Hiking at the Watkins Glen State Park, USA

A few years ago, I traveled to the United States for the first time and spent some time there. There are many stunning places to witness in the vastness of America. One of them definitely is Watkins Glen State Park! Hiking there was an incredible experience, and I felt lucky to have had the opportunity.

Several trails run along the Glen creek at the park. After a quick study of the map of the area, it was clear that it was possible to start at one trailhead, make a complete loop, and end up back at the start again. A couple of hours of hiking if you are in a hurry, longer if you stroll along at snail's pace, taking in every strange rock formation in your way. You can probably guess which one of those I prefer.

We began our hike upstream, further away from the village (Watkins Glen). The Gorge trail descended steep stairs and moved closer to Glen creek. Immediately, my eyes were drawn towards the rigid, gray stone walls that engulfed the creek from both sides. What powerful forces carved them? The melting ice and water from the glaciers and the creek over a long, long period of time. The creek creeps deeper and deeper into the valley as it erodes the layers of different rocks.

I let my mind wander through the plains of imagination on how the place looked hundreds of years ago. We, humans, see only a fraction of the lifespan of the place since our own is so tiny in comparison. I always feel a much deeper appreciation and respect for places when putting it in this perspective. It is very humbling as well. If only the stone walls could tell the stories! Maybe they do!

_{View up close of the structure of the walls. Layers and layers of different rocks stacked up high towards the sky.}

Most people seem to hike this trail starting at the bottom by the village, and then hike upwards. We happened to do the opposite. Now, reflecting upon this choice, I am glad we did that because we could enjoy the beauty of the gorge while not being too strained or out of breath. Along the way, we met a bunch of people who kept asking if the trail continues much further, how steep it is, or if there is any more to see going up. That leads me to believe that hiking from the direction of the village was probably much more difficult through the Gorge trail than hiking down by following the water of the creek.

So, following the water would be my recommendation for first-time hikers who want to take in the views without intrusive thoughts of how hard the hike can be. There were even some signs stating that there is a shuttle transport from one trailhead to another in case someone does not want to hike the whole loop. But at the time, it was not in operation. Perhaps it runs during more tourist-heavy seasons. For those who prefer a bit more challenge, start your hike at the village instead, hike up, then hike down. Regardless, I would not call this hike easy, whichever direction one chooses. Surely, not easy for most people!

The water level at the creek was pretty low at the time. It seems to fluctuate depending on the time of the year, the amount of rain, and the amount of snow in the area. It can be a whole different experience based on these aspects. I took notice of this while seeing some images from other people's travels here online. The gorge was filled with freshly fallen autumn leaves. At some spots, they were still falling from up above us. It was a pretty sight!

The Gorge trail runs next to the creek, on an artificial stone pathway, cut into one of the banks. Now, we could argue about human impact on natural processes such as this one. Altering the way the place looked initially. But the pathway almost blends in and seems to be built out of the same rocks as the gorge itself. Without it, it would not be possible to admire the beauty of these walls in their fullness. It is an acceptable compromise, for me anyway.

The creek is scattered with waterfalls of various sizes, ranging from tiny to decent-sized ones. Here, water has smoothed the rocks so much that they almost seem fake in some parts. They looked more melted than smoothed by water. I could not believe my eyes!

The bottom of the creek is uneven, with some deeper pools here and there. The water was pretty clear during our visit, but at the same time, it was impossible to guess how deep the pools were. I kept wondering if some people have taken a plunge (probably not advised or allowed) to check the depth themselves.

The gorge is gorgeous! I could not get over the dramatic layers and shapes surrounding me. I kept catching myself smiling ear to ear. Nature sure has its ways to create spectacular beauty. And it is still developing before our eyes, even if we do not seem to notice. The moss and fallen leaves only complemented the carvings by water in the rocks.

_{Is this a nest? Work of a beaver? Seems a bit too high and away from the water. Hmm.}

_{In the top photo, we can see the more solid and sturdy structures of the walls, while in the picture below, I also spotted something more sandstone or limestone-like in some areas. The latter is more likely to degrade and break apart over time at a more rapid pace.}

_{A peek at the vegetation layer on top of the stone walls.}

We crossed this stone bridge to the opposite side of the gorge. As we turned back, we glanced at a scene that seemed to escape straight from the pages of a fantasy book or a movie! Tell me, you do not see what I see here? Tolkien’s elves wearing emerald green capes floating down those stairs under the whimsical waterfall? My favorite spot on this hike!

_{I could have stayed there for a good while, but daylight was a thing of concern since it was autumn time.
We had to, reluctantly, move on.}

_{See what I mean about the depth of these small pools? At first glance, they almost look like puddles, but I bet they are deeper than they let on!}

_{It is pure cinema! The drama from top to bottom! Right?!}

_{I like rocks! Rocks rock! That is pretty much all I could think of while being in complete awe of this place, which kept serving the views on every step! I could not be happier or more content about visiting!}

There was one spot on the trail that was a bit more tense. Tense not because of the infrastructure - a tunnel carved into the stone walls, but because of a bigger crowd of visitors on a narrow path moving very slowly. There was almost a traffic jam here. Perhaps it was due to getting closer to the village, and most people only walked this far? Or, it was the heart-shaped pond down below, everyone wanted to capture it in pictures, and thus, paused here longer than in other areas.

_{That is her! Cute!}

A quick snap, and we kept moving so that we did not contribute to the jam. While I tend to time my photos in a way that gives an illusion that no one else is there, Watkins Glen has a ton of visitors all the time. That is something to be mindful of.

I had a bit of a culture shock while interacting with people on the trail. Everyone was so friendly, talkative, and often asked where I was visiting from, smiled seeing us, and were very careful how they passed us. Coming from a culture of mostly introverts, individualists, generally cold and not talking to each other ever, and not minding people’s space either, it was a refreshing and lovely experience!

_{The hike was full of intense natural beauty. I did not want it to end!}

But so, we reached the bustling village at the end of the creek. We took a small break before looking for the trailhead that pointed in the direction back to where we started.

We had to climb steep stone stairs up the cliff on one of the banks to reach the path. It led us through the forest we had seen above us earlier. We could see the creek below through the trees here and there as we slowly made our way back up. It was not an easy walk due to the elevation increase throughout the path, but we were glad we had chosen this on the way back.

It was a 10/10 experience hiking, and a wonderful day! I hope you enjoyed reading my post and the photographs I captured from that day! It would have been a shame not to post these. Better late than never!

Thank you for stopping by! Maybe, one day, you will end up visiting Watkins Glen State Park yourself. It is so worth it!