On the first day of Fall, we headed an hour out to visit Letchworth State Park in the hopes of seeing some Fall colors and enjoying the nice weather while we could. Even though it was the first day of Fall, it felt like one of the hottest days of the year in New York. We were boiling, but that wouldn’t stop us from taking in the sights – even if we stayed mostly in the car!
Mount Morris Dam Overlook
We drove to the Mount Morris entrance and as we arrived to the park, there was a line of cars anxiously waiting to pay the $10 car fee and explore the area. We drove to the first picnic area to eat the lunch we had brought at the Mount Morris Dam Overlook. It was a pretty busy area – not the most relaxing spot for a picnic. The overlook had a nice view though of the Dam, although I was surprised by how dry it looked with all the rain we’ve had this summer.
The Gardeau Overlook
We packed up the remnants of our lunch (it is a carry in/out park) and drove to the next overlook – The Gardeau Overlook. The overlook itself was blocked by a lot of bushes and trees, but still had a nice view of a little fall color starting. At this overlook there are a few trails, but we decided to get back into our car and look for a better spot.
Tea Table – Wolf Creek
We stopped at the Tea Table area which was a busy spot for visitors. There were even more trails here as well as an ice cream/grille stop. From here we could see the river more clearly and begin to get a nice look at Big Bend. If you’d like, you can walk to Wolf Creek from here – a beautiful spot to stop and cool off.
Big Bend
Big Bend was one of my favorite stops. We watched some of the rafters set out on their grand white water rafting adventure. Big Bend is known for its steep cliffs and jagged rocks. It was as beautiful as I had imagined it would be.
Lower Falls
Next, we drove to Lower Falls. We parked and walked down the couple hundred steps to get to the viewing area of the falls. If you prefer not to hike the stairs – there is an easier viewing spot, but we wanted to get as close to it as we could. As we climbed back up the stairs, my legs were burning – a fantastic workout!
Inspiration Point
Finally we drove to Inspiration Point – the stop I had waited for the entire drive. I saw photos of this place on Pinterest and was excited to see this spectacular view in person. It was just as beautiful as it was in the photos of online. I could have spent all day in this place.
Middle & Upper Falls – Glen Iris Inn
Our last stop included both the Middle Falls and the Upper Falls. We also stopped to see the gift shop at Glen Iris Inn. At this point after hiking the falls, we were exhausted from the heat and decided it was time to say goodbye to the park. It was a beautiful day and Letchworth is the perfect park to not only hike the 50 miles of trails, but to just drive through. It surely is the Grand Canyon of the East.
The Beachcomber – Conesus Lake
After leaving the park, we wanted to cool off and see Conesus Lake – somewhere I spent every Summer when I was younger. We stopped at the Beachcomber for some refreshing drinks and to have dinner at the waters edge. It was a wonderful ending to our day.
All the Love,
Crystal & Shane