Letchworth State Park

Letchworth State Park is located in Castile, New York about 60 miles (100km) SE of Buffalo.

Letchworth State Park is referred to as the “Grand Canyon of the East”. The Genesee River travels through the gorge over three major waterfalls between cliffs- as high as 600 feet in some places- affording some very scenic views.

Site Review:

1. There are 268 sites and all are electric at Letchworth State Park.
2. The camping area is not near the falls area, nor is it near the pool area.
3. Biking between the various areas of interest is not an easy ride. Certainly not for the average family with children. There are winding hilly roads. There is no designated bike path joining the various areas of Letchworth State Park. To enjoy these areas while camping in the campgrounds you will have to drive.
4. Sites in the 300, 400, 500, 600, and 800 loops do not allow pets. We stayed at site 533 as we did not have our dog with us on this trip.
5. The camping areas are all generally the same. They are in a treed area that offers some direct sun protection but there is very little underbrush so the visual privacy between sites is virtually non-existent. You do have some space between sites though, which is nice and does afford some noise privacy.
6. Sites 613 and 615 are probably the best sites. They are large and back up to the gorge. There is a barrier fence at the back of the sites to prevent people from going down the steep embankment. Even though there is the promise of the gorge you cannot actually view the water.
7. All sites have fire rings for campfires.

Activities:

It’s all about the views at Letchworth. There are numerous spots where you can view the 3 main falls and the gorge, as well as the Mount Morris Dam.

Hiking:

We hiked a portion of the Gorge Trail (which is a multi-use trail that can also be used for bikes).

It runs parallel to the main road and offers the most easily accessible views.

There are over 65 miles of hiking trails and about 20 different named trails varying in length and difficulty. If hiking is your thing then there is no shortage of opportunities at Letchworth State Park. Maps are available at the New York State Parks website, as well as in the park.

Hot Air Balloon Rides:

Another activity that intrigued me was the hot air balloon rides over the gorge. The views would be stunning (especially in the fall). The launch site is right in the park in the picnic area of Upper and Middle Falls.

There are Sunrise and Sunset rides starting in early May and going until mid-October (weather permitting). You must reserve early as they get booked solid for the season, especially on the weekends.

The cost for a one hour ride is approx. $260 USD pp. We passed this time, as we couldn’t really justify the expense, and we hadn’t made any reservations, but maybe on a future visit to the park.

Canoeing:

Something else that looked fun- was canoeing on the river below the falls. You could see some people on the river from the viewpoints along the Gorge Trail. A little investigation showed that these were guided trips offered by an outfitter outside of the park, but that could be pre-arranged if that was your thing.

Swimming:

If you wanted to swim, there is an Olympic-sized pool at the far north end of the park in the Mount Morris Dam area.

We biked to this area from the campground and it was not an easy ride. It was hilly and you were on the main road for the majority of the ride. The round trip was about 20km. I wouldn’t advise it if you were an occasional cyclist. The fun metre would probably be zero if that were the case.

The pool was closed when we visited in mid-September. Signs indicated that it was open only until Labour Day and there was a $2.00 user fee per person per day. The hours showed it was open at 11 am and closed between 6 and 7 pm depending on whether it was a weekday or weekend. 

IMO:

I underestimated Letchworth State Park and thought of it as only a weekend destination with some spots where I could take a couple of pictures of waterfalls. I was wrong.

Letchworth State Park has a lot to offer and you could certainly spend a lot more time than the weekend that we had allotted for it. There are even a few small museums to check out that we simply did not have time for. The park is well maintained, but be prepared to drive from area to area.

The camping is generic and standard, but comfortable. I would definitely visit Letchworth State Park again but would allow more time and do some more of the activities that are offered. It truly is a beautiful area and in that regard, Letchworth State Park certainly is an RV Place to Go.