New York Has A Grand Canyon And It’s Too Beautiful For Words
Ausable Chasm, known as the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks, offers stunning winter tours featuring breathtaking rock formations and icicle formations.
America has handfuls of iconic landmarks that are visited by travelers from all over the world, specifically places like Mount Rushmore and the Grand Canyon. And while there's certainly no denying the fact that these destinations should be on your bucket list, here in New York we have our own versions of these landmarks that we think are just as equally spectacular. You may remember in the past we've talked about places like the Empire State's own little Mount Rushmore — Pratt Rock, and Letchworth State Park AKA The Grand Canyon of the East. But something you may not have known is that our state is actually home to two canyons!
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Not far from the shores of Lake Champlain and way up north where you're secluded from it all, the town of Keeseville is home to America's oldest natural attraction.
Known as the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks, Ausable Chasm has been open since 1870 and is a popular place during the summer to visit for activities like their epic lazy river.
All around the park you'll find informational signs that will give you a look into the history of this incredible scenery that sits along the Ausable River.
But if you're looking to beat the summer crowds and get the chance at having the entire park to yourself, you may want to start planning a winter visit!
In order to make your way to the park's jaw-dropping icicle formations, you'll be required to wear snowshoes or spikes. If you don't have your own snowshoes, you can rent them for $5 dollars.
Ausable Chasm's Winter Tours will give the opportunity to see the park's breathtaking rock formations while they're beautifully dusted in New York's winter scenery.
A great way to get outdoors and soak in the natural beauty that New York's winter weather has created, this is one place you'll want to make sure you bring your camera to!
If you’ve taken the time to explore New York, then you know that some of our state’s shortest trails just so happen to be our sweetest. In fact, you'll often be surprised at how little effort it takes to get to some of our most breathtaking outdoor attractions, leaving you full of energy to explore your final destination on the trail. A small-town gem that only opened to the public back in 2002, Dover Stone Church in Dover Plains, NY is a unique aboveground cave in New York that is pretty special, and surprisingly overlooked! It just takes an easy stroll to reach.
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Hidden down in the small town of Dover Plains, you can find an adventure that begins at a historical marker between two houses.
As you begin to make your way through the forest, you'll come across this sign that gives you the history of this small town natural wonder and pointing you in the direction of the trails.
Your quick adventure begins as the trail follows the brook, surrounding you with jaw-dropping greenery that will make you feel like you're in another world.
While hiking to this aboveground cave is an adventure that's beautiful to experience no matter what time of year it is, the scenery here looks exceptionally stunning when New York's gorgeous greens are showing off for the spring and summer. Just off of NY-22, visitors can drive between the two houses where the historical marker is to see if there's space at the tiny parking lot or find plenty of parking spaces at Dover Stone Elementary right across the street when school's not in session.
Did you realize this unique cave was hiding in plain sight? New York is full of natural wonders, and this fantastic spot is just the start! Share your photos of Dover Stone Church with us in the comments below and tell us your favorite part of this beautiful New York hike.
For more amazing cave explorations, read about the epic cave boat tour you can only take here in NY! Or, head underneath NYC for a different side of New York's underground world.
When you think of a famous gorge in New York, your mind probably immediately goes to Ausable Chasm. The massive canyon is 50 feet wide in some areas and spans a depth of 200 feet. It was one of the first tourist attractions in the country and is nicknamed the "Grand Canyon of the East." It's undoubtedly one of the greatest natural wonders in New York and we highly recommend a visit. But there's another grandly gorgeous New York gorge that shouldn't be ignored! Country Living even listed it as the most beautiful gorge in America we would say that is tough to argue with because we also think that Watkins Glen State Park is the prettiest gorge around.
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History & Geology At Watkins Glen State Park
Encompassing more than 700 acres, this massive state park is one that you can easily spend all day exploring — and trust us, you'll want to.
Watkins Glen is a 400-foot deep gorge cut through shale by Glen Creek. The ancient crevice was created by giant glaciers during the Ice Age.
The park is most famous for its Gorge Trail, an adventure that belongs on absolutely everyone's bucket list. When people are looking for the best hikes in Watkins Glen State Park this is the number one place you will want to go. You will get to see most of what the gorge has to offer and in our experience, it was one of the most magical of trails we have ever been on.
This gorge in New York is the centerpiece of this state park and is widely considered to be the most beautiful state park in New York. The park spans 1.2 square miles in area.
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Over the course of the two-mile trail, you'll climb more than 800 stone steps and will find yourself walking behind more waterfalls than you knew imaginable. Don't worry too much about the steps, we learned how many there were after the hike and it really surprised us. Mostly because we were so focused on the beauty of the surrounding area that we hardly noticed it.
If you're a fan of waterfalls in New York, you won't want to miss this place. This New York gorge has 19 waterfalls in just two miles! The park's trails are open seasonally and provide a great opportunity to see the falls.
The Gorge Trail At Watkins Glen State Park
The trail is well-maintained and is easy to follow. It's impossible to get lost.
Since the rocks erode at different rates, there's a fascinating cascade pattern to the gorge's walls, which is a large contributing factor to why this is one of the most beautiful gorges in New York.
Like something from a fairytale, this remarkable gorge seems to be carved out of otherworldly rock formations. The curves are mesmerizing and are so much fun to travel through.
There are a lot of beautiful places in New York, but we have to agree that Watkins Glen is one of the prettiest. You've got to see this gorge in New York to believe it! Our favorite part of the trail was seeing how many waterfalls at Watkins Glen State Park there really are. It seemed like every few minutes we were stopping to admire another cascade, or hiking behind the waterfalls which is a truly enchanting experience.
Other Hiking Trails In Watkins Glen State Park
There are several different trails within the park, and some of them loop together to make for one epic hiking adventure.
Even though the trails are clearly marked, it's always a good idea to have your trusty AllTrails Plus account ready so you can download the trail maps ahead of time and get wrong-turn alerts.
Educational tours at the park are free and available to the public.
Peak waterfall action. Plus, just look at all of those enchanting shades of green!
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The waterfalls always look their best during the spring months due to snowmelt and run-off, and overall the area is much less crowded than it is during the summer.
Bring your camera along for the adventure and see if you can capture similar images! If you want that dreamy "frozen" look like the photo above, make sure you use a tripod and have a long exposure.
Camping At Watkins Glen State Park
Campers, rejoice! With roughly 300 sites, an unforgettable camping experience is available to be had here.
There are several ways to spend the night at Watkins Glen State Park. Take your pick from RV slots, primitive campsites, or one of the nine rustic cabins available to rent.
Get more information on Watkins Glen State Park by visiting its website and start planning your adventure today.
Have you visited Watkins Glen in New York? Have you ever spent the night in one of the cabins in the campground? What was your favorite waterfall? Share your experiences in the comments! If you have the AllTrails app make sure to download the Creek Gorge Trail map so you can track your progress along your hike. To see our adventure when we hiked this trail please make sure to watch this Adventuring in the Moment video:
Our time in the park was simply mesmerizing and I would highly recommend this park to anyone who loves nature and hiking trails. Once you cross that bridge and enter the park it is like you have stepped into a whole new world filled with wonder at every turn. It reminded us of something similar to something you would see in Indiana Jones. From the natural-looking stone-cut steps to the countless waterfalls found all throughout the park, this is one of those must-see natural wonders of New York.
