Letchworth State Park: Finger Lakes Trail at The Grand Canyon of the East

The Letchworth section of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) is a spur trail running along the entire eastern side of Letchworth State Park. Dubbed “The Grand Canyon of the East”, the park has a gorge cutting through it which rises close to 550’ deep in places and is end capped by Mt Morris Dam at the north end and the Portage Viaduct (or Portage Bridge) at the southern end. The Viaduct was recently replaced and offers one of those memorable pictures of the park.

The bulk of visitors tend to stay on the western side of the park so this trail is a great way to experience a bit more nature and solitude. One of the trails main attributes is its ever changing landscape due to the length. Younger trees on a flat surface give way to old growth and dense forests. Beautiful evergreens help scent a rolling terrain with a number of small water crossings. The trail passes the unique geologic feature called the Hogsback.