Upstate New York State Road Trip: An Unforgettable Trip!

People talk about road trips with their friends all of the time, but here’s how I made it happen!

Let’s be honest, no one is ever rolling in the dough when you’re in college.  Some are better off than others, sure, but for the most part you’re paying for books, food, and a few fun activities with friends.  Well I wanted an extremely memorable experience with my friends – an upstate New York road trip!

I went to college in New York City, and while the city is beautiful, I wanted to see more of this ginormous state!  I love to travel and New York has some incredibly beautiful state parks.  (Thank you Pinterest and Roadtrippers for making me aware I was only a few hours away from such beauty!)  The most noted state park being Niagara Falls State Park, but this was 7 hours away from NYC.

I had been to Niagara Falls in 8th grade with my parents and I loved it.  So I got the idea about a road trip across the state of New York, that ended in Niagara Falls.  After all, my best friends in college were all from other states (California, Arizona, Hawaii, and Virginia)  and if I didn’t plan this trip, who knows if they would ever see the beauty of New York!

I was determined to make this happen!

PLANNING THE TRIP

So I started researching the route to Niagara Falls from our school.  This allowed me a basic idea of what roads we would be taking, and I could strategically plan stops in beautiful state parks along the way.  This broke up the driving, except for the last day when we had to drive back to NYC.  

Once I had mapped the basic route of our Upstate New York Road Trip, I used the Roadtripper’s app to help me find points of interest near this road.  Now I was trying to keep the costs to a minimum, so I was specifically looking for state parks.  I used the “Nearby Outdoor” and “Nearby Points of Interest” filters to find these places.  

My biggest issue with RoadTrippers was that although they had the power to compile a great list of near-by activities, not nearly enough of them had pictures.  And let’s be honest, I didn’t want to drive hours and hours to a place without some great views! 

Cue Pinterest – Upstate New York Edition!

I started searching the list of nearby state parks on Pinterest and the parks with the best views made the cut.  

I knew my friends weren’t as “in love” with hiking as I was (and still am), so I quickly ruled out the state parks that required a lot of hiking to get to these views.

Eventually, my list contained many state parks with views and I needed to narrow it down.  Well, what is one thing that most people enjoy seeing on a hike or at a State Park?  WATERFALLS!  After all, we were ending our grand trip at Niagara Falls, so I wanted to create a trip that would be memorable. 

We totally went chasing waterfalls!

Waterfalls considered, and my list was still too long!  We had a limit of 4 days before my friends needed to either fly home or graduate.  So I picked out 4 state parks that had beautiful waterfalls and minimal hiking.

The plan was as follows:

This schedule was simple enough, but now I had to find hotels that were affordable and near where we wanted to be.  

Hotels.com

I used hotels.com to help me here.  I typed in the state park we were visiting and selected my budget and bam, results!  We ended up finding a hotel in each desired town for under $100 a night.  

*Money saving tip: Look for hotels with FREE CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST!  This saved us the price of one meal and got us energized for the day.

Finally, I did my research about each park.  What were the best trails to view these waterfalls and when was the best time to visit the park?  One park suggested getting there early before the traffic became too bad on the narrow trails.  Another suggested one trail over the other, so I made a few notes for each state park.  I won’t bore you with the details but I highly suggest doing research ahead of time!

Ok, ok, I know what you’re thinking.  “Tell me the state parks you chose already!!”

Thank you for being patient, because here is my final list!

The State Parks List

1. Chittenango Falls State Park
2. Taughannock Falls State Park
3. Watkins Glen State Park
4. Letchworth State Park
5. And of course, Niagara Falls State Park

Chittenango Falls State Park

The day had finally come!  I was so excited I had a hard time sleeping the night before.  I had planned a great trip for me and my best friends and I was hoping it would go off without a hitch.

5am came early, but we all met in the campus  parking lot where my truck was parked and we were off.  I was the only one with a vehicle so I did the driving on this trip.  I actually love driving, so I didn’t mind this at all, but if you plan a trip, I would suggest switching drivers once in a while.

5 hours later, the sun was up and we rolled into Chittenango State Park’s parking lot.  The next few minutes consisted of me having to contain my excitement while I woke up my friends (so much for keeping the driver awake guys…)

After stretching and yawning their way out of my truck, me and my friends headed for the Gorge Trail.  This hike is less than half a mile and takes you right to the base of the falls, and ultimately, the trail loops you back to the parking lot. 

You can see the falls from nearly the beginning of the trail at an overlook.  You get your first peak of the falls and the excitement builds as you realize you are only going to get closer.  Down the path we went, hearing the roar of the water as we descended to the bridge just down-stream.  When we got to the bridge, we could truly bask in the glory of the falls.

The waterfall is nearly 170 feet tall and has several layers to it, creating a beautiful and unique scene.  We took tons of pictures and walked around the stream for a bit before continuing on our way up the path.  I could see the excitement on my friends’ faces and I was proud to have made this trip happen for all of us.

We continued on the Gorge Trail, taking our time and enjoying the park.  The spring time flowers were beautiful and we spent plenty of time stretching our legs.  When we were ready, we looped back to the parking lot and were on our way to the next leg of our adventure.

If you want more information on Chittenango State Park – click on this link to start your research!

So we continued on our upstate New York Road Trip!

Next Up: Taughannock Falls State Park

Taughannock Falls State Park

Now that everyone was awake and it was about lunch time, we stopped a nearby cafe, grabbed a quick bite and were back on the road.

It was 1.5 hours to Taughannock and we jammed out to music and laughed at our ridiculousness.  The trip was a lot more fun when all of the passengers were awake lol.

When we got there we could see the beautiful Cayuga lake, and if had we had more time I would have loved to spend some time there, but that would have to be another trip.  So we parked across the road from the lake.

We grabbed a map and headed for the Gorge Trail.  This trail is .75 miles one way and is super flat.  The river wasn’t flowing particularly hard that day so we were able to walk up the riverbed most of the way.  I was glad I had my water proof boots, but you certainly don’t need them.  

As we walked, we began to realize the height of the cliffs around us.  It is truly an incredible hike and as you continue toward the falls, you begin to admire the 400 foot canyon walls around you.  

The river bed winds and you soon lose sight of the road and it is just you and nature.  With every bend, you grow more anxious of when the falls will come into view.  

Finally, there it is.

The falls come into view and with each step closer, the falls seem to grow.  a 215 feet waterfall surrounded by beautiful cliffs, I was in hiker heaven!  This short and easy hike provided such a stunning view!

Not to mention photographers heaven!  I was hopping from rock to rock to get just the right angle of the falls and my friends were doing the same with their phones.  

We got back on the trail, crossed the bridge near the base of the falls, and walked as close as the wall would let us.  We could feel the mist on our faces and the cool spring water soon felt cold and we had to back up.  I wasn’t ready to turn around so we sat in the sun and enjoyed the roar of the water.

Details

We took this trip in the spring, and there were only a few other people on the trail that day, but in the summer the base of the falls can become quite crowded.  I suggest the beginning of the day for the least amount of people.

However, to my photographers, the lighting is much better in the early afternoon, so I would take my chances with the people.  

North Rim or South Rim Trail

The hike didn’t take long so as we walked back, I talked my friends into also hiking the rim trail.  From my prior research, I knew there was an overlook and I wanted to see that view too.  

They agreed and we got back to the truck, grabbed some more water, and started on the South Rim Trail.  

The first part of the trail is super steep and my friends were not happy with me.  Remember the canyon I described, well yeah, we were essentially hiking out of said canyon.  But we pressed on with the hopes of the view I had seen online.

Well, long story short, this trail did NOT provide the view I had promised.  I should have looked at the map a little more closely, but here we were.  We could hear the falls, we were above them, but the view was from the other side of the canyon, the NORTH RIM TRAIL. *facepalm*

We walked back to the truck and I tried to talk them into going up the other trail.  “Remember the view!” I pressed.  Well they didn’t go for it this time.

But I wasn’t letting this little set back get in my way.  I left them with my keys, and said if I wasn’t back in 45 minutes, come looking for me. I raced off. Obviously this was dramatic, but I wasn’t missing this view!

I crossed the road and found the North Rim Trail and started running.  Well, there are over 150 stairs and I was pretty out of breath by the time I reached the top.  I was huffing and puffing but I was determined to see this view I had seen on Pinterest.  

I jogged past a campground on my right and followed the trail for about a half mile until I came to the overlook I was hoping to find.  The view was totally worth it!

Within a half hour I was back in the truck and we were heading to the hotel to shower and look for dinner.

We all had a ton of fun that day and I could hardly wait to continue our upstate New York road trip!

Check out this link for more information on Taughannock Falls State Park

A good night sleep and a free continental breakfast later, we were off to another beauty of a state park.  

Watkins Glen State Park

Watkins Glen State Park reminded me of something from a fairy tale.  

We arrived early in the morning ready to hike.  The trails are noted for being narrow and I can confirm that they became quite busy in the afternoon.  We were leaving just as people were getting on the trails in legions.  So I HIGHLY recommend getting there to complete this hike in the morning.

We parked at the South Entrance, but upon struggling to find the trail, I would recommend parking at the Main Entrance. (This lot is small and can get crowded, but if you are there early, you should be fine).

We eventually found the Gorge Trail I wanted to hike and was not disappointed.  The Gorge trail is a 2 mile hike (total) that offers mystical views of the incredible 19 waterfalls.  

As you walk along the creek, you are taken up many stairs, wind around and under waterfalls, over rock bridges and past beautiful pools of water.  

There are a lot of stairs with this hike, 832 to be exact, but the views will leave you entranced with their beauty.

I remember feeling as if I had stepped into a scene from the Lord of the Rings movies.  I mean come on, just LOOK at this view!

My friends loved this state park as well and I have had the opportunity to recommend this state park to several friends and family members as well.  

The hike is short but steep and I was definitely glad we got there before the crowd because the trails are quite narrow.  We got back to the truck just in time to beat the rush.

Here is the link to some basic information on Watkins Glen State Park.

We continued on our upstate New York road trip by heading to Letchworth State Park!

Letchworth State Park

Our final state park of the day was a much larger state park.  We could have spent so much time here, possibly a few days, but we only had a few hours before the final leg of our road trip.  We went to the southern part of the park where the 3 waterfalls (Upper, Middle and Lower Falls) are located.

As we drove on Park Road, there were signs for an overlook at the Octagon Area. We stopped here and we came by our first view of the 3 waterfalls.  From the overlook, the falls were beautifully placed amongst dense trees and the river flowed towards us.  I couldn’t wait to get closer!

We drove the rest of Park Road and parked in the Falls Area.  From there we walked around the Middle Falls.  There are rock paths and picturesque bridges to walk over for many views of the waterfall and the stunning river.

The Upper Falls are framed by thick trees, rough cliffs, and a high railroad bridge which made for great pictures.  My friends and I wandered around taking pictures, walked up to the railroad bridge, and enjoyed the views.  

Letchworth boasts many trails and I wish we had had more time to explore, but the trip must go on!  So after only 2-3 hours, we continued on.

For more information on Letchworth State Park and all the beauty we missed out on, check out this link.

We drove the last few hours of our upstate New York road trip to our hotel near Niagara Falls.  Grabbed a nice dinner and a few drinks before walking back to the hotel.  The falls would wait until tomorrow.

Niagara Falls State Park

We had made it!  The final destination of our upstate New York road trip and the weather was perfect.  

After a quick breakfast, we made our way over to the parking lot in Niagara Falls State Park and started our final day.  

The very first thing we did was get in line for Maid of the Mist.  The line was long but the wait was short when among friends.  They took our tickets just as we got on the elevator down to the ferry.  

Maid of the Mist

We put on our blue ponchos, fought our way to a railing, and were ready when the captain was.  After we waited for a while as everyone got on the boat, we finally heard the engine fire up.  The boat roared as it fought to go up stream, literally fighting the power of the falls.

The American Falls rumbled as the gallons and gallons of water crashed onto the rocks below (no wonder no one survived when going over those falls!).  The power of these falls is truly indescribable and until you see it, you may think I am exaggerating, but trust me, it’s incredible.

The boat continued upstream until we were in the mists of the Canadian Falls.  The falls are horseshoe shaped and the captain drove us forward until we couldn’t see the falls at all for all of the mist.  You get so close to the falls you almost feel nervous that the captain has pushed us too close.  

The boat rotates so both sides can experience the water and views and then the boat returns to the dock.  You return much faster now that the boat is no longer fighting the current, and you find yourself wanting more time to experience the falls this way.  By the time you get back to dry land, you are still wet from the mists but you long to be back on the water.  

Back up the elevator and onto the next touristy thing, The Cave of the Winds tour.  

Cave of the Winds

Besides food each day, these 2 tours were the first things we paid for, but both were so worth it!

The Cave of the Winds tour takes you closer to the falls that you thought possible.  You are handed another poncho, this one clear, and you descend several hundred feet in another elevator.

There are many decks and stairs for various views of the falls, but the highlight is the Hurricane Deck.  If you make your way all the way to the railing, you are less than 25 feet from the Bridal Veil Falls.  And you truly feel like you are in a hurricane!  

You are soaked before you know it and the winds from the falls are so powerful you start wondering if you’re a little TOO close.  This tour leaves you in awe of the power that is Niagara Falls.    

Niagara Falls State Park has 2 of the most powerful waterfalls in the world and being able to experience them up close and personal should be on everyone’s bucket list!  Definitely worth the price, I promise!

My friends and I had a wonderful trip, but there was one last thing to see before we left the next morning.  

I needed to show them the falls at night. 

Niagara Falls at Night

We came back that night after a tasty dinner to see how the falls are lit up at night.  From glowing oranges and yellows, to a red, white, and blue theme, and even just plain white lights, it is a beauty to see and worth going back for.  There are often firework shows over the falls, but not the night we were there.  If you do your research, I’m sure you can see a fireworks show if your heart desires.

But we had reached the end of our upstate New York road trip.  And the 4th and final day consisted of a 7 hour drive home.  

We got back to school and looked at the many pictures we had taken and laughed about some of the funnier moments together one last time before we left for summer break.

I will never forget this trip and I am so glad I planned it out for us all to enjoy! 

More information can be found at the links embedded in this article, these links offer information from https://parks.ny.gov/ and will help you start your research as well as look at other state parks in New York!

Conclusion

Every group of friends deserves to have that road trip make it out of the group chat. And our upstate New York road trip is something I will never forget!

From the 5 beautiful state parks we stopped at, to the memories made with college friends I don’t see as often now, I am so glad we made it happen.

If you need help planning a road trip, feel free to contact me at [email protected] and fire off those questions.

Happy Traveling!

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