Warm and Colorful
I think today is a good day to go back to fall and share some bright, colorful, and warm photos of a sunny day in Letchworth State Park. While receiving the 6+ feet of snow was a fun Buffalo classic the rain that we've had over the last several days has not been! Most of the snow is gone but a good amount is still hanging on despite a week of warm temperatures and the rain. But it's not the bright white and happy snow, it's wet and dirty and only contributes to the overall miserable weather.
Gardeau Overlook in the Fall, Letchworth State Park
May these photos bring some sunshine to our dreary days!
We usually take southern backroads and enter Letchworth via the Castile entrance and then focus on the southern part of the park. Once in a while to stir the pot a little bit we take the 20A, circle around the park's northern tip and enter from the northeast. That allows us to enjoy the sights around route 20A and then drive through the full length of the park, pick some stops we normally do not get to enjoy, and hike some new trails. Indeed, we still have not hiked quite a few.
The first picture here is one such example as we rarely stop at the Gardeau Overlook and enjoy the plains where the Genesee River flows out of the Letchworth gorge. The cliffs are replaced with more vegetation here, which works well with the seasonal foliage. I was really glad to find a vantage point that was not too overgrown, and it was possible to spot the river. And even better, it was one of the many river bends.
Wolf Creek Trail in the FallWhile the main attractions in Letchworth State Park ...
Wolf Creek Trail in the Fall, Letchworth State Park
Further south the Wolf Creek area is very popular, and I was glad this was not a weekend. The creek flowing under a bridge, the surrounding forest, and the tall waterfall into Genesee River all make for quite a picturesque location. The trail that starts across the creek from the parking area is a gem too, though. I really like the stairs, the rock walls lining the trail, the forest, and the gorgeous views one gets rewarded with after a very short hike.
The rock walls are a beautiful add-on to a lot of the viewpoints and trails in Letchworth State Park and I hope people's stupidity does not force a change to thick tall steel railings or worse, some plastic monstrosities. Every time I see people on or behind the walls these thoughts go through my mind. Every time someone gets hurt in the park the chances of negative changes grow. I hope future generations will still get to enjoy thsi park in its current form with the rock walls adding beauty rather than taking away.
Back at Hog's Back in the Fall, Letchworth State Park
The day ended up on a two for one deal for the northern part of the park. We decided we also wanted to take 20A back home and thus had another chance to fill in the blanks. I like the Hog's Back area quite a bit and have photographed there many times in the past and if you go back through or search my blog or the Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes photo gallery you will find more photos to compare. Sometimes, the Genesee River can be a small creek that's hard to find and other times, the whole floodplain down in the valley will be flooded. I enjoyed how it looked on this day! But even here, finding an unobstructed view was unusually difficult. My usual spots were so overgrown with shrubs that I could not believe they were the same spots. In the end, standing on my tippy toes, I found this last view shared today.
Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you! (#etbtsy)
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Stone WallLetchworth State Park
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