Gorge Trail

Letchworth State Park's Gorge Trail earns its nickname 'the Grand Canyon of the East' by tracing the rim of a dramatic 600-foot-deep gorge carved by the Genesee River through layers of Devonian shale and sandstone. This 7-mile out-and-back route connects the park's three signature waterfalls: Lower Falls (70 feet), Middle Falls (107 feet, the most photographed), and Upper Falls (70 feet) where a historic railroad trestle spans the gorge overhead. The trail hugs the western rim with continuous views into the gorge, passing through old-growth hemlock groves that create a cathedral effect where boughs filter sunlight onto the river 400 feet below. Seasonal wildflowers including trillium and wild ginger carpet the forest floor in May. The Genesee River carved this gorge entirely after the last glaciation, an unusually rapid geological achievement accomplished in just 12,000 years. Dogs are permitted on leash throughout the trail. Spring runoff swells all three falls to their most thunderous; summer visits allow swimming at designated areas below Lower Falls. The park is consistently ranked among the top ten state parks in the United States by travel publications.