1. Letchworth State Park

1. Letchworth State Park

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Castile, NY

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Letchworth State Park

4.8 (221 reviews)
Open 6:00 am - 11:00 pm

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Toby M.

Incredible Worthy of National Park Status. Scenery. Restaurants. Waterfalls. Camping. Quiet. New playgrounds. New facilities. Great campgrounds. Not crowded. Affordable everything! Camping. Beers at the Inn. Homemade pies made by a local person for sale at the campground store. What!?!? Fresh vegetables and milk available at the campground store. Seriously!? Awesome. First time. Not the last time. : )

Gilbert G.

My wife, two teenage sons, miniature poodle, and I enjoyed a visit to Letchworth State Park in July 2025. It's a stunning array of waterfalls and a deep gorge that you would not expect to see in western NY. We entered the park using the South Gate (Portageville, NY) which was a bit confusing as the initial parking area was near the start of Trail #1). After a confusing drive where we initially thought the Glen Iris Inn was the Visitor's Center, we turned around and made the sharp turnoff to go downhill and reach the MIddle/Upper Falls parking area. It's not well-marked with signs. At the bottom area, you can park near in the center lot and ice cream stand. Restrooms are a short walk up the hill in the picnic area, but the signage is not clear. Lots of dogs out today! If you're time constrained, I would recommend visiting the Upper Falls / Middle Falls area (just a short 10-minute walk between them). We did not have enough time to see the Lower Falls or view the other turnoffs, but hope to return next year. If you do decide to use the two-lane Park Drive for the full length of the park, it's about 30 minutes from the south entrance (Portageville) to the north entrance (past the dam).

Christy C.

Amazing views of the Falls. The lower falls, middle falls and upper falls were all so easy to get accessed to. There were parking lots near each viewpoint of the falls for people who did not have much time to hike through the trails, however, hikers could hike all the way from lower falls to upper falls. The trails were well maintained and clearly marked for hikers. For people who drove to each viewpoint, there were large parking lots nearby each point. You would be able to see the falls after a short walk. The trails were relatively shady, so it was not that bad even during a hot summer day. We enjoyed our trip to Letchmont State Park!

The walking paths along the river are great. Be prepared for steps. The views are amazing with noteworthy waterfalls, an impressive canyon and beautiful grounds. A late lunch at the Iris Glen was good. I really like the turkey club. There were places to pull off the road with good views. There were so much more.

Small stone house next to the parking lot of Inspiration point!
Dr Nina Z.

Just a quick tip! From Denton corners rd entrance, After you pass the big stone house which is the gift shop you park next to this small stone house which is a very short walk to the Inspiration point where you get to see all three falls(lower fall , middle fall, upper fall) and the wooden bridge!

Molly G.

Beautiful falls. Trails are easy to follow, trail 1 has numbers and colors on the trees to help guide people on their hike. Very picturesque. The benches with memorials are a nice touch, and the people along the way were very friendly. Only $10 per car for parking.

Brandon G.

This is really one of my favorite places to go. I grew up so close to it and we would go all the time. Since moving to Buffalo, it really is a day-trip out there but it's worth it every time. "The Grand Canyon of the East" has a lot of special memories and so many great things to do. We have done everything from hiking trails, picnics, family parties, and even the rafting classes. But more importantly, the views. With all of the trails and walkways, it's so easy to find those great picturesque views. The waterfalls and the train bridge are always my favorite things to see but I don't always remember to take pictures here. It is sometimes more important for me to unplug here and not be on my phone so much. This is a great place to check out if you're in WNY. One of my favorite places to be with nature for sure.

Dan R.

"And you're always there to lend a hand In everything I do That's the wonder The wonder of you" (Elvis Presley) Yes, there are wonders everywhere in Letchworth State Park. It sure earns its nickname as the "Grand Canyon of the East". Within its 22 square miles are a ton of wonders - a 17-mile stretch of the Genesee River crashes through the center of the park through 600-foot-high rock gorges and cliffs, plus three spectacular waterfalls. Letchworth is so large that it has six main entrances! We explored the trails to the Upper and Middle Falls on Thursday, and the Lower Falls and scenic overlooks on Friday. The Lower Falls is the one that takes the most effort to see, you'll have a 30-minute hike that includes stone staircases and inclines to get a good view. The photo opportunities of the river, falls, forests, cliffs, and gorges are everywhere. It's safe to say that Letchworth is a photographer's dream. Numerous travel magazines and websites rightly include Letchworth on their lists of the "10 Best State Parks" in the country. They have lots of campsites, cabins, the Glen Iris Inn B&B, grills, playgrounds, a museum, and a general store for the campers and visitors. They also have hot air balloons and kayaking (which we saw today).

Kate B.

This park is simply stunning. From the moment you enter the park (we went in the Castile entrance) you see magnificent vistas with cliffs, turkey vultures, waterfalls and more. We spent the day exploring the three main falls areas (upper, middle and lower). You can walk between them all or driving to them is an option as well since there is ample parking. The park is a carry in carry out park which means there are no garbage cans. Despite this, it was immaculate. No garbage to be seen anywhere. Grass was nicely tended to, the paths were free of debris and easy to walk on and all three falls areas are just beautiful. You will get misty when getting close to them due to the amount of water going over, but since it was hot when we were there, we didn't mind one bit. The stairs down to the lower falls require a base level of fitness to get down and back up, but again it's well worth the effort. 100% recommend.

Genesee Arch Bridge over Upper Falls.
MJ K.

Beautiful, incredibly well-kept park with tons of scenic views of the canyon and the river. We drove along Park Rd. through the South End, stopping at the lots for the Lower Falls, Upper-Middle Falls, and many of the overlooks. Each location is well-thought-out, with vegetation pruned back just enough to provide beautiful views and pictures. The park is largely drivable if you're interested in just hitting the highlights (it took us about 2 hours to do half a dozen overlooks and the walking trails to each of the three falls), and though I haven't hiked them the trails seem to be of a similar caliber to the rest of the park. I'll definitely be back to see the fall foliage and hike some of the real trails!

Peggy C.

First time visiting this park with my family. The view of the bridge is absolutely gorgeous, very refreshing. It has three waterfalls Upper Fall, Middle Fall and Lower Fall. They have trails, It's definitely nice for hiking and just exploring nature. Highly recommend coming here.

Middle falls
Taylor L.

We camped and explored a couple trails in the park. It is a beautiful area, with decent trails (be prepared for a lot of stairs!). Would have given 4 stars but the campground is so large and crowded, with little privacy between sites. The Gorge trail is worth exploring; I would recommend making a loop and connecting into other less popular trails. We took Gorge to Hemlock and really enjoyed the experience

Upper falls
Jen E.

Great big park, beautiful, always enjoy going to see the three Falls when I visit. It's the Grand canyon of the East, they say. I highly recommend visiting in the Fall! It's just gorgeous.

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Ask the Community - Letchworth State Park

Are dogs allowed?

Yes, dogs are allowed at Letchworth State Park. Dogs aren't permitted from being in certain camping areas, or inside of buildings on the grounds, however.

Are the middle falls behind the Inn or the front, can you see the other falls?

Greeting from Letchworth State Park. The middle falls is in front of The Glen Iris Inn, Mr. Letchworth's former home. From there you can also view the upper falls and the railroad bridge. To see the lower falls you have to park in the lower falls… 

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Review Highlights - Letchworth State Park

If you had an amazing friend who booked in advance a lunch at Glen Iris Inn then you are in for a treat.

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Silver Lake State Park - Dragonfly

Silver Lake State Park

4.0(5 reviews)
4.0 mi

Stopped in to check the state park out. We thought they had camping but it was discovered they do…read morenot. Strictly boat launch and day visits. Beautiful views though. The water was gorgeous.

The weekend before last, we took an impromptu leaf-peep drive to the Southern Tier. We haven't been…read moreto Silver Lake before, and decided to make this our destination to enjoy the scenic autumn lake. Silver Lake State Park itself is pretty small, and consists of a large parking area, a boat launch, a public restroom, a small playground, a small pavilion, and about a dozen or so picnic areas, each with a table, grill, and firepit. There is a small dock, I'm guessing for kayakers to use, which we sat on to enjoy the lake breezes; it was a very warm fall 85-degree day when we visited, so this was nice. Silver Lake itself is bigger than I thought it would be, probably a decent, roomy lake if you are a boater, maybe comparable to one of the smaller Finger Lakes. We didn't fish this day, but there were several fisherpeople along the shores too, still with plenty of room to spread out. One thing lacking from this park is any nature trails. We walked the perimeter of the picnic areas, and didn't find any trailheads. Since one of our favorite things to do as a fam' is what we call "adventure walks" through the woods, no trails here was a let-down. The main draw is really the boat launch, or if you want to picnic with lake views. Admission was $6, paid at a self-service terminal when you come in. Since they did have an open public bathroom facility (that was pretty clean), this was fair. If you're in the Silver Lake area looking for a picnic, fishing, and/or kayaking/boating spot, Silver Lake State Park will probably suit you well.

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Silver Lake State Park - Lily pads

Lily pads

Silver Lake State Park - Lake

Lake

Silver Lake State Park

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Letchworth State Park - parks - Updated July 2026

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