A 2-Hour Waterfall Wonderland (No Shuttle Needed!)​​ 🌊⛰️

Escaped NYC chaos for ​​Watkins Glen’s gorge trail​​—19 waterfalls, mossy stone stairs, and zero crowds on a weekday. Our accidental 4-mile hike (thanks, closed shuttle) turned into the best detour ever. Here’s the cheat sheet: ​​🚶 Trail Hacks​​ • ​​Park at Upper Entrance​​: Walk downhill → gorge views → taxi back (saves knees). • ​​Skip May shuttles​​: They’re closed—Uber/Lyft from main entrance (or hike back like us). • ​​Gorge Trail MVP​​: Rainbow Bridge + Cavern Cascade = Jurassic Park vibes. ​​⚠️ Reality Checks​​ • ​​Wet feet​​: Half the trail = ankle-deep mist (wear quick-dry shoes). • ​​Graveyard shortcut​​: North Rim’s downhill dash passes 1800s tombstones (spooky but scenic). ​​📸 Photo Ops​​ • ​​Jacob’s Ladder​​: 200 steps with falls framing you. • ​​Central Pool​​: Turquoise water + sunbeam spotlights. ​​Hot Take:​​ ​​9/10​​—Niagara’s moody little sibling. ​​Your fave NY waterfall hike?​​ Tag below! 👇 #WatkinsGlen #FingerLakesHikes #NoCrowdsJustFalls #UpstateEscape #MistyTrails