One Of America's Most Spectacular State Parks Is Often Called 'Grand Canyon Of The East'

New York's Letchworth State Park has been ranked among the best state parks in the United States and is easily one of the most breathtaking state parks on the east coast. Letchworth is an impressive 14,350 acres – almost as big as Manhattan Island. While you won't find any towering skyscrapers in this park, it is home to some of the most incredible landscapes in the country. Most impressive of all is the staggeringly deep, waterfall-filled forest gorge that has earned the nickname Grand Canyon of the East.

Whether you come to Letchworth State Park to learn more about its over a century of history as a state park or to visit its bird conservation areas to spot dancing American Woodcocks and swooping bald eagles, you'll have no shortage of natural landscape to explore. There are around 66 miles of hiking trails you can use to traverse this unbelievable landscape, no matter what you're looking for. If you want a challenge, you might want to admire waterfalls along the almost 14-mile-long Letchworth State Park Gorge Trail, or you might prefer to experience the mile-long Autism Nature Trail, which was designed by a panel of experts with the advice of acclaimed autism advocate Temple Grandin specifically to appeal to neurodivergent hikers. This hiking trail is also accessible to wheelchair users.

From peeking into vernal pools to examine tiny ecosystems to keeping an eye out for black squirrels scampering in the trees to getting your heart pumping with a thrilling whitewater rafting trip, there's plenty to do in Letchworth State Park. The highlight, however, is the mighty gorge that makes the park famous. The roaring Genesee River carved this deep slice into the rocky landscape over thousands of years. Today, it's staggeringly deep, with its sheer walls rising up 550 feet at the deepest points of the gorge. There are three enormous waterfalls, where tons of water cascade over the edge of the sheer walls. As you explore, however, you'll find many more smaller waterfalls, some of which have water pouring down hundreds of feet to splash into the bottom of the gorge below.

One of the best ways to see the view over the gorge is on the Letchworth State Park Gorge Trail, an extremely popular almost six and a half hour long journey along the Genesee River. Along the way, you'll see two out of three of the biggest waterfalls in Letchworth State Park, and if you choose to take a quick detour down offshoot trail 6, you can find the third. This park is beautiful all year long, but in the fall it may be at its most impressive, with the lush forests that grow on either side of the Genesee bursting into beautiful yellows, oranges, and golds.

Letchworth State Park is open year round, so whether you prefer to experience the rushing waterfalls at their peak in spring, battle the crowds for a space in the park's free, Olympic-sized swimming pool in the summer, take in the famous New York state fall foliage, or go snowshoeing through an icy wonderland in the dead of winter, you'll have the opportunity. In general, the park is open from 6 a.m.-11 p.m., but if you're looking to spend a night stargazing, there are a range of options for how to spend the night in the park, from $27-35 per night campsites to rustic $132-$575 per week cabins. If you're looking for a more luxurious stay, you can check out the Glen Iris Inn for about $300 per night.

As you explore the state park, either on your own, with your dog (just don't forget to bring a leash and proof of their rabies vaccination), or with your hiking buddies, you should keep an eye on weather and trail conditions. For all the latest information about Letchworth State Park, from camping reservations and special events to weather and travel alerts and live updating GPS maps that tell you your exact location within the park, you should download the New York State Parks Explorer App in advance.