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.
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
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.
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.
Amazing park. We’ve gone there multiple times. We prefer walking down and catching the bus back. There is a shop. There are bathrooms at the top and bottom of the trails. There are many trails we haven’t walked them all yet. Bring your camera for sure lots to see!
The winning attraction is clearly the gorges and we spent 5hrs hiking through them. Wonderful! Pool was nice, but you need to drive to it. If you have a choice, camp in the Iroquois area or another in the back. The front area (can’t remember the name) is really overcrowded. We basically shared our little campsite with the people on each side. Our picnic table was all of 10’ from that of our neighbors.
Watkins Glen has been on my bucket list since I first saw a picture of it on Flickr back in 2008 and it definitely lived up to expectations! I recommend taking the shuttle to the upper parking lot and hiking down unless you really like stairs. The campground is a standard state park campground, clean, fairly private. I would definitely like to come back. Hopefully it won’t take me 10 years to return.
Campground has spacious sites with alot of privacy. The Gorge Trail is a must do, dont get discourage by the # of stairs, its not that bad.
The campsites are wide open sites great for campers or tents. Very few sites have electric so if you want it- book early. The gorge hike is beautiful. It is a moderate hike but even if you are not a hiker the views are totally worth it. It is located in close proximity to many wineries and the finger lakes so not only is there a lot to do at the campground there is also a lot to do close by.
Watkins glen is a beautiful area in the NY Finger Lakes. The park itself is well maintained and the hike through the gorge is stunning. It is however, very busy. We camped there in Mid-July and tourists were being dropped off by the bus load to walk through the gorge. The campsites were well shaded and fairly spacious, but you definitely knew what your neighbors were doing. Bathrooms were clean, firewood was available for purchase, there is a small convenience store & a large swimming pool open to the public. It is fairly close to a race track, so I imagine it could be noisy at times. The walk through the gorge is stunning enough to make this a worthwhile camping experience.
this place is beautiful as i live close by and go there several times a year and never get tired of it
This park offers over 300 campsites with restrooms, hot showers, dumping stations and firewood for sale. The park is open all year round. Check for dates on openings for pool, campgrounds, and trails. Pets are allowed on the grounds but not on the trails
The trails follow a gorge with multiple waterfalls that weave in and out of small caves and falls. For all you wondering, swimming is not allowed in the gorge. Overall nice hiking. My only drawback is the dog rule and the campsites being so close to one another.
This will always be my favorite place to camp. Sites were a bit close together but the campers were so nice. The scenery was stunning and staff helpful.
The Gorge Trail was amazing! So beautiful! Nice big sites, shaded. Clean bathrooms.
This place is amazing. Very popular, not great for a time to relax but is good for a new destination! Also has a cute town to look through!
Dogs are allowed but they are not allowed on the gorge trail. I’m ok with this I just wish I had know before we got there.
There is a huge new playground for the kids and lots of area to walk around the loops if you don’t want to hike the gorge trail.
The campsites are great and are all tree lined giving to a bit of privacy. As much as you get in campgrounds.
Great spot. Close to town and the gorge.
Large campground on top of the Glen directly outside the town of Watkins Glen.
The gorge itself is one of the most impressive natural features on the East Coast, and is a short walk from the campground.
You can also walk down into town from either the Visitors Center or the campground, making dining and a few bars accessible.
The Seneca lake area has dozens of waterfalls, natural gorges and hundreds of wineries, breweries and distilleries in the area.
Something for everyone
Nice variety of sites. Wonderful bathouses. Amazing hike through the Glen. It's a must see.
Bathrooms were clean. The site was huge, the campfire ring was lovely. The gorge trail is absolutely amazing- beautiful waterfalls!! Quiet hours were honored even by the crazy Nascar fans (we were there race weekend)! Great time had here! Highly recommend!!
Watkins Glen was absolutely beautiful. The sites are quite wooded with plenty of space in between. We stayed in a 30 ft. motorhome, and the roads within the campground were kind of tight to get through with trees and curves. The gorge trail is a MUST. Definitely go check this campsite out!
the waterfalls are incredible and the hiking is absolutely amazing. the lake is very close for a beach day and the sunsets over the lake are breathtaking. oh! and don’t forget all the wineries!
Simply beautiful, magical!
great campground covers the basic needs sites are not that level but great hiking trails amassing views , clean facilities,and a large pool
Husbands first time camping and he says he'll go again….WIN! Clean bathrooms and awesome playgrounds for the kids. Quiet time was quiet. Huge pool open 11-7. And of course the hiking is amazing!
This was a great campground for the family! Take a hike (the Gorge trail is unbeatable), go swimming in the Olympic sized pool, and at the end of the day, enjoy your campsite.
The sites have good privacy and the bathrooms are clean. Couldn’t ask for a better experience.
Great stay. Our campsite was bigger than most places we’ve stayed at. It’s a family friendly place with lots to do. The hikes were beautiful and you’re close to wine and cheese country. We visited a local farm and got fresh fruits and local cheese to take back to camp with us. The playground was awesome. My kid really enjoyed this place. There’s water available at almost every campground and plenty of space for group camping.
Watkins Glen Watkins Glen is beautiful and scenic. If you enjoy hiking and scenery this is the place for you. I would describe the hikes as moderately difficult. The main one has a lot of steps but lots of walkway in between them so it's not just up up up more steps. There are a total of 19 waterfalls on your way up, all of them absolutely beautiful. There are also several more waterfalls nearby that are very easy hikes. Our favorite was Eagles Cliffs Falls. I have a 7 year old son and he enjoyed every second of this, there is a lot to see and a lot of water to play in! One thing that we were kind of disappointed in, is that the campground pool doesn't open until the end of June. Seneca lake is a short drive away for great fishing, kayaking and swimming. Also a short Drive away is a Farm Sanctuary that my son very much enjoyed. There are Stables nearby where you can book a trail ride, we did not do this only because you have to be 8 years old to ride but look forward to doing it in the future!
One of the most beautiful and relaxing campgrounds we have ever stayed at. Stayed a week there and wished we had more time to explore and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Lots to see and do in the area - visit Seneca Lodge for an experience you won't forget and try their Peach Beer in the summer! Great meals there also. Make sure you walk the Glen, and get a chance to visit historic Watkins Glen Race Track and the town of Watkins Glen. Our favorite campgrounds and state park!
Friendly staff, good patrols at night to keep people from being too noisy, tent sites are nice and shaded. Some of the shower houses are better than others. Wonderful hiking at the gorge and it was beautiful.
