Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve — Attraction in Norvell Township

We really enjoyed our short visit for our first time at Watkins Glen State Park. The scenery is very pretty with the road splitting two lakes so you can see wild fowl on both sides of the main road. Before we had even gotten to the parking lot we had already spotted 3 Blue Herons crossing the road, many ducks and terns, and Canada Geese all over the place. There was two swans in the smaller pond too. The park is so new that it really hasn't been improved or developed yet which makes it even prettier for the wildlife and enjoying nature

There were hundreds of frogs croaking loudly in a small pond just across from the parking spot. That pond is so close to the parking area that the frogs heard the car door close and stopped singing.

We didn't get to walk the grassland "rail to trail" path because of freezing rain and gloomy skies. But we will come back and explore more.

There are several months between Feb. and May, and again in the fall, where the lakes and wetlands are closed to activity so that the waterfowl and other birds aren't disturbed by too much noise or too...

Watkins is an absolutely breathtaking place to enjoy nature. I go here weekly. If I could thank Watkins personally I would. It's been a literal life saver for me personally. I call it my free therapy and best friend 💯. There are A LOT of tic's if you go off the main trails be warned. You will 100% have tics on you. I find a few crawling on my every single time I'm there. Use spray and tuck your pants into your socks. My friends dog got lyme disease from the tics there. Luckily he was treated within a month of finding the tics on him. So now when we take our dog friend's we stay in the designated...

I give it 4 1/2 stars. Super beautiful restored prairie. Its spectacular. Once you get off the bulldozed trail, the side excursions are fantastic. Beautiful marsh areas and a lake. Lots of birds. I try to walk it once a week.

Sadly the long monotonous rail path is covered with ashpalt tailings which make for an annoying, walking surface. It does not foster healthy walking gait.The person who specified asphalt tailings should have to walk the entire length of the path 6 times.

I don't ride an E-bike but why not allow E-bikes so local kids can get to school...