Genesee Falls Loop

The Genesee Falls Loop is Letchworth State Park's most accessible introduction to its spectacular gorge scenery, condensing views of all three famous waterfalls into a manageable 2.5-mile circuit. The loop begins near the Glen Iris Inn, a historic 1828 mansion converted to a hotel by William Pryor Letchworth, the industrialist who preserved this gorge and donated it to New York State in 1910. The route descends into the gorge to viewing platforms directly beneath Lower Falls and Middle Falls before climbing back along the western rim past the grave of Mary Jemison, the 'White Woman of the Genesee,' a colonial-era captive who chose to remain with the Seneca Nation after her capture and lived to age 90. The grave site, marked by a sculpture placed by William Letchworth in 1910, reflects the gorge's layered cultural history as Seneca homeland long before European settlement. The loop elevation change is modest but concentrated; the descent to the gorge bottom involves several switchbacks on packed-dirt trail. Views from the rim overlooks encompass the full width of the gorge, with Middle Falls visible as a broad 107-foot curtain during spring high water.