Winter under Letchworth Upper Falls Trestle BridgeBridge to be Replaced in 2015 Photography is not only a way for me to see and share the beauty around us it is also an opportunity to learn more about the things I point my camera at.

This was my first ever winter visit to the beautiful Letchworth State Park. Yes, the first time ever in winter despite living an hour away. I had the park's waterfalls on my winter shooting list for a few seasons but finally made it happen! Having visited other Western New York waterfalls in winter I had high expectations for this outing, and I was not disappointed. Just the opposite. Mother Nature truly worked its magic and turned the whole Genesee River gorge into a winter wonderland with each of the major waterfalls turned into icy formations of remarkable textures.

Ice VolcanoFrozen Glen Iris Inn Fountain

The whole Lower Falls area and the road to it was closed, and hiking from the parking lot of the (also closed) visitor center only led to closed trail heads to the falls. It surprised me the visitor center operating hours were weekdays, not the weekend. 

The Middle Falls lot by the Glen Iris Inn was packed thanks to the spectacle of the frozen fountain and the many people drawn there by media's coverage. Middle Falls looked wonderful and there were huge amounts of ice build up all around the waterfall as well as on the opposite wall.

However, it was the Upper Falls that were the icing on the cake. It was just beautiful and I must admit that none of my photographs do the in person experience justice. After making the short hike from the Middle Falls parking lot I spent a lot of time absorbing the view, taking to a few other equally impressed visitors, and trying to come up with a way to transfer the scene into a photograph. What a view!

Train on Portageville BridgeLetchworth in the Fall

Only later on the computer, as I was searching the Internet for some new facts about the Upper Falls and the iconic bridge across the gorge, did I learn the days of this now 140 years old bridge were counted. After years in the works, the bridge is to come down and a new one to be build this year (2015)!

The Portageville Bridge is operated by Norfolk Southern Corporation (Norfolk Southern Railway Southern Tier Line). The original timber bridge across the Genesee River was built by the Erie Railroad and opened in 1852. It was about 800 feet long and stood 234 feet above the river below. It was in operation for 23 years until it burned down in May 1875, fire being set by embers from a passing train. In July of the same year, the iron made replacement was completed. Yes, just two months and some days after the fire! In 1903, the iron bridge underwent a superstructure rehabilitation. With regular maintenance it remained the same till today.

Portageville Railroad BridgeView from Below Portageville Bridge Project: “The purpose of the Project is to address the existing deficiencies at the Portageville Bridge on the Southern Tier rail freight route across the Genesee River by providing a modern rail crossing of the Genesee River at its current location that is capable of carrying current industry standard freight rail loads, to the greatest degree possible meeting Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Class 4 speeds, while …

I guess there will be a whole new reason to come and visit the Upper Falls soon - the new bridge in all seasons and hopefully with trains running across.

Have fun exploring!

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References: Portageville Bridge Project, The Design of the New Portageville Bridge, NS - Portage Bridge

More Letchworth State Park photos:

Big Bend in FallPhotography for your home or office walls. Fine art photo prints, gallery canvas wraps, standouts, or other photo products for you or to gift. See selection on the right. Prints can be matted and framed ready to hang.

Letchworth State Park is about 35 miles south of Rochester, NY and 60 miles from Buffalo, NY. It is along the Genesee River and follows it for about 17 miles. The park is most known for its three major waterfalls - Lower Falls, Middle Falls, and Upper Falls. It is also well known for its fall / autumn color show. There are many additional waterfalls on the Genesee River tributaries too that are well worth exploring, especially for those who have visited the major and most obvious points of interest.

© Daniel Novak Photo - Buffalo Location Photography - Landscapes, Architecture, Cityscapes Letchworth ShelterPhotography for your home or office walls. Fine art photo prints, gallery canvas wraps, standouts, or other photo products for you or to gift. See selection on the right. Prints can be matted and framed ready to hang.

Colorful fall foliage surrounding one of the shelters by the Middle Falls at Letchworth State Park, a traditional fall destination for leaf peeping. And this year was no different. While maybe a bit earlier than usual, the colorful natural color show is on!

Letchworth State Park is about 35 miles south of Rochester, NY and 60 miles from Buffalo, NY. It is along the Genesee River and follows it for about 17 miles. The park is most known for its three major waterfalls - Lower Falls, Middle Falls, and Upper Falls.

There are many additional waterfalls on the Genesee River tributaries too that are well worth exploring, especially for those who have visited the major and most obvious points of interest.

© Daniel Novak Photo - Buffalo Location Photography - Landscapes, Architecture, Cityscapes

Fog over Genesee River at Dawn, Letchworth State ParkPhotography for your home or office walls. Fine art photo prints, gallery canvas wraps, standouts, or other photo products for you or to gift. See selection on the right. Prints can be matted and framed ready to hang.

The Genesee River gorge at the Letchworth State Park always looks great, no matter what time of the year, time of the day, or weather. Autumn definitely offers the most colorful look, especially early or late in the day in the warm light. Here, the colorless valley fog of an early morning provided an outstanding contrast to the colorful foliage. It was a wonderful feeling to watch the fog hover very low, just above the river, moving through the gorge with conditions changing second by second as the fog grew denser and thinner repeatedly making each tiny moment so unique!

Letchworth State Park is about 35 miles south of Rochester, NY and 60 miles from Buffalo, NY. It is along the Genesee River and follows it for about 17 miles. The park is most known for its three major waterfalls - Lower Falls, Middle Falls, and Upper Falls. However, there are many additional waterfalls on the Genesee River tributaries that are well worth exploring, especially for those who have visited the major and most obvious points of interest.

© Daniel Novak Photo - Buffalo Location Photography - Landscapes, Architecture, Cityscapes Foggy Fall Morning at Big Bend of LetchworthPhotography for your home or office walls. Fine art photo prints, gallery canvas wraps, standouts, or other photo products for you or to gift. See selection on the right. Prints can be matted and framed ready to hang.

A foggy fall morning at the Big Bend on the Genesee River in the Letchworth State Park. The early foliage season already provides a colorful feast for one's eyes yet keeps enough greens to contrast the yellows, oranges, and reds. Later in the season, as greens disappear, there is definitely more color but trees no longer stand out that distinctively.

Here, Mother Nature also provided another contrasting element - the valley fog, another fall phenomena that stands out from the colors with its off-white tones. On this particular cloudy morning there was no sun and the fog remained over the river for on unusually long time.

Letchworth State Park is about 35 miles south of Rochester, NY and 60 miles from Buffalo, NY. It is along the Genesee River and follows it for about 17 miles. The park is most known for its three major waterfalls - Lower Falls, Middle Falls, and Upper Falls.

There are many additional waterfalls on the Genesee River tributaries too that are well worth exploring, especially for those who have visited the major and most obvious points of interest.

The park is well known for its fall color show.

© Daniel Novak Photo - Buffalo Location Photography - Landscapes, Architecture, Cityscapes Foggy Daybreak over Genesee River, Letchworth State ParkPhotography for your home or office walls. Fine art photo prints, gallery canvas wraps, standouts, or other photo products for you or to gift. See selection on the right. Prints can be matted and framed ready to hang.

A foggy fall morning at the Big Bend on the Genesee River in the Letchworth State Park, looking up the river here, or southeast.

The early foliage season already provides a colorful feast for one's eyes yet keeps enough greens to contrast the yellows, oranges, and reds. Later in the season, as greens disappear, there is more color but trees no longer stand out that distinctively.

Here, Mother Nature also provided another contrasting element - the valley fog, another fall phenomena that stands out from the colors with its off-white tones. On this particular cloudy morning there was no sun and the fog remained over the river for on unusually long time.

Letchworth State Park is about 35 miles south of Rochester, NY and 60 miles from Buffalo, NY. It is along the Genesee River and follows it for about 17 miles. The park is most known for its three major waterfalls - Lower Falls, Middle Falls, and Upper Falls.

There are many additional waterfalls on the Genesee River tributaries too that are well worth exploring, especially for those who have visited the major and most obvious points of interest.

© Daniel Novak Photo - Buffalo Location Photography - Landscapes, Architecture, Cityscapes Summer Sunrise over Great Bend of LetchworthPhotography for your home or office walls. Fine art photo prints, gallery canvas wraps, standouts, or other photo products for you or to gift. See selection on the right. Prints can be matted and framed ready to hang.

While the end of May still falls into spring, all of the foliage has already grown and turned green from the yellows of early spring. As such, I consider this a summer scene.

The 2013 Memorial Day weekend was on the cool side in Western New York. The morning temperatures around sunrise were just above freezing. The sky was clear, not a cloud, and the just about full moon was up. The cold air in combination with the warmer water in Genesee river produced a nice foggy mist over the river in the distance nicely highlighting the difference between the warm colors of the sky and the cold tones of the gorge below.

And then the sun peeked out! It was a wonderful sight as the first rays lit the mist from behind and illuminated portions of the gorge. Well worth the 4 AM wake up call!

Letchworth State Park is about 35 miles south of Rochester, NY and 60 miles from Buffalo, NY. It is along the Genesee River and follows it for about 17 miles. The park is most known for its three major waterfalls - Lower Falls, Middle Falls, and Upper Falls. However, there are many additional waterfalls on the Genesee River tributaries that are well worth exploring, especially for those who have visited the major and most obvious points of interest.

Genesee River flows from Gold, PA into the Port of Rochester, NY on Lake Ontario. It's one of a few rivers in the United States that flows from south to north. There is an interesting debate over the true headwaters but it seems the consensus is that it is on the Hosley Farm now owned by Slaybaughs. The runner up seems to be John Torok's spring.

© Daniel Novak Photo - Buffalo Location Photography - Landscapes, Architecture, Cityscapes The Letchworth Gorge, Tea Table ViewPhotography for your home or office walls. Fine art photo prints, gallery canvas wraps, standouts, or other photo products for you or to gift. See selection on the right. Prints can be matted and framed ready to hang.

Letchworth State Park is a very popular destination in Western New York and its popularity definitely peaks in the fall when leaf peepers come to admire the wonderful natural color show along the high cliffs surrounding the Genesee River. There are many popular viewpoints right along the park road requiring no hiking. There are others that one needs to put a little bit of an effort into.

This view here is from one of the easy points, the romantic Tea Table viewpoint. It provides a wonderful view of both sides of the gorge and the Gensee River valley down below. It's a marvellous sight all year round but fall is definitely the signature season here!

Letchworth State Park is about 35 miles south of Rochester, NY and 60 miles from Buffalo, NY. It is along the Genesee River and follows it for about 17 miles. The park is most known for its three major waterfalls - Lower Falls, Middle Falls, and Upper Falls. However, there are many additional waterfalls on the Genesee River tributaries that are well worth exploring, especially for those who have visited the major and most obvious points of interest.

More Letchworth State Park photographs.

Genesee River flows from Gold, PA into the Port of Rochester, NY on Lake Ontario. It's one of a few rivers in the United States that flows from south to north. There is an interesting debate over the true headwaters but it seems the consensus is that it is on the Hosley Farm now owned by Slaybaughs. The runner up seems to be John Torok's spring.

© Daniel Novak Photo - Buffalo Location Photography - Landscapes, Architecture, Cityscapes Genesee River Bed in the FallPhotography for your home or office walls. Fine art photo prints, gallery canvas wraps, standouts, or other photo products for you or to gift. See selection on the right. Prints can be matted and framed ready to hang.

Letchworth State Park is a very popular destination in Western New York and its popularity definitely peaks in the fall when leaf peepers come to admire the wonderful natural color show along the high cliffs surrounding the Genesee River. There are many popular viewpoints right along the park road requiring no hiking. There are others that one needs to put a little bit of an effort into.

In this photo you can see one of the less usual view of Letchworth State Park and the Genesee River. It's not from the top of the high cliffs but rather from the river bed. The low water levels in autumn allow for most of the river bed to overgrow with vegetation and the river is squeezed out into a very narrow section. I really liked the intense yellows here showing off under the cloudy sky of the day.

Letchworth State Park is about 35 miles south of Rochester, NY and 60 miles from Buffalo, NY. It is along the Genesee River and follows it for about 17 miles. The park is most known for its three major waterfalls - Lower Falls, Middle Falls, and Upper Falls. However, there are many additional waterfalls on the Genesee River tributaries that are well worth exploring, especially for those who have visited the major and most obvious points of interest.

More Letchworth State Park photographs.

Genesee River flows from Gold, PA into the Port of Rochester, NY on Lake Ontario. It's one of a few rivers in the United States that flows from south to north. There is an interesting debate over the true headwaters but it seems the consensus is that it is on the Hosley Farm now owned by Slaybaughs. The runner up seems to be John Torok's spring.

© Daniel Novak Photo - Buffalo Location Photography - Landscapes, Architecture, Cityscapes A Momentary Sunrise at Hog's BackPhotography for your home or office walls. Fine art photo prints, gallery canvas wraps, standouts, or other photo products for you or to gift. See selection on the right. Prints can be matted and framed ready to hang.

The morning at the Hog's Back of Letchworth was cloudy with the horizon covered solid. It was a perfect set up for a complete unpredictability. Cloudy skies like this may not let any light through, or a brief opening makes it that much more magical! This morning I was rewarded on several fronts. The colors looked beautiful and saturated before sunrise, and the sun did find a very small hole in the clouds for a few brief seconds. The moment did not last more than 10 seconds. I managed to take one photo, enjoy the moment for a little bit more, and it was gone!

Letchworth State Park is a very popular destination in Western New York and its popularity definitely peaks in the fall when leaf peepers come to admire the wonderful natural color show along the high cliffs surrounding the Genesee River. There are many popular viewpoints right along the park road requiring no hiking. There are others that one needs to put a little bit of an effort into.

Letchworth is about 35 miles south of Rochester, NY and 60 miles from Buffalo, NY. It is along the Genesee River and follows it for about 17 miles. The park is most known for its three major waterfalls - Lower Falls, Middle Falls, and Upper Falls. However, there are many additional waterfalls on the Genesee River tributaries that are well worth exploring, especially for those who have visited the major and most obvious points of interest.

More Letchworth State Park photographs.

Genesee River flows from Gold, PA into the Port of Rochester, NY on Lake Ontario. It's one of a few rivers in the United States that flows from south to north. There is an interesting debate over the true headwaters but it seems the consensus is that it is on the Hosley Farm now owned by Slaybaughs. The runner up seems to be John Torok's spring.

© Daniel Novak Photo - Buffalo Location Photography - Landscapes, Architecture, Cityscapes Cloudy Daybreak at Hog's BackPhotography for your home or office walls. Fine art photo prints, gallery canvas wraps, standouts, or other photo products for you or to gift. See selection on the right. Prints can be matted and framed ready to hang.

This photo shows the autumn signature colors at the Hog's Back of Letchworth. The dense clouds covered up the sunrise to be but diffused the light nicely thus intensifying the colors. I loved the intense yellow of the Genesee River flood area surrounding the Hog's Back. The ominous dark blue clouds made the yellows stand out even more. And then there is the river that made this gorge happen!

Letchworth State Park is a very popular destination in Western New York and its popularity definitely peaks in the fall when leaf peepers come to admire the wonderful natural color show along the high cliffs surrounding the Genesee River. There are many popular viewpoints right along the park road requiring no hiking. There are others that one needs to put a little bit of an effort into.

Letchworth is about 35 miles south of Rochester, NY and 60 miles from Buffalo, NY. It is along the Genesee River and follows it for about 17 miles. The park is most known for its three major waterfalls - Lower Falls, Middle Falls, and Upper Falls. However, there are many additional waterfalls on the Genesee River tributaries that are well worth exploring, especially for those who have visited the major and most obvious points of interest.

More Letchworth State Park photographs.

Genesee River flows from Gold, PA into the Port of Rochester, NY on Lake Ontario. It's one of a few rivers in the United States that flows from south to north. There is an interesting debate over the true headwaters but it seems the consensus is that it is on the Hosley Farm now owned by Slaybaughs. The runner up seems to be John Torok's spring.

© Daniel Novak Photo - Buffalo Location Photography - Landscapes, Architecture, Cityscapes Fogy Magic over Letchworth GorgePhotography for your home or office walls. Fine art photo prints, gallery canvas wraps, standouts, or other photo products for you or to gift. See selection on the right. Prints can be matted and framed ready to hang.

A beautiful early fall morning on the Genesee River as it flows through the Letchworth State Park gorge and curves around the Great Bend. Wonderful warm colors in the sky just minutes before sunrise. And spectacular blanket of fog rolling through the valley low over the river. Only nature can pull something like that off. What a morning! What a morning for photography, what a morning to just be there in awe!

Letchworth State Park is about 35 miles south of Rochester, NY and 60 miles from Buffalo, NY. It is along the Genesee River and follows it for about 17 miles. The park is most known for its three major waterfalls - Lower Falls, Middle Falls, and Upper Falls. However, there are many additional waterfalls on the Genesee River tributaries that are well worth exploring, especially for those who have visited the major and most obvious points of interest.

Genesee River flows from Gold, PA into the Port of Rochester, NY on Lake Ontario. It's one of a few rivers in the United States that flows from south to north. There is an interesting debate over the true headwaters but it seems the consensus is that it is on the Hosley Farm now owned by Slaybaughs. The runner up seems to be John Torok's spring.

© Daniel Novak Photo - Buffalo Location Photography - Landscapes, Architecture, Cityscapes Lower Waterline FallsPhotography for your home or office walls. Fine art photo prints, gallery canvas wraps, standouts, or other photo products for you or to gift. See selection on the right. Prints can be matted and framed ready to hang.

Lower Waterline Falls in Letchworth State Park. This small waterfall is located in the northern part of the park north of the Perry Entrance and south of the Hogs Back. it is on a small creek and this waterfall is where it flows into the Silver Lake Outlet just by the trail head for Trail #19. Silver Lake Outlet eventually flows into the Genesee River that formed the main gorge of the park.

Letchworth State Park is a very popular destination in Western New York and its popularity definitely peaks in the fall when leaf peepers come to admire the wonderful natural color show along the high cliffs surrounding the Genesee River. There are many popular viewpoints right along the park road requiring no hiking. There are others that one needs to put a little bit of an effort into.

Letchworth is about 35 miles south of Rochester, NY and 60 miles from Buffalo, NY. It is along the Genesee River and follows it for about 17 miles. The park is most known for its three major waterfalls - Lower Falls, Middle Falls, and Upper Falls. However, there are many additional waterfalls on the Genesee River tributaries that are well worth exploring, especially for those who have visited the major and most obvious points of interest.

More Letchworth State Park photographs.

Genesee River flows from Gold, PA into the Port of Rochester, NY on Lake Ontario. It's one of a few rivers in the United States that flows from south to north. There is an interesting debate over the true headwaters but it seems the consensus is that it is on the Hosley Farm now owned by Slaybaughs. The runner up seems to be John Torok's spring.

© Daniel Novak Photo - Landscapes, Architecture, Cityscapes Genesee River Great Bend of Letchworth at SunrisePhotography for your home or office walls. Fine art photo prints, gallery canvas wraps, standouts, or other photo products for you or to gift. See selection on the right. Prints can be matted and framed ready to hang.

There are places that would be worth visiting daily and this spot by the Great Bend on the Genesee River in Letchworth State Park is certainly one of them! Since daily is not realistic living about an hour away, I try to visit and photograph it at least annually and it is worth it every single time, whether weather cooperates or not.

This was a beautiful early summer morning, with a little bit of beautiful signature fog floating over the Genesee River as the sun peeked over the distant horizon to the east. A gentle breeze, birds chirping, and the rays of light slowly flooding the valley with more and more light and burning the fog off quickly. Breathtaking!

Letchworth State Park is about 35 miles south of Rochester, NY and 60 miles from Buffalo, NY. It is along the Genesee River and follows it for about 17 miles. The park is most known for its three major waterfalls - Lower Falls, Middle Falls, and Upper Falls. However, there are many additional waterfalls on the Genesee River tributaries that are well worth exploring, especially for those who have visited the major and most obvious points of interest.

Genesee River flows from Gold, PA into the Port of Rochester, NY on Lake Ontario. It's one of a few rivers in the United States that flows from south to north. There is an interesting debate over the true headwaters but it seems the consensus is that it is on the Hosley Farm now owned by Slaybaughs. The runner up seems to be John Torok's spring.

© Daniel Novak Photo - Buffalo Location Photography - Landscapes, Architecture, Cityscapes