Letchworth State Park

Considered the "Grand Canyon of the East," the gorge formed by Genesee River has rock walls that tower at 550 feet in some places. There are three large waterfalls within the park, and as many as fifty more waterfalls on the tributaries that flow into it. The three major waterfalls are referred to as Upper, Middle and Lower Falls - the Seneca believed that the Middle Falls were so wondrous that it made the sun stop at midday.

• The exposed bedrock in the gorge is made of Devonian shales, limestone and sandstone. Many marine fossils can be found here, as the rock was laid down in an ancient inland sea.

• Large stands of hemlocks are found throughout Letchworth State Park. Hemlocks are conifers that are usually found on north and east facing slopes and in gorges where there is higher humidity and it stays relatively cool. They prefer moist soil, but are adaptable to a variety of soils. A number of wildlife species benefit from hemlock stands. They are important cover species for ruffed grouse, turkey and rabbit, and provide suitable forage and cover for deer, particularly in the winter. Birds of prey, such as Barred Owls and Red-shouldered and Cooper's Hawks have been regularly seen in several hemlock stands here at Letchworth.

• Riparian wetlands, formed by the Genesee River carving its way through the gorge, serves a great purpose in ecological biodiversity. These wetlands provide habitat for multiple species of amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and juvenile fish. They are also interfaces between the land and the river and act as natural biofilters, protecting water quality from excessive sedimentation and pollutant runoff. They can best be viewed from partaking in a raft trip down the river from the sanctioned river access points at Lee's Landing and St. Helena.

• Many vernal pools can be found at Letchworth; these are temporary pools of water, absent of fish, but teeming with life when not dry. They are a distinct type of wetland that provide habitat for species of frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and insects, where they may be unable to withstand competition or predation elsewhere.

• The Genesee River flows north about 140 miles before it reaches Lake Ontario near Rochester, New York. The water quality in the Genesee River Watershed is generally satisfactory, but urban and industrial water sources in the north and agricultural water sources elsewhere in the watershed can cause concerns. The major water quality concerns for the watershed are urban stormwater and industrial runoff in the Rochester area, protection of municipal water supply in the Hemlock Lake watershed, and agricultural and other nonpoint sources of nutrients and various other pollutants.

What will you see? Plan your visit today!