Watkins Glen State Park
Watkins Glen State Park is in the village of Watkins Glen, south of Seneca Lake in Schuyler County in New York's Finger Lakes region. Visitors find it in Dix. Its story as a place to visit starts in 1906.
A state park inside Dix
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 16°. When to go ↓
You can stay in Dix
Watkins Glen State Park is inside Dix, which has 28 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Established in 1906
Watkins Glen State Park dates from 1906. About ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep
May, June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 69–81°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
How the seasons run
Here is how the weather at Watkins Glen changes month by month.
Watkins Glen State Park
Watkins Glen State Park is in the village of Watkins Glen, south of Seneca Lake in Schuyler County in New York's Finger Lakes region. The park's lower part is near the village, while the upper part is open woodland. It was first opened to the public in 1863 and has been a public park since 1906.
The centerpiece of the 778-acre (3.15 km2) park is a 400-foot-deep (120 m) narrow gorge cut through rock by Glen Creek, a stream that was left hanging when glaciers of the Ice age deepened the Seneca valley, increasing the tributary stream gradient to create rapids and waterfalls wherever there were layers of hard rock. In addition to the gorge itself, the park is widely known for the manmade stone walls and arched bridges spanning the length of the glen.
- Type
- State park
- Established
- 1906
- Area
- 778 acres
- Wikipedia readers
- 23K a year
Towns to stay in near Watkins Glen State Park
Nearest for a night are Dix (28) and Watkins Glen (21).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Watkins Glen | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dix | in town | — | 28 3 hotels · 5 motels · 10 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 6 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 3,485 | $165K |
| Watkins Glen | in town | — | 21 3 hotels · 5 motels · 10 inns & B&Bs · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 1,716 | $205K |
| Reading | 5 mi northwest | 5 min | 13 1 hotel · 4 motels · 5 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground | 1,643 | $160K |
| Hector | 7 mi northeast | 10 min | 14 1 hotel · 5 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 6 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 4,733 | $219K |
| Montour Falls | 2 mi southeast | 5 min | 9 2 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 3 campgrounds | 1,498 | $124K |
| Montour | 4 mi southeast | 5 min | 8 2 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds | 2,170 | $159K |
| Starkey 21% vacation homes | 11 mi north | 15 min | 11 3 hotels · 7 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 3,334 | $146K |
| Catharine | 8 mi east | 10 min | 5 1 inn or B&B · 3 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 1,526 | $145K |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Other places close by
You can reach each of these within 60 miles.
119 mi LakeSeneca Lake
223 mi LakeCayuga Lake
59 mi Stadium & arenaJMA Wireless Dome
318 mi MuseumCorning Museum of Glass400K visitors a year
418 mi State parkTaughannock Falls State Park
59 mi State parkLetchworth State Park
46 mi MountainCumorah
521 mi Stadium & arenaSchoellkopf FieldPhoto credits
Seneca Lake: RochesterNY, Public domain · Cayuga Lake: The original uploader was Cornellrockey at English Wikipedia. Later versions we, CC BY-SA 2.5 · JMA Wireless Dome: Jimhoward03, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Corning Museum of Glass: User:Stilfehler, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Taughannock Falls State Park: Michael C. Rygel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Letchworth State Park: Suandsoe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cumorah: Hillcumorahpageantstage.jpg: la salebete derivative work: Eustress (talk), CC BY-SA 2.0 · Schoellkopf Field: Alex Sergeev, (www.asergeev.com) Originally uploaded by en:User:Cornell010, CC BY-SA 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Asked about Watkins Glen
Is Watkins Glen State Park in Dix?
Yes. It’s inside Dix, NY.
When is the best time to visit Watkins Glen State Park?
May, June, July, August and September, with highs of 69–81°.
What is the closest airport to Watkins Glen State Park?
Elmira Corning Regional (ELM), about 15 miles away. The nearest big hub is Syracuse Hancock (SYR), about 64 miles.
Where should I stay near Watkins Glen State Park?
Dix (in town, 28 places to stay), Watkins Glen (in town, 21 places to stay) and Reading (5 mi, 13 places to stay).
Local tips in Dix
Ask a question, or answer one, in Dix’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.