Lake Erie to Letchworth Falls

13 August 2022 – Saturday
posted 24 April 2023

Traveling through western New York from Lake Erie to Letchworth State Park.

0810 49,331 57° Leave Lakeside Campground in Ripley, NY after a spectacular sunset and restful night.

We headed east along the lakefront, on route 5.

0830 49,342 64° Town of Westfield

Barcelona Harbor looks like a good place to launch small boats into Lake Erie.

The port is easy for mariners to identify as the Barcelona Harbor Lighthouse has been shining here since 1829.

0905 Point Gratiot Park – Dunkirk, NY

The 61 foot tall Dunkirk Lighthouse was built in 1875. Unfortunately we were too early, so only snapped this photo through their fence.

Turning inland on route 39, we passed through cute small towns like Springville where beautiful old homes have been lovingly maintained.

Passing through Arcade, there was no activity yet on the Arcade and Attica Railroad. Since it was Beth’s birthday, I had NOT put another train museum on the agenda.

1130 49,437 75° Letchworth State Park

Waterfalls abound here as the Genesee River drops six-hundred feet on its journey through the park.

Our first stop was Middle Falls.

We walked the pretty High Bridge Trail. There are sixty-six miles of trails available to explore.

High on the trail, large rocks are suspended in sand until the next big rain event.

The Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls flow year round, but there are as many as sixty-six waterfalls like this one, designated as ephemeral, depending on local rainfall.

Returning from the trail, we revisited the middle falls when I heard a train.

Running back upriver, it was too late for a locomotive shot, but I did see container cars headed west over the high falls.

This bridge is the newest of three that have carried rails over the river. An 1852 wooden trestle burned down and was replaced by an Iron Bridge in 1875. Lasting 142 years, the old Iron Bridge was replaced by this graceful steel arch in 2017.

Moving further down river, we stopped at the Glen Iris Inn, where preparations were underway for a wedding.

Exploring another trail we could see the river over 500 feet below us as we walked south.

We reached the Lower Falls, the smallest of the falls on the main river.

Looking down into the canyon we can see people walking over this foot bridge to Table Rock.

Another impressive view was from the Hogsback Overlook. Here the Genesee River flows nearly a mile around Hogsback Ridge.

1453 49,441 Lower Falls Trail

We walked this 1.6 mile trail, while others were touring the canyon by helicopter. Hot air balloons are also a popular way of experiencing the park.

1618 49,465 Mount Morris Dam

At the north end of the park, the dam prevents flooding as the Genesee flows towards Rochester. It normally allows free flow of the river, but can fill the canyon during periods of heavy rain or snowmelt.