Watkins Glen State Park
About
Watkins Glen State Park is a New York state park about 1.5 miles from the town of Watkins Glen. The land is managed by the state's park and recreation agency, and the park makes a convenient base for hiking in the surrounding area. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. At a nearby weather station, typical July averages run to a high of about 79°F and a low around 56°F, while September cools to typical highs near 71°F. Winters are cold, with January highs averaging about 30°F. Two trails sit close by. The Gorge Trail is about 0.7 miles away and the Indian Trail about 0.9 miles away. A little farther out are the Catharine Valley Trail, roughly 1.9 miles off, and the Finger Lakes - Hector District, about 8.4 miles away, for lake fishing.
Park size
798 acres
Inside this park
Campgrounds
Location
Watkins Glen State Park
New York
Data source: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (Protected Areas Database, public domain)
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: May–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 66–79°F and lows of 43–56°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Mecklenburg 4sw, NY weather station, 8.5 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan30° high14° low
- Feb32° high15° low
- Mar39° high21° low
- Apr53° high32° low
- May66° high43° low
- Jun74° high52° low
- Jul79° high56° low
- Aug77° high55° low
- Sep71° high48° low
- Oct58° high39° low
- Nov46° high30° low
- Dec35° high21° low
Where it is
- Watkins Glen State Park · State park
- Nearest town
- Watkins Glen, New York · 1.5 mi
- Managed by
- State Park and Recreation
Nearby
Gorge TrailHikingPhoto: Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.7 mi
Indian TrailHikingPhoto: Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.9 mi- Catharine Valley TrailHiking1.9 mi
Montour Falls Historic Loop TrailHikingPhoto: Russ Nelson, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)2.9 mi- Finger Lakes Trail ShelterCamping6.5 mi
- Finger Lakes - Hector DistrictLake fishing8.4 mi
- Backbone Horse CampCamping9.2 mi
- Blueberry PatchCamping9.3 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Best time to visit Watkins Glen State Park
Best months: August–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
30° / 14°
17 wet
Feb
32° / 15°
14 wet
Mar
39° / 21°
15 wet
Apr
53° / 32°
14 wet
May
66° / 43°
14 wet
Jun
74° / 52°
13 wet
Jul
79° / 56°
13 wet
Aug
77° / 55°
12 wet
Sep
71° / 48°
12 wet
Oct
58° / 39°
15 wet
Nov
46° / 30°
14 wet
Dec
35° / 21°
17 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mecklenburg 4sw, NY, 8.5 mi away at 1,510 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
