepair. It's so far gone that it's actually too rough to ride a bike on :-( I suggest you learn from our mistake - if you're actually intended to go for a bike ride, you should seek out another destination.

Green Lakes is such a beautiful place. Love walking around the 2 lakes, such a quiet and peaceful…read morewalk. Lots of walking trails, campground, kayak rentals and swimming. Everyone should go to Green Lakes at least once, Highly Recommend !!

While renewing my Empire Pass last year at a local state park, I chatted with the ranger about…read morefavorite ones throughout the state. When he learned that I had been to over 100 of them but hadn't been to Green Lakes he urged me to check that one off the list pronto. And you know how that goes: when someone tells you how great something is, that place suddenly starts popping up more and more in your social feeds. Well, after seeing it featured on the socials for I Love NY and NYS Parks, I finally made the trip to Central New York outside of Syracuse (wait, I can call Syracuse "Central New York" on here, right? :) ), and I was not disappointed at all. My visit was early on an October Saturday, and lots of runners and walkers were around. And a fair amount of ducks too. A mostly level 2.5-mile loop around Green Lake and another mile-ish loop around practically adjacent Round Lake (which is also a Registered National Landmark) made for a wonderful morning stroll. I was just walking and taking pictures, but clearly this is a spot where runners meet and get in a workout together. The lakes are beautiful, and, yeah, have an emerald-green glow at times. I'm really glad I made the trip there, and will definitely revisit one day.

Wow. You know when you've had a place on your list to visit for a while and then you start to…read morewonder if you've built it up too much? If it can't possibly live up to your expectations after years of wanting to visit? That was not my experience at Watkins Glen State Park. I'd wanted to visit for years and finally made it about a week ago when I spent the Fourth of July in the Finger Lakes. It was everything I'd heard about it, everything I hoped it would be. Watkins Glen State Park has four trails, but the reason you're there (at least on a first visit) is the Gorge Trail. It's a paved trail along/in the Glen Creek gorge. I've only hiked one other gorge that felt like you walk in and through and along water in this way. It was stunning. Bridges, lookouts, waterfalls, rock cliffs... I was constantly stunned by the beauty of this trail. I took about a million pictures. This park and this trail are worth planning a trip around. And being anywhere near the Finger Lakes and not visiting this park would be a real shame. It's that incredible. So here are some details that you need to know now that I've totally convinced you of the need to visit. The Gorge Trail is not a loop. At one end of the trail is the Main Entrance, and at the other end of the trail is the Upper Entrance. Both entrances have parking. The park offers a shuttle that takes you from one entrance to another for $6, so you have a lot of options. (FYI: The maps says this shuttle service is available July-August, so if you want to use this service, make sure to visit in those summer months.) You can hike just the Gorge Trail (either way) and then take the shuttle back to the entrance where you parked. Or you can hike the Gorge Trail (either way) and then hike back to where you parked (repeating the Gorge Trail or hiking back on the North Rim Trail). You can do the Gorge Trail in either direction; the views are great either way. We parked and started at the Upper Entrance, which I may prefer as the Upper Entrance is a few minutes outside town, so I think the parking may not get as full as early in the day. We hiked the Gorge Trail from the Upper Entrance to the Main Entrance and then hiked back to the start on the North Rim Trail. I'd do this way again. The best advice I can give is to start as early as you want/can. We arrived at the parking around 7:45am on a Friday morning (it was the Fourth of July weekend so we worried about holiday and weekend crowds), and it wasn't too crowded when we started. That meant a less crowded Gorge Trail, better pictures, and cooler temps. When we were making our way back just an hour or so later, the trail was much more crowded. I also recommend you wear hiking boots, water shoes, or some other waterproof shoes, because you will be walking through wet areas, mud, etc. I saw some girls dressed up for cute photos under waterfalls; they looked adorable, but I was trudging around in the mud in my hiking boots and sweating sunscreen. Neither trail was very difficult, and I think most people can and should do at least the Gorge Trail. (The Upper Rim Trail is a little bit of a bummer after the gorgeous views on the Gorge Trail, but I appreciated that there was a way to hike back to our car without returning on the Gorge Trail, because then it would have been so crowded!) Watkins Glen State Park was one of the highlights of our four or so days in the Finger Lakes. It's really stunning. I look forward to hiking the Gorge Trail again the future.

Beautiful campground and area. Made reservations in advance for a cabin. It is very rustic. The…read morecabins do not have electric or water. They have bunk beds with very thin cushions. Bring your own sleeping bag, blankets, sheets, pillows, lantern, and water. There is a small shelf, no other shelves. Or table inside the cabin. There is a picnic table in the concrete slab outside the cabin. One fire ring, bring your own grill. The office closes early. We got to the campsite after 7pm and there was no way to check in and get the key. We had to wait until the next day. They sell ice and firewood at the office. Bring cash. You out the cash in the box grab the key go out and unlock the shed for wood. Same for ice but out of the cooler. The staff seemed friendly, bathrooms were clean, sites were tidy. You can hike to the gorge from the campground very well marked. They have a pool, however it was not open when I went so I cannot review that. Quick ride into town where there are restaurants, breweries, more falls, the lake, and much more.