Letchworth State Park: A Guide to “the Grand Canyon of the East” with Casita Dean May

There are some state parks that feel almost too grand to be state parks. They have the scenery, recreation, history, and sheer scale that we usually associate with our national parks.
Letchworth State Park in Western New York is one of those places.
Known as the “Grand Canyon of the East,” Letchworth stretches for roughly 17 miles along the Genesee River, where three major waterfalls tumble through a dramatic gorge surrounded by forested cliffs. There are miles and miles of hiking trails, historic sites, overlooks, a swimming pool, rafting, kayaking, interpretive programs, and enough attractions to fill several days without ever leaving the park.
On this week’s episode of The RV Atlas podcast, our longtime correspondent Casita Dean May returns with an incredibly detailed review of Letchworth State Park. Dean and his wife Laura spent six nights camping here as the final stop on a 21-day summer road trip that also included Geneva State Park in Ohio and Watkins Glen State Park in New York. After nearly 600 nights of camping in 18 states—primarily at state parks—Dean ranks Letchworth among his top three state parks and says it might even take the number-one spot.
That is high praise from someone who has done a whole lot of state park camping.
To listen to our interview with Casita Dean May about Letchworth State Park please click on the media player above or subscribe to the RV Atlas wherever you get your favorite shows!
Where Is Letchworth State Park?
Letchworth State Park is located in rural Western New York, about 45 miles south of Rochester and roughly 60 miles southeast of Buffalo.
Dean and Laura arrived after spending a week at Watkins Glen State Park, which is only about 80 to 90 miles away. That makes these two legendary New York state parks an excellent pairing for a longer RV trip.
One of the first things that surprised Dean and Laura was just how rural this part of New York is.
We remember having exactly the same reaction when we traveled through Western New York with our boys years ago. Once you get away from the major population centers, you’ll find rolling hills, farms, cornfields, forests, and beautiful little villages. It can feel worlds away from the image many travelers have of New York.
And Letchworth itself is enormous.
The park is approximately 17 miles long, so don’t expect to park the truck at the campground and walk everywhere. Depending on where you’re headed, you may drive 20 or 25 minutes from the campground to reach a trailhead, overlook, or attraction.
Dean and Laura spent three fairly committed days just exploring the park.
That’s an important planning note. Letchworth isn’t a place where we’d recommend booking two nights and assuming you’ve seen it.
Camping at Letchworth State Park
Letchworth has a large, classic state park campground divided into eight loops. Dean describes the camping area as beautiful, wooded, and somewhat nostalgic.
The campground has 257 campsites, along with an unusually large selection of cabins and other lodging options. Sites offer either 30-amp or 50-amp electric service, but there are no water hookups at individual campsites. Instead, each loop has several shared water spigots.
Each loop also has restroom and shower facilities.
Most campsites are gravel, and you’ll find everything from partial shade to deeply wooded sites.
This is an older campground, so RVers should research individual sites before booking. Some sites can be uneven, and site lengths vary.
Dean and Laura travel with a 17-foot Casita and had no trouble finding a suitable campsite. They also saw more large fifth wheels and motorhomes than they expected, so Letchworth certainly isn’t off-limits to big rigs.
However, if you’re traveling with a larger RV, Dean recommends booking early and researching the individual site carefully.
This is one of those campgrounds where experienced repeat visitors probably know exactly which sites work for their rigs.
A Note About Campground Renovations
One of Dean’s few crit...