Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International
4.5
الاثنين
08:00 ص - 05:00 م
الثلاثاء
08:00 ص - 05:00 م
الأربعاء
08:00 ص - 05:00 م
الخميس
08:00 ص - 05:00 م
الجمعة
08:00 ص - 05:00 م
عرض كامل
المنطقة
العنوان
تواصَل مباشرة
أفضل الأماكن القريبة
المطاعم
1 على بُعد 5 كيلومترات
معالم الجذب
26 على بُعد 10 كيلومترات
4.5
360 تعليق
ممتاز
270
جيد جدًا
67
متوسط
14
سيئ
3
سيئ جدًا
6
SwissPinkPanther
مدينة نيويورك, نيويورك122 مساهمة
الأصدقاء • أكتوبر 2023
In my many years of travel I've sought out the more exotic locations to get my full of nature from .... Patagonia, Bora Bora, Huangshan Mtns, Chamonix..... little did I know that such a spectacular state park existed only a 4+ hour drive from NYC.
I did the Watkins Glen State Park hike on an early Sunday morning the first week in October. As others have noted, try and arrive early. That being said, I arrived around 8:30 AM on an absolutely beautiful Sunday morning the first week in October and found that I was only the third car in the Main Entrance Parking lot on North Franklin Street in Watkins Glen. I'm guessing that the main parking lot can hold a good 80 - 100 cars. There are pay machines in the lot where you can get a parking ticket to display in your car window.
Maybe because it wasn't yet peak season for viewing the fall tree colors but the town of Watkins Glen seemed surprisingly empty of tourists as did the state park ..... which was a bonus for hiking this amazing trail.
Sunday may also be less busy than Saturday. When I viewed the parking lot on Saturday at around 1 PM, the day I arrived, it looked full. Yet on Sunday after I completed my hike around noon the parking lot was only 2/3 full. The weather both days was outstanding.
NOTE - apparently the park closes Nov 1 until the Spring due to the icy trail conditions which occur during the winter. In addition, the park also has a hunting season from Nov - Dec. which also keeps the park closed. Consequently, there is a relatively short period of the year when you can avoid the hordes of people who come to hike the trail in summer.
The 1.7 mile Gorge Trail is the only trail to hike if you want to get close up to the numerous falls....if you've parked at the Main entrance car lot which I strongly suggest, then when completing the Gorge Trail you will arrive at the Upper Entrance. There you can take a breather before heading back to the Main Entrance. The Upper Entrance also has a picnic area, rest rooms and food vendors.
The Gorge Trail hike one way from the Main Entrance will take you 1 - 1.5 hrs depending on how often you stop to take in the views and take pictures. It may take slightly longer if the trail is crowded which it wasn't the day I went. Apparently you can do it in only 35 mins walking non stop.
The return hike along the north Rim trail will 30 mins or less and it is about 1 mile in length.
Now how about trail difficulty.... yes this trail has 800 steps..... but even I who had a bum knee that day was able to manage assisted by a hiking pole. Yes, in places the trail was a bit rocky and wet primarily from the spray from the falls but not to the point that one needed to be overly concerned. I wore a pair of good hiking type sneakers, not hiking boots, and had no problem.
If it had rained the day before or the day of my hike I definitely would have taken water proof hiking boots to avoid jumping over the numerous puddles that form on the rocky trail and to give me better footing on a wet surface.
Visually, the Gorge Trail offers almost non stop falls from beginning to end ..... one should never have to ask if one is more picture worthy than another.... their beauty just all comes together. Despite there not being much rain in the area this year the falls still put on a GREAT show . I can only imagine what the falls would look like in the late Spring after a heavy rain.
Along the trail there are a few places to sit where rock like benches have been created...but DON'T try sitting on the walls that line the gorge trail ....one slip and you've had it. There was even one place, half way down the trail, that I spotted that would make for a nice picnic with a rock ledge for a small group of 4 - 5 people to sit .
You have the option at the Upper Entrance to return to the Main Entrance via the North Rim Trail or take the bus back at a cost of $6. The North Rim trail offers a really pleasant and easy walk through the woods , especially so in the Fall and Spring under a canopy of trees along a path that was flat 90% of the way back. It took me about 45 mins to return, but remember I had a bum knee that day. Only at the very end one needs to descend a fair number of narrow steps to get to the Main Entrance.
NOTE - I don't remember seeing signage for the North Rim trail .... if I recall the trail in the park has a different name associated with it. But I'm not positive of this. Don't worry, the trail is pretty obvious , its the first one on the left, before you descend the first set of steps to the Gorge trail from the Upper Entrance.
If you start your hike at the Upper Entrance, which I don't advise, especially if you expect to just hike to the Main Entrance and return by bus to the Upper Entrance, you should first proceed to hike down via the easy North Rim Trail. You would then return via the Gorge Trail which is a more strenuous hike.
You would NOT want to hike down the Gorge Trail from the Upper Parking Lot to the Main Entrance since the waterfalls would primarily be at your back when hiking and you will be passing many more hikers hiking their way up the trail. There would also be more waiting time as hikers walk up the steps as you wait to hike down the steps. it would be like hiking up a down escalator.
I did the Watkins Glen State Park hike on an early Sunday morning the first week in October. As others have noted, try and arrive early. That being said, I arrived around 8:30 AM on an absolutely beautiful Sunday morning the first week in October and found that I was only the third car in the Main Entrance Parking lot on North Franklin Street in Watkins Glen. I'm guessing that the main parking lot can hold a good 80 - 100 cars. There are pay machines in the lot where you can get a parking ticket to display in your car window.
Maybe because it wasn't yet peak season for viewing the fall tree colors but the town of Watkins Glen seemed surprisingly empty of tourists as did the state park ..... which was a bonus for hiking this amazing trail.
Sunday may also be less busy than Saturday. When I viewed the parking lot on Saturday at around 1 PM, the day I arrived, it looked full. Yet on Sunday after I completed my hike around noon the parking lot was only 2/3 full. The weather both days was outstanding.
NOTE - apparently the park closes Nov 1 until the Spring due to the icy trail conditions which occur during the winter. In addition, the park also has a hunting season from Nov - Dec. which also keeps the park closed. Consequently, there is a relatively short period of the year when you can avoid the hordes of people who come to hike the trail in summer.
The 1.7 mile Gorge Trail is the only trail to hike if you want to get close up to the numerous falls....if you've parked at the Main entrance car lot which I strongly suggest, then when completing the Gorge Trail you will arrive at the Upper Entrance. There you can take a breather before heading back to the Main Entrance. The Upper Entrance also has a picnic area, rest rooms and food vendors.
The Gorge Trail hike one way from the Main Entrance will take you 1 - 1.5 hrs depending on how often you stop to take in the views and take pictures. It may take slightly longer if the trail is crowded which it wasn't the day I went. Apparently you can do it in only 35 mins walking non stop.
The return hike along the north Rim trail will 30 mins or less and it is about 1 mile in length.
Now how about trail difficulty.... yes this trail has 800 steps..... but even I who had a bum knee that day was able to manage assisted by a hiking pole. Yes, in places the trail was a bit rocky and wet primarily from the spray from the falls but not to the point that one needed to be overly concerned. I wore a pair of good hiking type sneakers, not hiking boots, and had no problem.
If it had rained the day before or the day of my hike I definitely would have taken water proof hiking boots to avoid jumping over the numerous puddles that form on the rocky trail and to give me better footing on a wet surface.
Visually, the Gorge Trail offers almost non stop falls from beginning to end ..... one should never have to ask if one is more picture worthy than another.... their beauty just all comes together. Despite there not being much rain in the area this year the falls still put on a GREAT show . I can only imagine what the falls would look like in the late Spring after a heavy rain.
Along the trail there are a few places to sit where rock like benches have been created...but DON'T try sitting on the walls that line the gorge trail ....one slip and you've had it. There was even one place, half way down the trail, that I spotted that would make for a nice picnic with a rock ledge for a small group of 4 - 5 people to sit .
You have the option at the Upper Entrance to return to the Main Entrance via the North Rim Trail or take the bus back at a cost of $6. The North Rim trail offers a really pleasant and easy walk through the woods , especially so in the Fall and Spring under a canopy of trees along a path that was flat 90% of the way back. It took me about 45 mins to return, but remember I had a bum knee that day. Only at the very end one needs to descend a fair number of narrow steps to get to the Main Entrance.
NOTE - I don't remember seeing signage for the North Rim trail .... if I recall the trail in the park has a different name associated with it. But I'm not positive of this. Don't worry, the trail is pretty obvious , its the first one on the left, before you descend the first set of steps to the Gorge trail from the Upper Entrance.
If you start your hike at the Upper Entrance, which I don't advise, especially if you expect to just hike to the Main Entrance and return by bus to the Upper Entrance, you should first proceed to hike down via the easy North Rim Trail. You would then return via the Gorge Trail which is a more strenuous hike.
You would NOT want to hike down the Gorge Trail from the Upper Parking Lot to the Main Entrance since the waterfalls would primarily be at your back when hiking and you will be passing many more hikers hiking their way up the trail. There would also be more waiting time as hikers walk up the steps as you wait to hike down the steps. it would be like hiking up a down escalator.
كُتب بتاريخ 5 أكتوبر 2023
يعبر هذا التعليق عن الرأي الشخصي لأحد أعضاء Tripadvisor ولا يعبر عن رأي شركة Tripadvisor LLC. يجري Tripadvisor عمليات تحقق حول التعليقات.
Susan A
Holly, ميتشجان217 مساهمة
زوجان • يوليو 2023
What a cool experience. There were several Porsche racers on the track! We had a good time timing our favorite and listening to them shift gears!
كُتب بتاريخ 14 يوليو 2023
يعبر هذا التعليق عن الرأي الشخصي لأحد أعضاء Tripadvisor ولا يعبر عن رأي شركة Tripadvisor LLC. يجري Tripadvisor عمليات تحقق حول التعليقات.
Manda B
39 مساهمة
زوجان • يوليو 2022
My husband and I attended the Finger Lakes Wine Festival here and it was great. It's in the middle of nowhere (we missed our turn and ended up on a dirt road!) but once we got in, you would never know it! We'll definitely be back next year. 🍷🍾
كُتب بتاريخ 18 يونيو 2023
يعبر هذا التعليق عن الرأي الشخصي لأحد أعضاء Tripadvisor ولا يعبر عن رأي شركة Tripadvisor LLC. يجري Tripadvisor عمليات تحقق حول التعليقات.
FTTN
واشنطن321 مساهمة
سبتمبر 2022
If you don't do anything else in the Watkins Glen area you've got to DRIVE THE GLEN! It's only $30 and you get three laps around the track. FYI: get in line early. If you get behind a slow driver it reduces the fun.
كُتب بتاريخ 28 أبريل 2023
يعبر هذا التعليق عن الرأي الشخصي لأحد أعضاء Tripadvisor ولا يعبر عن رأي شركة Tripadvisor LLC. يجري Tripadvisor عمليات تحقق حول التعليقات.
Jean Marie A
مساهمة
زوجان • نوفمبر 2022
Do not stay at this hotel. I paid over &350 a night and could not get a hot shower. When we called the front desk, they sent someone up, to no avail. I expect to get more than a two minute hot shower. The second night, we were woken up at 1:00am due to water coming into another room. Then we were kept up all night from the staff vacuuming the water up. We were told they would take off $150 from our bill. We didn’t sleep all night because of conditions the hotel should have taken care of prior to a rainstorm. On the third night, we were told to park across the street because the hotel lot was full for a wedding. Shouldn’t the paying guests have a spot to park in the hotel lot? Incredibly disappointed in this establishment.
كُتب بتاريخ 12 نوفمبر 2022
يعبر هذا التعليق عن الرأي الشخصي لأحد أعضاء Tripadvisor ولا يعبر عن رأي شركة Tripadvisor LLC. يجري Tripadvisor عمليات تحقق حول التعليقات.
Donna33804
Putnam, كونيكتيكت62 مساهمة
سبتمبر 2022
I had been to the racetrack before, and was trying to explain to my husband what a 'twisted track' is like. My husband called the racetrack at 9AM to see if we could get on the grounds to sightsee and we were told that there was a private event and no admittance. Another couple and us drove to the racetrack anyway so we could see the views from there and hopefully catch glimpses of the racetrack. We went into the entrance and the security guard called us over. We were thinking "uh oh, we're in trouble" but he was the nicest guy. He told us we could drive over to the first set of stands and watch the races going on. Then he told us for $30 we could DRIVE the track! We had to be there by 11:30 for the 12noon drive. We went back to our rental and took both of our cars back to the racetrack. You have to stay behind the pace car (a truck in this case) and no passing. We were vehicle #3 and our friends were vehicle #4. You go around 2 times, then stop for pictures, then do another lap (and you can switch drivers if you want). The average speed for Nascar drivers is 97 mph, and we got my Subaru Crosstrek up to 85 mph on the straightaway. It was a fabulous experience- and now my husband understands what a twisted track means.
كُتب بتاريخ 26 سبتمبر 2022
يعبر هذا التعليق عن الرأي الشخصي لأحد أعضاء Tripadvisor ولا يعبر عن رأي شركة Tripadvisor LLC. يجري Tripadvisor عمليات تحقق حول التعليقات.
2045kevin
Zanesville, Ohio17 مساهمة
العائلة • أغسطس 2022
We purchased Turn 10 hospitality tickets which includes a tented area with food and drinks. When we arrived at 10 AM all the tables and chairs were reserved. It is quite clear that many more tickets are sold than there are seats. Hard to believe that something that costs this much would done like this. This racetrack and Nascar need to get some integrity. Not the experience I would pay for had I known. The hosts at the hospitality would not deal with other than to say well it is first come first serve just sit wherever. all that does is create a security issue.
كُتب بتاريخ 21 أغسطس 2022
يعبر هذا التعليق عن الرأي الشخصي لأحد أعضاء Tripadvisor ولا يعبر عن رأي شركة Tripadvisor LLC. يجري Tripadvisor عمليات تحقق حول التعليقات.
buffalogirl40
Tonawanda, نيويورك65 مساهمة
العائلة • أبريل 2022
We did the Drive the Glen experience in April & it was great! For $25 you can drive your personal vehicle for 3 laps on the track behind a pace car. Our entire family enjoyed the thrilling ride- getting up to around 70 in our Subaru! It was hard to get information about this event beforehand - called the track several times and got different answers about start time, etc! But once we arrived, it was worth it!
كُتب بتاريخ 2 مايو 2022
يعبر هذا التعليق عن الرأي الشخصي لأحد أعضاء Tripadvisor ولا يعبر عن رأي شركة Tripadvisor LLC. يجري Tripadvisor عمليات تحقق حول التعليقات.
Robin
تورونتو, كندا260 مساهمة
أغسطس 2021
Incredible experience. I became disabled a couple of months before the race and had to really look at what I could still do. The offce was soo helpful and carng. Immediately changed our seat which ended up being right behind the winner! Tickets for a hospitality feaure we booked at the last minute, Good food and local beer free under that tent as part of the package.
Golf carts for handicaps to ride to the gate afterward. We got a flat tire LOL Waited a REALLY long time for them to pick us up initally bgut since the race was done. No instuctions on how to book or summit it either. We walked awhile and found the ambulance crew and they called someone for us. Driver with the flat called a replacement and we all joked about pit crews.
Finally to our car and it took forever in the long line of cars going out and they directed all cars one way which wasn't the way we needed to go. Thank goodness for GPS!
Only NASCAR race I have ever been to and I loved it. I have a terminal cancer and I wanted to do it before it was too late. SO glad I did and it was a wonderful experience (even for my non-redneck Canadian husband LOL)
Golf carts for handicaps to ride to the gate afterward. We got a flat tire LOL Waited a REALLY long time for them to pick us up initally bgut since the race was done. No instuctions on how to book or summit it either. We walked awhile and found the ambulance crew and they called someone for us. Driver with the flat called a replacement and we all joked about pit crews.
Finally to our car and it took forever in the long line of cars going out and they directed all cars one way which wasn't the way we needed to go. Thank goodness for GPS!
Only NASCAR race I have ever been to and I loved it. I have a terminal cancer and I wanted to do it before it was too late. SO glad I did and it was a wonderful experience (even for my non-redneck Canadian husband LOL)
كُتب بتاريخ 28 ديسمبر 2021
يعبر هذا التعليق عن الرأي الشخصي لأحد أعضاء Tripadvisor ولا يعبر عن رأي شركة Tripadvisor LLC. يجري Tripadvisor عمليات تحقق حول التعليقات.
SAVTrav78
سافانا, جورجيا82 مساهمة
الأصدقاء • أبريل 2021
What a track. Raced with Champcar. Facility was amazing. Food was good. Barrooms not too far from everything. Did I mention the track? One of the best in the country
كُتب بتاريخ 26 أكتوبر 2021
يعبر هذا التعليق عن الرأي الشخصي لأحد أعضاء Tripadvisor ولا يعبر عن رأي شركة Tripadvisor LLC. يجري Tripadvisor عمليات تحقق حول التعليقات.
bruflu
Mullica Hill, نيو جيرسي
Do you have to reserve a time, or just show up? Thanks
PastorD2
Archdale, North Carolina193 مساهمة
We just showed up! I did not find anything on the website about making reservations. It did suggest showing up at 11:30 for the noon laps and 4:30 for the 5:00 laps. The website also gives the dates when "Drive the Glen" is not available.
jld49nyc
New York, NY9 مساهمات
Is it recommended to buy tickets in advance? A long line if you buy them same day?
John S
Saint Clair, ميتشجان517 مساهمة
No. Check the website because they're not open every day. I asked the guy how many are typical and he said from 5 to 20, but they've run with only a couple and up to 30. Sounded like they don't have problems with too many people showing up.
sunworshipper222
باري, كندا115 مساهمة
Where is the best pace to camp inside the track?
Douglas H
لوس كابوس, المكسيك48 مساهمة
That question is a little too open ended. Are you going for a pro event? Are you participating in an amateur event? Most of the camp sites are clean and level. I don't think any of them have water or electric.
colletteb200
مساهمة
What's the best place to park a car for easy out to Route 86?
Ken l
Treasure Island, Florida, United States33 مساهمة
Be careful where you park. They have a lot of rent a cops for big races and I had one tell me it was OK to park where I was and car was towed and impounded when I came back! Make sure if you talk to law enforcement make sure they are local!
kluvs2travel
Stratford, كندا96 مساهمة
Hi Ken
We are going for the first time. Where do you suggest best place to watch the NASCAR race is?
Ken l
Treasure Island, Florida, United States33 مساهمة
HI, Sorry for the late response but I would say in the bleachers along the end of the start/finish line where turn 1 is. Hope you enjoyed the race!
trixietg
Chagrin Falls, Ohio183 مساهمة
Regarding the Drive the Glen experience, the one offered twice daily, how long does this usually take? Please be as precise as possible...thanks!
evane
Ithaca, NY28 مساهمة
The drive on the track is three laps, punctuated with a 10 min. stop for pics, near the grandstand, then one more lap, it all takes about 1 .5 hours from pulling up to leaving. pretty great experience. evan e . odessa steps guest house. odessa ny.
هل هذا إدراج منشأتك على Tripadvisor؟
هل تمتلك أو تدير هذه المنشأة؟ اطلب إدراجك مجانًا للرد على التعليقات وتحديث ملفك التعريفي والمزيد.
اطلب إدراجك