Sentry Falls is the first waterfall that you see when entering Watkins Glen, and it is my favorite of the falls in the park. That might seem odd, considering people can’t even see the whole waterfall at this point because it is twisting and turning so much. It is not the tallest or widest fall in the park either. It’s just the most scenic of the waterfalls that I saw.

As I have mentioned before, I visited Watkins Glen State Park in early May when only the first third of the gorge trail was open. That means I have not seen all of the falls up close. I have seen other amazing pictures of other falls in the park, but some of those I have not seen. So I must settle with Sentry Falls. Part of the beauty of Sentry Falls lies in the beautiful rock surrounding it and the extremely cool stone suspension bridge built over the falls. To me, it is one of the most intriguing views in all of the park…and it’s the first thing you see!

Directions:

1. Watkins Glen State Park is directly off of NY-14 in Watkins Glen.
2. Pay the state park entrance fee, and then park.
3. Sentry Falls greets you as you start your hike.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 25′
Length of Hike: up to 3 miles round-trip (Sentry Falls is at the start)

Sentry Falls in May 2009

Where in the World is Sentry Falls?