New Year’s Day Hike: Watkins Glen in Winter Long and Short Routes #112

Thursday 01/01/2026 10:00 am

Hike rating:

Distance 4 or 7 miles; Terrain – Strenuous; Pace – Relaxed/Moderate (Short Option) or Moderate (Long Option); Overall rating – Moderate (Short Option) or Strenuous (Long Option)

Event/Trailhead location:

This trailhead is for hikes that begin in the Watkins Glen State Park near where the Watkins Glen State Park Outdoor pool is located. Drive to the south entrance of the park (click for map) and then proceed approximately 500 yards to the “upper parking lot.” The trailhead is on the far side, the north side, of the parking lot.

Hike Leader:
Gary Mallow

Contact:

Hike leader contact information will be sent in the email acknowledging that you have registered for this hike.

Hike Details:

There are two hikes scheduled for New Year’s Day: a long hike and a short hike. Both will be on the Finger Lakes Trail in Watkins Glen State Park. Choose one of these hikes:

LONG OPTION: The long hike can be challenging due to the uphill grade for the first part of the hike. We will go up the FLT to the park boundary and return downhill to the cars. Distance is about 7 miles out and back and pace is moderate.

SHORT OPTION: The short hike starts at a park service road, then along the FLT, and then downhill to the parking lot at the South Entrance of the park. Distance is 3.5 miles. Pace is slow to moderate.

Addition information about this hike:

What better way to to celebrate the new year than a brisk winter hike at Watkins Glen? Because the park trails are closed in winter, few ever see the gorge this time of year, but the FLT remains open all year, and it runs right along the south rim of the gorge. For much of the way, Glen Creek runs below the trail. Over millennia, the creek has carved out a dramatically steep gorge with many waterfalls and cataracts. Hucksters once marketed Watkins Glen as the 8th Wonder of the World. Hyperbole, perhaps, but the Glen is certainly worth the trip.

Brave the weather and you’ll be treated to some wintertime visual delights. Dramatic sandstone and shale formations visible in the creek resulted from the deposits of an eon ago, and then subsequent erosion. We are likely to be treated to natural ice sculptures on the walls of the gorge resulting from freeze and thaw cycles. A large train trestle spans the gorge and a couple of dams that were constructed to protect the village from spring flooding are evidence of human influence.

This hike has steep uphill/downhill pitches. It might include slippery footing.

Driving time is 45 minutes to the park, and another 45 minutes back to Ithaca.

Conditions on the trail are likely to include snow, ice, and slippery footing. If we get heavy snow prior to the hike, consider snowshoes. However, in years past, waterproof, insulated boots and microspikes were the appropriate footgear. Bring water and lunch, and dress in layers for cold weather.

Questions? Email the hike leader at the address above.

Registration is open!

Register

First Name

Last Name

Phone Number

Emergency Contact

Are you a Member?

Cayuga Trails Club Finger Lakes Trail Conference

Registration Confirmation: You will receive an email if your registration was successful. (Check your spam folder if you don’t find it.)

EMAIL THE LEADER IF YOU WILL NOT BE ATTENDING! Please be courteous to your volunteer hike leader and fellow hikers by notifying the leader if you will not be able to join this hike.

PLEASE NOTE:

Wear weather-appropriate layered clothing, waterproof footwear, and bring rainwear “just in case.” For winter hikes expect temperatures to be colder than in downtown. Always carry water, a snack/lunch, and personal first-aid supplies. Hiking poles are recommended.
Wearing permethrin-treated clothes and/or using insect repellents, as well as checking for ticks afterward is advised. Consider using insect-repellent mid-spring through mid-fall.
When conditions might be icy or snowy, bring traction footwear devices (Microspikes, Nanospikes, etc.) to the trailhead. If conditions require snowshoes, the hike leader will let participants know beforehand.
Always check the website for last minute announcements and possible cancellations. Contact the hike leader if you have any questions.

ALL HIKERS/TRAIL-WORKERS PARTICIPATE AT THEIR OWN RISK
Those persons enjoying the Finger Lakes Trail and/or activities sponsored by the Cayuga Trails Club, or the Finger Lakes Trail Conference, accept full personal responsibility for their own well-being, and for the well-being of a minor when acting in the capacity of parent or guardian. Further, participants understand that hiking, snowshoeing, and trail work are rigorous activities, often conducted in rugged outdoor conditions subject to variations in weather and terrain, and which may involve the risk of injury or death. Each participant is fully responsible for their own safety and for selecting activities that are consistent with their physical capabilities.

BY CHECKING THE “ACCEPT RISK” BOX BELOW, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I HAVE READ THE ABOVE INFORMATION AND UNDERSTAND THAT I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR MY OWN SAFETY AND AM PARTICIPATING IN THIS ACTIVITY AT MY OWN RISK

Accept Risk

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