Monday, June 3, 2019

Watkins Glen State Park

Happy Monday everyone!

On the second day of our latest Finger Lakes NY trip, hubby and I hiked the trail at Watkins Glen State Park. The park brochure says there are close to 832 steps. We missed some of the steps by taking the Indian Trail which loops the trail back to the beginning. Watkins Glen is a pretty area of the Finger Lakes area of New York. 


Views of the Gorge trail, signs and steps along the way. At the Mile Point Bridge we met up with the Indian Trail which took us back to the beginning of the gorge area and parking lot. 







The Gorge trail took us up and down steps, through tunnels and behind waterfalls. Above is a suspension bridge looking down at the gorge. 





Hubby standing on the trail behind the waterfall. 






The views were beautiful along the Gorge trail, lots of ferns, moss and cascading water. 






I had to stop a bit and rest my legs, walking up these steps was a work out.  While taking a rest, I was able to listen for the birds. I heard some Ovenbirds, Scarlet Tanager, Dark-eyed Juncos and some other unknown birds.

The Dark-eyed Juncos seemed to be the most common bird at the park. 











A look at the trail and bridge ahead from one of the tunnels. 




Below is where the Rainbow Falls meet a cascades coming from another direction.  






We passed many cascades and waterfalls.







A peek at the sky from the gorge trail. 







The wildflowers we saw along the trail, some lilacs, columbine and wild azaleas. On this day, the weather was beautiful and we hiked a total of 4 miles. 








Thanks for your visit today!  I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.


Thanks to Angie the host of  Mosaic Monday

Thanks to LadyFi  the host of Our World Tuesday!




Check out the links above, I hope to see you there. Thanks to the hosts today. Enjoy your day and new week.


As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

58 comments:

  1. Hello Eileen
    what a wonderful trip you have made! And your photos of this are really beautiful to see. The latter with the many beautiful flowers and the waterfalls and vistas are so beautiful!
    This can only make you very happy. I never go abroad and that is why I enjoy this kind of beautiful pictures :-)

    PS You can also link my blogs yourself.
    I often leave on Saturday at 6 o'clock in the morning and it is too late when I get home to link my mail. I haven't linked the squirrels yet, nor this new one. Next Saturday we will also be away for a few days and will therefore not be behind the PC.

    Have a very nice week.
    Greetings, Helma

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  2. Lovely landscapes, waterfalls and cascades. Have a nice day!

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  3. Years ago we used to visit Letchworth State Park in that area and camp there when my daughter was little.

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  4. ...it's nice that you were able to enjoy this gem of the Finger Lakes region!

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  5. Hari OM
    Absolutely stunning... but my goodness, my legs ached just looking at those steps!!! YAM xx

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  6. Lindíssimo mosaico de fotos e depois cada uma delas mais linda que outra! ADOREI! Ótima semana! bjs, chica

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  7. Stunning views. Loved the post.
    Have a nice week ahead.

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  8. I love seeing these falls/cascades...and what a gorge! Thanks for using your legs instead of mine!

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  9. That's a lot of hiking...and a lot of steps! I need to spend the summer getting into better shape for hiking! lol Love the waterfalls and happy hubby! I mentioned you in my post this morning! Hugs!

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  10. Fabulous views, trails and waterways. Thanks Eileen for taking us to another great place for hiking. Happy travels and thank you for stopping by my blog this week.

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  11. oh, lovely. On my way up to the Smokies early AM tomorrow. Unfortunately, going 2 wheels, I'll be concentrating more on the fun of the swirly roads, and not getting out to hike and shoot. Sigh.

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  12. all of these steps and stones and water falls and views are some of the most beautiful you have shown us. I would not be able to go to the top or come down even one of these. my friend lives on 3rd floor condo, 34 steps 3 landings and it is all I can do to climb them, sit for a visit and go down them. going down is worse for me than going up... I am a flat lander now.. but I do love the looks of these

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  13. You sure have adventures!!! I love them. I couldn't walk like that.

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  14. This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen...would love to go there and be able to hike. But for sure could not do that now.

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  15. Hi Eileen,

    you shared fantastic shots of this marvellous place sculptured by nature! Although so beautiful, also very demanding. 822 steps is a lot, would be too much for me today. But I enjoyed enourmosly your photos. Wishing great adventures to come!

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  16. Hello Eileen!

    Vilken underbar natur och du har tagit så fina bilder. Vatten, skimrande grönska, fåglar och så dessa vackra växter som växer i naturen. Här i Norden odlar vi dem i våra trädgårdar.
    Tack Eileen för en glimt av en fantastisk natur!

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  17. Such a lovely trail to explore! I enjoyed how you captured the essence of the area.

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  18. My favorite is 'hubby behind the waterfall'...that looks so refreshing. I enjoyed tagging along...where's oyr next trip? I'm waiting anxiously.

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  19. That looks like a gorgeous area, Eileen! I always think of car racing when I hear Watkins Glen.

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  20. Hello,

    Beautiful images! The waterfall is so wonderful. The ferns and the moss are very pretty.
    Happy new week!

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  21. What a wonderful and exciting place
    so nice pictures

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  22. So very pretty there love the waterfalls and the stone work...

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  23. Wow, what a wonderful place to explore. All those waterfalls must have sounded incredible as you got close to them. I like the shot of your hubby behind the falls. Thanks for sharing all your great photos of the hike. Have a wonderful new week, Eileen.

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  24. Beautiful photos.

    I "think" it was a dark eyed junco at my feeder this week.

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  25. It's such a beautiful area, your photographs are all so lovely.
    That one of your Hubby standing on the trail behind the waterfall is brilliant!

    Have a good week.

    All the best Jan

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  26. What a great set of trails. I am going to have add Watkins Glen to my bucket list. I would love to explore this area. It seems that I have a vague pinging in my head about Watkins Glen being a site for a major car race.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, Watkins Glen is home to a Nascar Race. June 30th Sahlen's Six hours of the Glen and Sept 6 2019 is the Watkins Glen Grand Prix, a big Nascar race.

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  27. The suspension bridge looks so delicate from afar. The sky peeking from under the gorge trail looks like heaven.

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  28. You were very lucky that the Indian trial is finished and open--they just redid that park--
    and redid the trial and opened it now apparently=it was closed for a long time--unsafe--
    If you make it all the way to the top to that 'stand'--it is part of my family history--
    that started that years ago!!!
    I need to get down there and go through some of the park and the steps before I return to Fl--
    some day--when I get lots of energy and it isn't too hot--??????
    your photos are so lovely of that park and adventure--thanks--
    luv, di

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    1. The very end of the Indian Trail looks to be under construction, we had to take the last set of steps back to the gorge trail. It is a beautiful park, a must see!

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  29. What a beautiful place to visit!!
    That suspension bridge sure it high up there. How cool it would be to walk over that!!
    The stone arched bridge reminded me of Ken's bridge, only his is a lot smaller! :)

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  30. What a fascinating place to visit. Loved all the photos!

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  31. What a treat Watkins Glen is! Such gorgeous rocks!!
    I'm so in love with the place, just from seeing your pictures.

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  32. You take in everything...flowers, birds, sound . Many people miss some of these things.

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  33. Wow, Eileen, what an amazing place. How did I miss this when I visited the Finger Lakes so many years ago? What do you know about who built the steps, how long it took, etc.? What a labor of love! You know I adore wildflowers, and I am especially tickled to see columbines in your mosaic. Glorious plant. Thanks for sharing this stunning landscape with everyone at Mosaic Monday!

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    1. Hello Angie, the stone trails were crafted by the Civilian Conservation Corp (ccc) in the 1930's. The gorge first opened in 1863 for tourism as a privately owned luxury resort, the gorge was purchased by New York in 1906 to protect for all to enjoy. Thanks for the comment.

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  34. Such a beautiful area! Lovely shots.

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  35. I like walking in places like this too. Trail among water and rocks are fascinating...
    Thanks for sharing.
    Have a great week!

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  36. What a beautiful place to visit That gorge is fabulous. Sorry I was away last week and could not comment. Have a good week.

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  37. My goodness, Eileen----what a beautiful place
    MB

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  38. You did great in finishing that walk Eileen. I would have really struggled with all those steps. Smashing pictures of the trail. I think I would like to try the suspension bridge, but maybe not once I got there and saw it for real!

    Have a great week ahead.

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  39. Lots of lovely photos Eileen. I like the one of your husband standing behind the falls. I can well imagine how refreshing that was. I did it once in Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. It was very memorable. You and your husband do a lot of exploring at the parks and in nature trails. It's a wonderful hobby.

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  40. You and hubby go the best places! Beautiful nature photography ~ awesome!

    Happy Day to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  41. A great place, thanks for sharing Eileen. Looks like you had quite a work out. Great photos too.

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  42. I would have no trouble walking down 800 plus steps, but would not want to walk up them! My knees would have some trouble doing that! Watkins Glen is beautiful! I love the waterfalls and wildflowers you saw there

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  43. Beautiful waterfalls, they are the best Eileen.

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  44. Wow oh wow, I want to hike there. I doubt I will, being that I'm on the other side of the country. Never know. If I ever get to that area, I'm going to take this hike. Thanks, Eileen. :-)

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  45. i will have to write this park down. gorgeous waterfall. so pretty. great shots. ( :

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  46. That look spectacular. New York certainly has some spectacular scenery - I spent 4 years in the Troy area, and saw some of it.

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  47. wow! What a beautiful place!

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  48. Wow! This looks like a nature marvel and this trail is remarkably built along the gorge carving the cliff walls… I enjoyed your shots took on different falls and cascades and the pov on arch bridges and gorge in itself. Glad you enjoyed despite the number of steps!

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  49. WOW! What a trail, Eileen! I love those Juncos, too, and the incredible scenery. Breath-taking, and how wise you were to avoid some of those steps! The mosaic of images is wonderful. Thank you so much for visiting my blog... I hope you have a good week.

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  50. Maravilloso paseo he dado por esos parajes a través de tus fotos Eileen.
    La naturaleza sabe con su paciencia crear belleza y asombrarnos cada día.
    Buen miércoles.
    Un abrazo.

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  51. how cool that you know so many of the birds by sound!! this looks like a beautiful, but challenging hike!!

    the waterfalls and wildflowers are so pretty....and your husband looks happy!!

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