Hiking Watkins Glen State Park: Are the 832 Stairs Worth It?

Watkins Glen State Park in upstate New York has 832 stone stairs on the Gorge trail. But trust me, the magical views are 100% worth it!

Watkins Glen State Park looks like a place that should be in a movie. A magical movie that may or may not involve elves, hobbits, kings…are you picking up what I’m laying down?

As soon as I saw the bridge in the picture above, I fell in love with this place. Sure there are over 800 stairs to climb, but the views will entice you to keep climbing.

I’ve been to Watkins Glen twice now and any time anyone asks about it, I jump right to the punch line: you HAVE to visit! I truly can’t sum up how beautiful this state park is, you simply MUST go!

The first time I visited was in the spring of 2015 while on a road trip with my best friends. You can read about this road trip in another one of my blog posts An Unforgettable Road Trip with My Best Friends. It’s worth the read if you are travelling across New York State.

Anyway, where the heck is Watkins Glen State Park? After all, the first time I saw some of these pictures on Pinterest, I figured it was in another country.

So let’s dive right in!

Important Links

Watkins Glen State Park website

State Park Map – Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen Camping – Make reservations here

Hiking Backpack Checklist Freebie!

Watkins Glen State Park – Location

Watkins Glen is located in upstate New York, just south of Seneca Lake and about 40 minutes west of Ithaca New York.

This breath-taking state park is in the Finger Lakes Region of New York state. There are many beautiful state parks in this area such as Taughannock State Park and Buttermilk Falls State Park. You can read about my visit to these parks in the links above.

Now that you know where to go, let’s take a look at some of the details of the park, such as parking, the trails and my experience on the trails.

Watkins Glen State Park

Parking

Unless you are camping at their campground and are planning on walking to the trails, you will need a place to park your car.

There are 4 parking lots and 3 entrances to Watkins Glen State Park. You can see this all on this park map. Both times I came here, I parked in the parking lot at the South Entrance. There was plenty of parking and then you just follow the signs to get down to the trail.

The parking lots near the Main Entrance often fill up in the summer months, but this entrance does make for the most direct access to the Gorge Trail (this was my favorite trail!).

The Upper Entrance has a snack shop and a gift shop for all of your touristy needs. My husband and I buy magnets from everywhere we’ve been so we picked up a magnet we liked here. Our fridge is covered with proof of our adventures (in case you were wondering!).

Between these 3 entrances you shouldn’t have an issue finding parking before setting off on your hike with a view.

Camping

While my husband and I have never stayed at Watkin’s Glen Campground, we did get a glance of the place. It seemed pretty nice and also accommodated tents, campers, RV’s and most importantly, doggos.

Watkins Glen State Park Campground has 276 campsites and can accommodate 20, 25, 30, 35, and even 40 foot rigs. There are even 9 cabins for all you glampers out there!

And this entire campground is dog friendly! Just be aware that dogs are not allowed on the Gorge Trail. So bring your furry friends on your adventure to Watkins Glen State Park, just not there.

You can reserve a spot at this site and find the map of the campground here. The campground has multiple loops, some with electricity and some without. There are bath houses at the center of each loop and reserving a site is pretty easy and affordable!

Trails

Watkins Glen State Park has many trails but if you only have time for 1 hike, you HAVE to hike the Gorge Trail!

The Gorge Trail is 1.5 miles long and leads you through the gorge and past stunning views. From high cliffs, to waterfalls and the stunningly clear pools of water, this hike is a must-do! But more on that later.

The full list of trails is below but for more information and the topographical map, check out this Park Trail Map.

• North Rim Trail
• Cross Country Trail/Nature Trail
• Gorge Trail
• Indian Trail
• North Country Trail
• South Rim Trail

GOOD TO KNOW: dogs are not allowed on the Gorge Trail. You can have dogs at the campground and on the other trails, but if you are looking for those magical views, no puppers allowed!

Our Hike

But First – My Advice to All

I’ve been to Watkins Glen State Park twice and seriously can’t recommend THIS enough! It’s gorgeous and truly breath-taking. I’ve visited in the Spring and in the Summer, but no matter when you visit I will always say the following: YOU HAVE TO GET THERE EARLY!

And again for the people in the back:

You Have To Get There EARLY!

-Me

Trust me, the Gorge Trail is very narrow and people flock to it. People who have looked at any pictures online from Watkins Glen want to hike the Gorge Trail.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at how narrow the trail is in this picture. And people are supposed to hike both ways on this trail.

Both times I visited we arrived in the morning and by the time we were done (both times around noon), the trail was packed! So don’t allow yourself to get stuck in the line of traffic, get there early and hike freely.

Hiking the Gorge Trail

My husband and I hiked the Gorge Trail in the summer of 2019 and I visited with my friends in the spring of 2015. We hiked the same trail, parked in the same lot and both times I marveled at the beauty.

But what I couldn’t get over was how different it looked. Just look at these 2 pictures above – the gentle trickle versus the roaring water in the same spot. The crowds were different and the creek was much muddier too.

Be aware that depending on the rain fall this place may look different. Both visits were enjoyable but you should also be aware that your feet will probably get wet on this hike.

My husband and I were wearing our waterproof boots so we didn’t have to worry, but there were many people around us who were trying to puddle jump the entire time to keep their feet dry. The path is mostly stone so the water puddles up and can make for a wet hike. (Invest in some waterproof boots or just wear an old pair of sneakers and get ready for wet feet).

Recommended Starting Point

Both times I hiked the Gorge Trail, I started in the middle because I parked at the south entrance. We had to hike down to the Gorge Trail, then down towards the main entrance of the State Park. We then hiked the Gorge Trail in it’s entirety followed by returning back to where we started.

Don’t do this.

Seriously guys, either start at the Main Entrance or the Upper Entrance. Both will give you access to one end of the trail. You will hike to the other end (1.5 miles) and then back. But now that I’ve done it twice, where would I start for the best hiking experience?

Start at the Main Entrance.

This sends you up the trail and up those 832 stairs I warned you about. But remember, what goes up must come down. This steep start allows you to have a down-hill hike on your way back. This way you can enjoy the views as you begin to tire from all of those stairs.

Back to Our Hike

After making our way towards the main entrance of the park and starting the trail from this end, you are met with a beautiful view of a large stone bridge and you start to make your way towards the first of over a dozen waterfalls.

As you continue you begin realizing just how many 832 stairs are! But you are also struck by the beauty.

The water is rushing next to you or just below you at all times. If there has been any sort of rain fall recently, the water is dripping down the canyon walls all around you. Again, be sure to wear water proof shoes, or just know you will most likely get wet!

There are many places to sit and relax if you need a break, just don’t take too long and then get caught up in the crowds that are coming.

Up and Up – It’s Worth It!

832 stairs is a lot, there’s no doubt about that! But as you continue on, you’ll understand why this trail is still so popular despite the stairs.

You will pass under waterfalls and walk right along the winding stream. The canyon walls around you rise higher and higher and you will cross stone bridges. The views truly speak for themselves!

As you finally exit the canyon with the last stretch of steep stairs, you will find the gift shop and a concession stand. We spent a little time here and bought some water to stay hydrated. After a little while, we headed back to the stairs and began our descent.

Descending

Hiking down is much easier (obviously), so we were glad we hiked from the Main Entrance to the Upper Entrance. We took more time for pictures and time to enjoy the beauty around us as we walked down.

Anyway, because we got there early, we were now fighting the crowds as we headed back to our truck. Sort of like a fish swimming up stream. We were definitely glad we got there when we did so we weren’t in that crowd twice.

Were the 832 Stairs Worth It? Absolutely!

Despite the crowds, we still absolutely loved our morning at Watkins Glen State Park. The waterfalls, the greenery and the magical views created for an enjoyable hike and we both recommend this park to anyone who is in the Finger Lakes Region of New York.

We spent about 2.5 – 3 hours here and despite getting wet from the canyon’s drips, the hike was more than enjoyable. We enjoyed the stunning views and you will too, trust me!

Remember, no dogs are allowed on this trail. Now that we have Luna (our yellow lab) we don’t know when we will get back here, so we are glad we did this hike when we did.

Hiking Tips

While this wasn’t a particularly long hike, let me offer you some hiking tips!

1. Get there early! This is pretty much universal for all hikes in popular locations, but especially for this narrow trail!
2. Pack water! This hike is short and can be misleading. “I’ll be fine til we get back to the car.” But the steep stairs make water essential to stay hydrated.
3. Be prepared to get wet! This trail has many puddles and the canyon walls are constantly dripping on you on this hike. I suggest either water proof boots or old sneakers. Oh, and you probably don’t want to wear your Sunday best either.

If you want more tips about what to pack on day hikes, check out my backpack checklist freebie here!

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