Grand Canyon of the East

11-15 June 2026

Upper and Middle Falls

Letchworth State Park is not only known for its natural beauty but also for its rich history. The land was originally inhabited by the Seneca Nation, and remnants of their culture can still be found throughout the park. In the 19th century,

Irises at the Glen Iris Inn

the park became a popular site for wealthy industrialists, and many historic buildings were constructed, including the famous Glen Iris Inn, which still operates today.

Named after William Pryor Letchworth (1823-1910), a humanitarian and conservationist, he donated Glen Iris and 1000 acres of this park including the falls "so that this gorge might remain a place of inspiration and beauty forever". Often referred to as the "Grand Canyon of the East," the park spans over 14,000 acres.

One of the park's most striking features is the Genesee River, which flows through the gorge, creating three major waterfalls: Upper Falls, Middle Falls, and Lower Falls. Cliffs rise up to 600 feet above the river, providing panoramic views from the various overlooks.

Upper Falls

Middle Falls

The upper and middle falls were an easy short walk to view them. The lower falls was a longer hike with lots of stairs and my knee said "don't even think about it". "Kneedless" to say (see what I did there?) I didn't get to see them. Sorry about that.

My campsite. It was pretty quiet and I had plenty of room for my hammock,

We both love our hammock time

Wolf Creek

Another short walk was to Wolf Creek. This flows into the Genesee River downstream. It also has several falls, but again, my knee said no. I love the stone bridge in the background.

Have you ever heard of a dry dam? I sure hadn't until I visited Mt Morris Dam

In response to the severe flooding that occurred almost every seven years in the Genesee Valley since the 1800s, Congress authorized the Mount Morris Dam project under the Flood Control Act of 1944. Completed in 1952 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the dam took four years to construct at a cost of $25 million dollars. The Mt. Morris Dam is known as a dry dam since its nine floodgates are only closed to hold back water when necessary, about 20% of the time. Once the danger has passed the water is released at a rate to prevent flooding downstream.

Spanning 1,028 feet between the canyon walls, the Mt. Morris Dam provides flood protection to the farm, residential, industrial, and commercial areas of the lower Genesee River Valley to Lake Ontario, including the city of Rochester. It is estimated that the dam has prevented over a billion dollars of downstream damage in its years of operation.

As I was packing up to leave, I noticed this thing on my trailer door. I had no idea what it was so I googled it and was horrified😱. It's horsefly eggs! Gross! I immediately scraped it off and squished it.

Well, I hate to leave you with a creepy picture but that's it for this stop. See you in Vermont!