Redneck lite I heard someone call it. It's fun and relaxing. Safe and fun for kids. Great little store and arcade. There's a pool. Nice big pool. Sometimes live music. Very laid back and happy. Daily activities including hay rides and a bunch of decorated wagons being towed by 4 wheeler for the kids. Mini golf needs work. But the have plans to fix it. We had a blast.
Perfect Campground, has everything you need. Fishing is great and the staff is uber helpful.
After spending several very quiet nights in sparsely occupied campgrounds, we arrived at Watkins Glen to a full campground. The Six Nation Campground is comprised of six loops, each named after a tribe, with a total of over 300 sites. It looked like some of the sites were being rehabbed. The Mohawk Loop is the only one with electric hookups. There are also cabins, but I did not see them. Rates vary depending on how many nights you spend, whether you have an electric or non-electric site, and if you are a NY resident or not. Although the sites are spaced a decent amount apart, most do not have trees or any other barrier to separate them. However, despite our loop being completely full, we did not feel too close to our neighbors. The bathroom/shower facility was reasonably clean. There are two shower stalls and four toilets, and I feared it might be overwhelmed when the loop was full, but I never had to wait.
There is a large day-use area with some nice playground equipment and there are additional playground areas (not as nice) in the loops. There is also a swimming pool but since we were there in October, it had already closed for the season (despite temperatures hovering near 90 degrees)! Normally, there is a trail that leads from the campground to the South Rim Trail, from which you can access the Gorge and other trails, however, due to recent heavy rains, this trail was closed when we were there. There are three access points to the trails: south entrance, upper entrance, or main entrance. From any of these, you can do a loop or just part of the trails. The most popular Gorge trail can get very crowded. We arrived at 10 am on a Tuesday in October and by the time we left at noon, the trail was much more crowded. I can only imagine how crowded it could get on the weekends (judging by the size of the parking lot).
We travel a lot around the country and as such, trash and recycling policies can vary greatly. There was a sign on all the dumpsters listing materials accepted for recycling so we assumed we should use one dumpster for all garbage and recycling (this is how it was in Acadia NP). It wasn’t until later that we saw on a bulletin board that there is a recycling bin near the camp office. This could easily be confusing and could easily be remedied with additional information on the sign indicating where to bring recyclables!
However, dont expect any cell phone service. I've had friends who climbed up on top of their RV and still, no signal. It's out in the middle of nowhere, hard to find but extremely worth it
Ranger Review: Men’s Rebel Stretch Shell Jacket at Letchworth State Park
CampgroundReview:
I’ve visited Letchworth State Park, known as the Grand Canyon of the East, in the winter and the summer, but this is the first time in autumn and the first time camping. Although this very large state park is starkly beautiful, the campground is not as nice as other New York state parks we have recently been to. We were in the 600 loop, the farthest from the camp office and closest to the Genesee River (although we could not see it from our site). The sites on the outside of the 600 loop were larger and more private; most of them were pie-shaped and had many trees that provided ample separation. The sites on the inside of the loop were much smaller and less private. The bathrooms were reasonable but dated. The showers did not look very inviting and although I did not use them, I overheard someone comment they were the worst showers they had ever experienced!
I highly recommend the free tour of the Mt. Morris Dam on the other side of the river from the campground. The tour is interesting and lasts approximately one hour. Offered at 2 pm in the offseason and twice per day during the summer.
It rained almost the entire time we were there, so we didn’t take any long hikes. We did a short hike to the Lower Falls. The footbridge was closed for repairs when we were there. The Middle Falls and Upper Falls can be seen with very short walks. There is also a restaurant in the park which was ok but not fantastic
.……………………………………..
Product Review:
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, we tested the Men’s Rebel Stretch Shell Jacket by Red Ledge. The price of this jacket is much less than many other available brands, so we were interested in checking it out and ordered one for my husband.
Positives:
- Affordable price
- Workmanship appears to be solid and of good quality.
- Seams are all sealed. Feels comfortable, although the material has a slightly rubbery feel
- Water beads up very well
- The waist is adjustable.
Negatives:
- The hood adjustment is a bit awkward
- There are no zippered air vents at the armpits
- The front Rapid entry zip pockets are designed to protect your cell phone from rain, but it makes it slightly awkward for slipping your hands in.
- Ordered size large because the sleeve length on the XL would have been too long, but this did not leave a lot of room for layering.
Bottom line:
Although it is well made and a good value for the price, it is not as functional as my husband would have liked.
Great place to hangout for a weekend, camp sites are walking distance to the lake. The only thing is the sites are pretty congested so make sure to look at the map before you choose your spot. I recommend site 161 if you can get it.
Okey to be honest this campground is a little crowded for my liking, but WOW we’re the owners just the nicest people! My boyfriend and I showed up on Labor Day weekend having trouble finding a camping spot in the area due to the holiday weekend. They accommodated us and actually made us a space in their campground. It was right next to the river and actually very nice! They ever had karaoke at night, which was fun and different! Great place !!
Very large campground with a lot of spots! The park is nice and has a beautiful gorge trail close to the campground. Right outside the park is the town of Watkins glen, which has cute stores and restaurants! The Watkins glen international is close by and we got to see some racing , which was really neat! Would recommend this spot.
Went for a quick getaway to this little gem of a state park in the finger lakes region of New York. I’ll be coy, and use their slogan ‘Ithaca is Gorges’ and Gorgeous!!! The falls trails were all well defined and excellent for a beginner, moderate hiker. More advanced trails were also offered as well as biking trails, so plenty for any level of adventurer!! Lots of educational posters along the way to keep you informed of what you were seeing and the history about how it was created. The locals were pleasant, and eager to share fun facts about their area. We stayed at the campground in the park. It was cozy, clean, and just right for a little off the grid fun. No electricity or water hook ups available, but nice big public baths and plenty of water access all around the camp ground. (Say one water spot every 3-4 camp sites). There was also a dump station and trash dumpsters easily accessible at the entrance. Can not wait to go back, planning a week long trip next year and will do all three tours, wine, beer, and cheese!! Till next September!! Stay Gorges!!!
Nice campground. Clean Friendly staff. A lot of outdoor features for kids which were closed while we were there.
We had the best time at this campground. Walked the Creek, played in the waterfall and talked with friendly neighbors.
Near the play ground they have a nice game room pool, air hockey, video games. There is a change machine too.
Camping again in our favorite spot. We camped so much here we got a free nights stay!
Large open grassy campsites that are obviously maintained and manicured. Friendly guy Pat at the gate helped me and and chatted with me for a while bout photography and the area. 3 loops, 150 sites, clean bathrooms and showers, boat ramp, beach/picnic area, a few short trails
What an impressive, pristine, and maintained park and campground. A good trail system, plenty of overlooks, good facilities, restaurants and shops. It’s one of the better parks I’ve visited. Campground is standard but elevated by its context
Beautiful scenery, great campgrounds, hiking trails, historic town and area to go site seeing for the day. If you like Watkins Glenn road course right around the corner
Close to wine country you will find this gem of a family campground. Dog and kid friendly with activities such as wagon rides, arts and crafts, movie night and various themed weekend events. The hosts were super friendly and welcoming during our entire stay. An easy back in site with full hookups (B10) backed against a row of trees and a field that provided much entertainment of squirrels and birds. There is a camp store with very reasonable prices and accepts credit cards. Wood ($4) and ice ($2) are also for sale. There are two small cabins to rent along with a couple of family tent sites. The bathrooms/showers were clean near the camp store. Amenities include a pool, mini golf ($1/person), two playgrounds, horseshoes, a recreation center with games and movies, basketball and shuffle board. There are many seasonal campers at this campground, but all seemed friendly and welcoming as well. It truly seemed like one big happy family there.
This was a great campground. Just be advised that if you plan to camp with just a tent you will have to cross a creek to do it, so make sure to have an elevated, AWD/4x4 car or truck to help with the process. Showers were great and with consistent hot water, but it’s only one temp, no adjustment. The bathrooms are clean and they provide poop bags for your pups.
I have been there many times. Beautiful park with nice beach and great fishing. Close to town and lots to do.
Highly recommend going to the middle falls at night to see them lit up (when driving watch out for bears, deer, and raccoons). Many opportunities to hike as long or as little as you want, or just drive through and stop at the many viewpoints. The park has several spots to grab a bite to eat, and just outside the park is small town convenient for whatever you may need.
The campgrounds are not too close together, allowing you to have a little spot in the woods to yourself. All spots have a picnic table, a fire pit, and room for 2 cars. Each loop of campsites has a clean bathroom and shower facility. About $25 a night, which was definitely worth it. The location in the park is super convenient for driving to the falls or finding a trail to hike. Will definitely be back
We stayed in the Tuscarora village loop. The sites there were non-electric. There was one central bathroom/shower house, so if being close to a restroom is important, choose your site accordingly. Some of the campsites were quite a walk from the facilities. Many of the sites back up to the woods, making them feel more spacious. There are also sites that are very close to together and we saw several extended family groups using adjoining sites - one for cooking, one for sleeping and one for hanging out. here is a wonderful playground in the Tuscarora loop. There’s another great playground next to the swimming pool. The town of Watkins Glen is adjacent to the park and has lots of little restaurants and shops - even a Ben and Jerry’s scoop shop! The town itself gets very crowded with people arriving on tour buses to see the waterfalls, and the bottom half of the Gorge Trail can be very busy. The rim trails and the upper half of the Gorge Trail were much less crowded.
Super kind people who work there. Great amenities. Climbing wall, pool, putt putt, giant bouncy thing. Basketball hoop, playground. Lots of cars, lots of people, super close campsites. None of the 3 toilets flushed well. Sink was a little clogged. It WAS clean though. They clean and collect trash daily. I dont have kids but could see how parents would like this. For a couple with a dog, it was too crowded and loud.
We stayed in a tent site for the weekend and loved it! The camp site was set back in the trees with a ton of privacy. Very clean facilities with hot water. We will definitely be back to Back Achers.
Wonderful park. The canyon was incredible, and lots of look out spots. The roads, and trails, and lookout points are all well constructed, and flow well. The scenery is remarkable, and there is a lot of informative boards, dedicated benches that provide a lot of interesting history and information. 10/10 would recommend.
We went looking for waterfalls to hike and the Gorge hike is located in this state park. We camped for 2 nights at site 166 in the Onondaga Village camground. The site is spacious and has a picnic table and fire ring. Although it was gravel, there are some sites with grassy areas. Our site was right behind the shower house which had clean, hot showers and restrooms. There are water spigots to fill containers located throughout the campground. Most sites don’t have electric and water except on one loop for RVs. We hiked through this park and the Gorge, and unfortunately we lost our camp photos when one of our phones fell in the Gorge and we couldn’t retrieve it. This is a great Basecamp for neighboring parks and trails. We will definitely be back again. Check the website for closures and hours as some things are weather dependent.
If your looking for a smaller, quieter campground and you don’t have kids with you then this is the place. The owners are great people and the campground is very clean. Seasonal people seem very nice and willing to chat with you. There is not many overnight sites but all in all a nice campground.