Letchworth State Park

Letchworth State Park, near Castile, New York, follows the Genesee River through a gorge often called the 'Grand Canyon of the East,' with walls reaching as much as 550 feet in places. Three major waterfalls, the Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls, punctuate the gorge along a 17-mile stretch of the park. The land was assembled and preserved starting in the 1850s by businessman William Pryor Letchworth, who donated it to New York State in 1907, and his former estate, Glen Iris, still stands as an inn within the park. Its combination of dramatic gorge scenery and accessible overlooks makes it one of the most visited state parks in New York.