A Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) work crew began rebuilding and park designers got to start anew.įirst-time visitors will be surprised to find that the park is located within downtown Watkins Glen and that the park is wildly popular the lower parking area fills early and often. It was the best thing to happen to the park. In 1935, catastrophe struck and most of the infrastructure was washed away in a flood. The sinuous and ribbon-like streambed is one of the many features that make the gorge at Watkins Glen unique. But here, the plunge pools and potholes were so close together that their sidewalls eventually eroded away creating hourglass-like pools and an undulating curvaceous streambed. Like the waterscape at Buttermilk Falls State Park, successive waterfall, plunge pool, and subsequent pothole formation have repeated over and over. These interwoven layers of shale and sandstone are products of an even more ancient epoch when much of New York was a vast inland sea millions of years ago. The interplay of erosion-resistant sandstone layers and highly erodible shale is what creates such a dramatic scene. Like other gorges, the dramatic scene began to take shape as the glaciers receded, roughly ten thousand years ago. Stunning waterfalls, dramatic flumes, and picturesque potholes combine to make a gorgeous waterscape. Harmony with the gorge became the desired goal and today that handsome work is admired by a seemingly endless stream of visitors. Natural stone replaced concrete and stone walls replaced iron railings. A Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) work crew began rebuilding and park designers got to start anew. It was an odd juxtaposition of the beautiful, naturally carved gorge filled with industrial conveyances. Concrete and iron railings replaced the wood in an effort to keep tourists safe. When the state took over the “Glen,” these paths and bridges were deemed too dangerous. Visitors accessed the gorge along narrow paths and rickety wooden bridges. The first phase was marked by private ownership of the gorge that sought to capitalize on the budding natural tourism that was sweeping the nation. Across all the phases was a desire to bring tourists into the gorge to behold its wonders and many individuals and organizations contributed along the way. The virtual merger of natural landscape and gorge infrastructure was actually a long, drawn-out process that can be boiled down to three phases. Simply put, the gorge is a can’t-miss trail for waterfall lovers and anyone seeking a true Finger Lakes experience. The trail through the gorge is an awe-inspiring confluence of water’s persistent and powerful stone sculpting and a thoughtful merger of human craftsmanship. The scene is further enhanced by handsome stone staircases, arched bridges, and winding tunnels that weave up and through the scenic gorge. There is no place more iconic of the Finger Lakes waterfall and gorge experience than Watkins Glen State Park.
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