Touring Letchworth State Park (Buffalo, Rochester: live, shop, train)
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Do you want to hike down into the gorge or hike the entire rim? If so, you should probably plan on an entire day. Just driving from scenic overlook to scenic overlook and taking only a minimal time for photography will take a few hours. Throw in a short hike to the Upper Falls, a visit to the museum, the gift shop, and lunch at the Glen Iris, and it's easily a full day.
I only live a couple of hours away, and I can get in for free on week days (I'm a senior), so I visit Letchworth a few times a year, usually for "only a few hours", but I'll do different parts of the park on my visits.
I'd recommend min. 5 hours focusing in the southern section. Maybe park at the big bend area just downstream of the lower falls and hike from there to the upper falls and back. On the way back you can shortcut the lower falls trail and stay on the road. I'd definitely recommend hiking down to the lower falls across the pedestrian bridge and back, then upstream to the upper falls & train trestle (which will be replaced over the next few years). Was there just yesterday, have been going there my entire life and it still blows me away like it's my first time.
Thanks Linda D. and Krisps! None of my family are strenuous hikers by all means but we probably do want to get out and walk around a bit to get the most out of the visit. I guess I will have to budget some time and arrange the plans so that we have enough time to see what we want to see in Buffalo and Rochester as well.
You can do most of the place in a car, but never will you see the falls. You can go to the highest parting lot and hike part of the falls. To be at the upper falls by the trestle? Heaven.
Look at the overlook -- some guy working there in the 1930s on the trails and overlooks ( it was a WPA project) was obviously from Texas. He carved "Texas" and a star in one of the pavers. I was amazed the first time I was it.
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