Letchworth is a huge park with many beautiful views of the river gorge. There’s plenty of hiking trails. We even managed to find a trail with a tiny waterfall and an area for the kids to splash around in the water. We were hoping that the huge pool would be open that is outside the far end of the park but it was closed due to Covid. So, we were pretty bummed over that. Instead we visited an overlook of the dam near by.
So Letchworth State Park is beautiful. It's also tremendous, 18 miles long covering the east and west side of the Geneseo River. There is over 100 miles of trails intersecting the park. The campground itself is made up of loops with only electrical hookups , no water or sewer connections , just water spiquets positioned throughout the loop and 1common bathroom in each loop. There is no wifi in any of the camping areas so if you are dependant on it for any reason this is not the place for you. Only at certain points in the park will you get a signal
My son and I have a new favorite campground. We absolutely fell in love with this park. I find it odd that even though I grew up only an hour away, we never camped there. Big mistake! There are many trails to hike on and beautiful views of the gorge and river. You have to drive to many of the places but it's worth it. There are many souvenir and snack stands as well as a pool (again, you have to drive to them). The camp store is small but well stocked with a laundry attached. Some loops allow pets and others don't. If you want to bring your pet, please check to make sure you reserve a pet-friendly loop. Unfortunately for us, it rained the entire time we were there so we never got to walk the trails or use the pool. Keep an eye out for other activities. There are balloon rides, craft shows, etc. that happen throughout the summer. With so much to do in the park, you don't really need to leave but nearby is the Arcade and Attica Railroad. It's a nice little ride through the countryside. There is also a small dam that you can visit (we missed out this last time). I highly recommend visiting.
**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
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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:
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.
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
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.
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 stayed in a cute cabin with running water, a stove, and a heater for cold nights! Outside we had a picnic table and a campfire pit. The park itself has amazing hiking with awesome views. Highly recommend!
My camping partner lost 3 hats here, the wild’ll blow ‘em right over the edge. Worth it. Went in mid-June and the weather was delightful. FRIENDLY and active wildlife near camp sites, store food properly. Went rafting, great scenery at lower part of canyon.
The park itself is beautiful but the campground gets so many visitors of all different experience levels that certain animals such as raccoons and skunks are all too comfortable scavenging the sites. When camping be sure to put all food items in a place such as your car so it does not attract these animals. Definitely DO NOT feed the raccoons like some nearby campers did unless you are willing to share your site.
This park is massive and beautiful! Great for fall hikes as well as camping
this place is one of the top in ny state as its a wooden wonderland for all to see
The campground at Letchworth State Park is a great place to stay while you explore the beauty of the gorge which is sometimes referred to as the Grand Canyon of the East. Yeah, you probably could call it that because it's a gorge with cliffs as high as 600 feet and there's not a lot of that in the East. However, I think it stands on its own as one of the most scenic areas in the eastern US and doesn't need that designation. You just need to accept that the western US has the lots of beautiful canyons and enjoy that Letchworth is different than those canyons. It has some breathtaking views, especially near the waterfalls.
The campground has 8 loops with about 35 to 50 sites per loop so it's a large campground. I like that it feels much smaller with all those loops, and the loops mean there is minimal traffic through each loop. You'll drive by the other loops but you don't really feel like you're in a large campground (although you may be able to see some sites from another loop behind your site).
Amenities
Restrooms in 100, 200 and 700 loops are awesome! Check out the photo. They're very new. There are 4 private restrooms/showers and 4 private restrooms. There are well-maintained, older communal restrooms in the other loops.
Dumpster and recycling at loop entrances
Water spigots
Electrical sites
Store/laundry, playground, recreation building, fitness zone behind rec bldg, and basketball courts are between the 200 and 300 loops.
Swimming pools...but I didn't see them.
The Sites
No pull throughs but the gravel pads are long.
In general, the sites are partially shaded. The trees are quite tall so a significant amount of sun comes through. The sites on the outside of the loop are more shaded than the sites on the inside of the loops.
The 600 loop has a fence behind some sites because of the dropoff, but the dropoff doesn't start gradually.
You may have someone behind you (on another loop) if you are on the outside of a loop, but there are trees between the areas.
There are 5 loops with a total of more than 80 cabins.
Are You Bringing a Dog? Dogs are allowed on the 100, 200 and 700 loops, i.e. not on 300, 400, 500, 600 and 800.
Activities
Hike! There are about 20 trails. The gorge trail has great views of lower, middle and upper falls.
Check out the Glen Iris Inn for a meal
Rafting on the Genesee River
Hot air ballooning
The park is VERY crowded for the annual balloon rally (Memorial Day weekend) and the arts and crafts show (Columbus Day weekend).
We enjoyed our stay here. They are in the process of updating the facility buildings which will be nice. We were on a loop with an older building. Lots of sites and maintained nicely. The park itself is beautiful with its falls and trails.
The state park is breathtaking. The campground is horrendous. The restrooms were disgusting. The site barely fit our one tent (8man Coleman) even though it was advertised as a two tent site. The camp fire ring had no solid base- it just sat on the grass and fires would not stay lit. The quiet hours were not enforced. Yelling and loud music kept us up until ridiculous hours. I would not rate this as family friendly.
The falls in this park are stunning! I stopped here during a longer road trip and loved the location. It is really in the middle of nowhere with a few little towns around. Check in was easy and friendly. I wish I had chosen another campsite, though, because mine was in full sun until after 8pm and it was over 90 degrees. It was also right on the edge of the loop, so next to the main road and not very private. would recommend another site. There are a ton of sites in this park, so it did feel a bit crowded, but not terrible. Trash and everything was easy. The park is long, so put the campground into your navigation system instead of the park in general so that you go to the right entrance. Once I was set up I drove around the park a bit. Everything is very driveable but there are also a lot of trails. I parked by the upper falls and wandered around a little. There were also a lot of day visitors to the park.
this park is just beautiful I have stayed in both a cabin and a tent here and both are very nice sites tent sides being slightly more secluded then the cabin. however having your own bathroom in a canin is great to. the views here are amazing there are alot of trails to hike some eay some moderate but all are very clearly marked and easy to follow. if your looking for a nice place to camp this should definatly be on your list.
Super easy hikes with an awesome old railroad bridge.
There are multiple waterfalls with river access for kayaking.
There is cabins scattered throughout the park and paved paths for biking or walking.
Letchworth has a few options: cabin, barebones cabin, and a few tent sites. I’ve stayed several times. We’ve hiked, white water rafted, gone to the pool, playgrounds, etc. The park is huge and absolutely gorgeous. You can easily spend a week here and have plenty to do in the park as well as the local towns. You can tour the dam as well. The views along the road through the park are incredible. Go to Letchworth. You will love it.
Quiet relaxing atmosphere, lots of hiking trails and family friendly with parks and a pool for the kids to play.
What a beautiful place. Three waterfalls, trains, even has food and drinks.
Really great family camping spot. There are laundry facilities next to the recreation center and playground. Highly recommend booking a rafting trip with Adventure Outfitters during your stay. One of the last drive-in movie theaters is 15 minutes away.
Letchworth is considered the Grand Canyon of the East east. This Campground is centrally located in the State Park. There is a camp store, laundry room, recreation building, and playground. All of the sites have electric-either 30 or 50 amp. There are many water faucets located throughout the park and dump stations are available. There are campsite loops that are specifically for pets. There are many hiking trails to enjoy. You can enjoy the many site around Letchworth State Park. There is High Falls, Middle Falls, and lower Falls. You can also enjoy the pool, rafting and hot air balloon rides.
Letchworth State Park is considered the "Grand Canyon of the East".
Fun activities to do while there unfortunately I went during a "drought" so we couldn't do the white water rafting. Although there are plenty of trails to walk and take in nature. You may also see deer and other animals on the trail. Beautiful views especially in the fall when the leaves have turned. There is a pool for swimming not to far away.
Love coming here Memorial weekend for the balloon rally
This place puts you in the middle of the "grand canyon of the east," and amazing state park with historical sites, miles of scenic hiking, and three waterfalls! The campground was quiet even in the middle of the summer and some sites have great views. Water and showers available. Definitely worth the detour. I would have stayed a second night if I could have to explore more of the trails.
I had a great time camping here! Enjoyed the peace and quiet! Great state park!
Letchworth Park has plenty of hiking trails opportunities. You will not leave without seeing a herd of deer. Careful driving after dark! The sites are set in deep woody areas. The showers have recently been updated and are private and clean.
campsite was great! Me and my wife had a wonderful time camping here. Some sites are small but not too crowded at all. Bathrooms and showers are decent, but what really sets this place apart is the actual park itself. So many beautiful spots to see and things to do. Great place we will be back!
