Watkins Glen State Park

South of Seneca Lake is the most famous state park in the Finger Lakes, Watkins Glens, which USA Today's Readers' Choice Poll voted the 3rd best state park in the US.  This is quite impressive since according to the National Association of State Park Directors, there are more than 2,200 parks and more than 6,200 additional recreation and educational areas administered by the various states in the nation.  Another NY state park, Letchworth Park, which we had visited a few years ago garnered the top honor.

Watkins Glens is about 150miles from Kayuta, which would have been quite a drive for us were we not already on Cayuga Lake doing the Wine Tour and seeing the sites (Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, Taughannock Falls).

After spending the night in Ithaca, we drove west towards the village of Watkins Glen and paid $8 to park close to the main entrance to the park.




On the left of the main entrance water can be seen coming from a hole in the cliff below the stone bridge.  This comes from a short tunnel that millers had chiseled through the rocks in the 1800's.  Water from Glen Creek then poured into a "flume" trough that led to a flour and feed mill that was located at what is now the parking lot.

Main Entrance

We went through the main entrance that had been carved through the limestone rock towering 200 feet high.  This lead to a set of stairs through the tunnel ending in the Sentry Bridge, the stone bridge we had seen from below.

Glen Creek can be seen twisting at the bottom of the gorge 21 feet below.  Twelve thousand years ago, the gorge did not exist but was solid rock beneath the creek flowing down the west side of glacier carved Seneca Lake. Thousands of floods through the years eroded layers of limestone and shale creating the gorge, the creek flowing down in a series of 19 waterfalls that descend like the steps of a staircase.
                                                                                                                           




We followed the 1.5 mile long Gorge Trail through stone steps and staircase that hug the cliffs,through tunnels and bridges following the course of the creek, which would ascend nearly 500 feet with more than 800 steps. Before the late 1930's these stonework walkway and stairs did not exist. When the park first opened to the public in 1863, visitors used ladders, wooden stairs and walkways.  Once it became a state park in 1906, tunnels, concrete bridges and staircases with iron railings were built, many of which, however did not survive the great flood of July 7, 1935.

Minehaha Falls

 


Minehaha Falls plunges 21 feet down to a heart-shaped pool.

Cavern Cascade

The trail runs behind Cavern Cascade as it pours over a sandstone ledge spraying visitors with its cooling mist before dropping 50 feet below. 

Central Cascade

At a viewing area about midway along Glen Cathedral, a long area flanked by 200ft cliffs on both sides, this pool of water is aptly termed baptismal font with the 60ft tall Central Cascade  up ahead. Visitors on the Gorge Trail go through the tunnel seen on the upper right then up more stairs ending at Folly Bridge above Central Cascade.

Rainbow Falls

After Folly Bridge and the Glen of Pools with its many sculptured pools and potholes is Rainbow Falls which comes from a tributary of Glen Creek which it joins after plunging 95 feet.   It is the second named falls in the park where the trail goes behind the falls.  We did not get to see the rainbow that is frequently seen here.

Rainbow Falls and Triple Cascade

Just up ahead, the creek drops 12, 8 and 6 feet in a Triple Cascade as it receives waters from Rainbow Falls.

Pluto Falls

Nine foot high Pluto Falls,  its name inspired by the Greek god of the underworld, is in an extremely narrow gorge with overhanging cliffs enveloping it in a perpetual shadow.

 We passed the junction between Gorge Trail, Indian Trail and the Finger Lakes Trail at the Mile Point Bridge and continued the next half mile along the wide and level path, the stream being calm at this point.

The New York Central Railroad Bridge, first built in 1877, destroyed by floods in 1935 and only recently  rebuilt, can be seen in the distance.






At the end of the path is Jacob's Ladder, a really steep (nearly 200 steps) staircase leading to the upper entrance area where there is a snack bar/souvenir shop, parking lot.  The bathrooms were closed but at least the porta potties had water for washing your hands.


From here, one can go back to the main entrance via a shuttle or take Indian Trail which follows the north rim and can connect with the Gorge Trail at different points.

View of gorge from Lover's Lane

After a small snack, we decided to trace our steps back to Gorge Trail to take another look at the gorgeous falls,  taking a little side trail to Lover's Lane.

Suspension Bridge

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View of Gorge Trail and creek fom suspension bridge.

We then crossed the suspension bridge and walked to the lily pond around which used to stand the Glen Mountain House, a Victorian Inn that opened in 1872 but burned down in 1903.

Lily Pad

 From here, one could go to the South Entrance, continue the hike on the South Rim Trail (Finger Lakes Trail) or head for one of the campgrounds in the park.  For us, we headed back to Gorge Trail, once more passing behind Cavern Cascade then towards the exit.





The  2 1/2 hours we spent to go slightly over 3 miles on a nearly complete round trip on Gorge Trail plus a little side trip was well worth the time.  We did not even notice the effort. The views were indeed awesome and something we would love to see again.  Maybe next time, we can identify more of the other 19 falls in the glen.  And maybe hike the other trails too.



References:
1) NY Falls. Watkins Glen State Park.
2) Watkins Glen State Park. Waterfalls in The Western Half Of New York State
3) Waterfalls of the Northeastern United States
4) Walk in the Park. Exploring parks in the Finger Lakes of New York and beyond.
5) Watkins Glen State Park.New York State of Opportunity. Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
6) 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. Best State Parks
7) America's State Parks

Taughannock Falls State Park

After ending our brief tour of the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, we just had to stop at one of the outstanding attractions in the Finger Lakes and the whole northeast.  Driving south on NYS Rt 89, we turned onto the Taughannock Park Road in Trumansburg to the falls overlook.  The falls can already be seen from the end of the parking lot with only a few short steps down to the nice viewing area.

The name Taughannock could have originated from the Algonquian word Taconic ("in the trees"), from the Delaware word Taghkanic ("great fall in the woods) or after a Lenape (Delaware) chieftain killed in a nearby battle named Taughannock.


Plunging 215 feet to a deep pool surrounded by rocky cliffs towering nearly 400 feet above, Taughannock Falls is the tallest free falling waterfall in the northeast, higher than any of the three falls comprising Niagara Falls (American Falls -180ft, Canadian Falls - 170 ft, Bridal Veil Falls -181 ft). It has, however, much lower volume, its moderate flow sometimes becoming a trickle in the summer. Following the heavy rains prior to our visit, the flow of water from the falls was tremendous enough.



To get a closer view of the falls from below, we drove a little further south on NYS Rt 89 to the Taughannock State Park. We took the Gorge Trail, a 3/4 mile trail that follows the Taughannock Creek to the base of the falls. 

Taughannock Trail Map

We passed Lower Falls,  a 15 ft high cascade which is easily seen from the parking lot.  The third waterfall in the park , 100ft high Upper Falls can be seen in the narrow upper gorge,  requiring a hike on the north or south rim trail, something we were not prepared to do at the time.

The trail was flat and wide, flanked by high cliffs or dense growth of maples and birches on one side and the creek on the other.  It was hot and humid that afternoon but the walk was relatively pleasant.  Still, it was tempting to join the people walking alongside the creek, some even going for a dip to cool off.

At the small bridge crossing the creek, we immediately saw the majestic waterfall and were rewarded  by its refreshing mist at the end of the trail.






The walk back to the car was anti-climatic until we decided to see the lakeside part of the park.  In the waning hours of the day, the lake seemed so peaceful, with only a few folks on kayaks and SUPs, families fishing off the shore and hardly any power boats, a proper ending to our day on Cayuga Lake.

References:
1. Taughannock Falls State Park. New York State. Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
2. Taughannock Falls State Park. Paleontological Research Institute.
3. Taughannock Falls State Park. NYFalls.com
4.Taughannock Falls State Park.VisitIthaca.com
5. Taughannock Falls. Taughannock.com
6. Hiking Trails at Taughannock Falls. CNY Hiking.

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge

On the north end of Cayuga Lake in the heart of the Finger Lakes Region lay a major resting area for migratory waterbirds as they journey to and from nesting areas in Canada.  Before the 1900's the Montezuma Marsh used to extend 12 miles north of Cayuga and was 8 miles wide. But after the construction of the dam at Cayuga's outlet and changes made during construction of the New York State Barge Canal, only a small portion of the marsh remained undrained.  In 1937, what is now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service purchased 6,432 acres of former marsh where the Civilian Conservation Corps started building a series of low dikes to hold water and restore part of the marsh.  The Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge was established on September 12, 1938 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. Now consisting of more than 7,000 acres, the refuge is carefully managed to ensure a suitable food mix for migratory birds along its 3,500 acres of diked pools as well as to ensure a healthy population of native wildlife in the surrounding wooded areas, grasslands and wetlands.

We started our visit at the Visitor Center in Seneca Falls where we got information about the refuge. We enjoyed viewing their exhibit, anticipating the wildlife that we would see on our tour.  It was hot and humid at that time so we decided to skip the walking trails especially after the mosquito warning from the staff.


 

We instead drove on the self-guided Wildlife Drive which took us along the eastern edge to the northwest part of the Main Pool. 


There were different kinds of birds alongside the road. We were able to see a number of great blue herons, lot of ducks (mostly mallards), Canada and snow geese, and a great egret. We would love to come here during the spring or fall migration when a great number of these birds stop by on their way to their breeding grounds.  The number of waterfowl supposedly peak in mid-November with about 50,000 geese and more than 100,000 ducks.  What a sight that would be!

Egret

Great Blue Heron

At the observation tower overlooking Tschache Pool,  a spotting scope allowed us to watch more ducks and snow geese.  They were too far away to photograph with my camera's 300m lens.  We were hoping to see some bald eagles since one of the 6 active bald eagle nests was supposed to be on Tschache Pool but without success.  We could not proceed to the other known site on Armitage Road because of a bridge closure on Rt. 89. 

The Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge holds the distinction of being the first in North America to use "hacking", a falconry technique to release young bald eagles to the wild.  Between 1976 and 1980 when the program was relocated to western new york, the bald eagles restoration program, using this hacking technique, released 23 bald eagles from the refuge.  Some eagles returned to the refuge which now has about 60 eagles. 

In search for the bald eagles, we went to Mud Lock, where Lock 1 of the Cayuga-Seneca Canal is located where we saw the snow geese mingling with some Canada geese.

Across the canal, there was a large nest on top of a utility tower which appeared to be ospreys rather than bald eagles although they were too far away to be appreciated.    

We returned to Route 90 just east of the refuge's boundary where we had earlier noticed similar nests.We saw 3 nests on top of utility towers at least 2 of which had ospreys on or near the nest.  We were particularly entertained by the pair below. 

                                                                           

We watched and watched until they finally flew away, a fitting ending to our visit to the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge.

Finger Lakes - Cayuga Lake Wine trail

Map of New York's Finger Lakes

Just a short drive from Kayuta is one of the nation's top tourist destination- the Finger Lakes. More than a hundred thousand years ago, ice sheets flowed southward from Canada gouging enormous holes in this region.  When the final glaciers receded, they left incredible gorges, waterfalls and lakes. The 11 lakes, which lay nearly parallel to each other within about a 75 miles long span roughly from Syracuse to the east and Rochester in the west and extending to Elmira-Corning in the south, appear like splayed out fingers (the imprint of the Creator's hand, per a Native American lore) leading to the name. They range in length from a mere 3 miles (Canadice) to 40 miles (Cayuga) and a depth of 30 ft (Honeoye) to 618 ft (Seneca). Although not one of the 11, Oneida Lake at the region's easternmost boundary, is sometimes considered the "thumb".

The Finger Lakes region is considered by many wine magazines as the most important wine region in the eastern United States.  The region's wine making history started with the first vineyard in 1829 and the first commercial winery in 1839.  Dozens of wineries came and went until 1880 when the highly successful Taylor Wine Company made the region the center of New York's wine industry. In the 1960's Dr. Konstantin Frank and Charles Fournier started growing European varieties which skeptics thought would not thrive in the East and produce world class wines, their success leading to the "vinefera revolution". Now with over 100 wineries spread in 7 of the 11 lakes, the region produces 90% of New York wines,  many award winners that can stand alongside California's best - Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer and others.

Cayuga Lake's Scenic Byway Map

At the center of the region is Cayuga Lake, the longest and second deepest of the Finger lakes at 38.2 miles long and 435 feet deep at its deepest point. Reaching 53 feet below sea level, it is among the deepest lakes in North America, along with Seneca Lake (618 ft, maximum depth).  Having an altitude lower than that of the other Finger Lakes, Cayuga has the longest growing season (190 -205 days), a definite advantage for the production of vinifera varieties.  There are 26 wineries along the lake of which 16 are members of the  Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, the first organized (1983) and longest running wine trail in the United States, which also include 1 cidery, 1 meadery and 4 distilleries.

And so, we chose to visit Cayuga Lake, not just for their wineries but for the other attractions which will be covered at another time.

 Several companies offer tours to the wineries.  We decided to do it on our own so we can choose where we go.  At the Goose Watch Winery, we first enjoyed a picnic lunch on their grounds overlooking scenic Cayuga Lake. Then for a fee of $3, my husband got to taste 6 different wines.  Being the designated driver, I could only watch and occasionally take a little sip. 

 











Some places like our next stop, the Cayuga Ridge Estate Winery offer winery tours, but we wanted to do some more sightseeing so we just did the wine tasting.  We had planned to hit at least 4 wineries but after tasting 12 wines, my husband has had enough alcohol for the day.  Although spitting is allowed, he did not want to waste any of the good wine he was tasting.

Having jotted down the names of the wines we would pick up on our way home the next day, we ended our very short wine tour hoping to come back another time for more.

Thousand Islands

About 90 miles, or about 2 hours from Kayuta Lake lies Alexandria Bay,  gateway to the Thousand Islands.

The Thousand Islands region encompass communities along the St. Lawrence River, on both sides of the US and Canada border and the eastern shore of Lake Ontario. Discovered by vacationers in 1870, the wealthy had built their summer vacation places there. Others stayed in hotels.

A view of some of the islands

Actually composed of 1864 islands that extend for about 50 miles in the St.Lawrence River, the islands range in size from over 40 square miles to smaller islands which could be occupied by a single residence or even uninhabited except for some migratory waterfowl.  To be one of the thousand islands, it must be above water level year round, have an area greater than 1 square foot and support at least one living tree.




Each island has  its own individuality which can best be appreciated by taking the cruise around the islands. And so aboard the Uncle Sam we went.




A mandatory stop on the cruise is Heart Island, so named because of its shape and heart-breaking story.  In the 1890's millinonaire New York City hotel owner George Boldt and his wife Louise frequently cruised the islands on their yacht. Boldt later commisioned the construction of an impressive six-story stone structure with 120 rooms, a replica of a Rhineland Castle,  a dream summer home that was to be a gift to his beloved wife. Construction was however halted in 1904 following the unexpected death of Louise. Boldt never returned to the island.  Boldt Castle was never completed and remained vacant and subjected to more than 70 years of decay, weather damage and vandalism.

The Thousand Island Bridge Authority (TIBA) acquired Boldt Castle and the Boldt Yacht House in 1977.  Since then,  it has spent millions of dollars from the castle's net profit in rehabilitating and restoring the Heart Island structures.  When we first visited it in 2005, most of the rooms were still undergoing repairs and some were not even accessible.  The rooms were similar to the pictures "Before" renovation as seen on the castle's website.  A virtual tour of the castle interior gives one a glimpse of the magnificence of that era.

After learning from the cruise about how the famous thousand island dressing originated from this area, we just had to find a place that sells the dressing based on the original recipe.  Only later did I learn of the conflicting legends on the origins of this condiment.

While on the boat, we had seen the Thousand Island Bridge  system which covers a distance of 8.5 miles providing a direct connection between US Interstate Rt 81 and Canada's Highway 401.  It is actually a series of bridges spanning the St. Lawrence River crossing 4 islands (Wellesley, Hill, Constance and Georgina). Thinking how cool it would be to cross this bridge and see the islands from above, we crossed the border. We did not have time to explore any of the communities nor the look out tower on Hill Island.  Despite our US passports, the quick return trip roused some suspicion with the border patrol.  When we said that we did not have any local lodging (we did not consider Kayuta Lake local), the car was subjected to a thorough search.  Why, he must have thought, would  a car from New Jersey go all the way to this place just for a day trip?  The search was fruitless of course and off we went back to Kayuta with memories and a story to tell.