No. 5 of 8 · Watkins Glen, New York
Glamping near Watkins Glen, three nights reserved within reach of the glen's stone paths
from $460 for two people, $230 per person, three nights near Watkins Glen, campground charges inside, taxes on top
The glen at the south end of Seneca Lake is the gorge most people picture: a narrow cleft of curved shale with nineteen waterfalls stepping down through it and a stone path that tunnels behind one of them. Glamping near Watkins Glen means three nights a short drive from that path, with the lake and the wineries along its shore as the rest of the trip.
- Where
- Watkins Glen, Schuyler County
- Nights
- three
- Season priced
- May to Oct
- Depth, rim to stream
- about 250 feet
- Stream level
- about 690 feet above sea level
- Drive from the office
- about 1 hour 55 minutes, 88 miles
- Ways to sleep
- tent, cabin, inn
A narrow cut, 250 feet deep
Dark: the glen at Watkins, read along a 600-meter line. Pale: the other seven, same scale. Source for Watkins Glen: USGS 3DEP, 10-meter.
Our section crosses the glen partway up, where the walls are only a few dozen yards apart and about 250 feet deep at the lower rim. The path inside the glen is wet, uneven and has many stone steps; going in early in the morning is the way to have it nearly to yourself.
Tents and cabins above Seneca Lake
Glamping campgrounds and campground resorts sit on the hills on both sides of the lake's south end, and the village has inns a few blocks from the glen entrance. From the office the drive is about 1 hour 55 minutes.
| Way to sleep | How the figure is made | From |
|---|---|---|
| Platform tent | three nights at $172 a night, $35 campground charge inside | from $560 for two $280 per person |
| Campground cabin | three nights at $144 a night, $25 campground charge inside | from $460 for two $230 per person |
| Inn room | three nights at $224 a night, no added charge | from $680 for two $340 per person |
Totals are rounded up to the next ten dollars.
Inside the Watkins Glen figure for two
- Three nights for two near Watkins Glen, at the campground or inn you choose
- Linen, cleaning, first firewood: the Watkins Glen campground charge, if any
- A written quote for the glen at Watkins
Outside the Watkins Glen figure
- New York sales tax and the county occupancy tax, which the Watkins Glen campground or inn adds
- The drive of about 88 miles each way, fuel and parking
- Meals in Watkins Glen, unless breakfast comes with the inn
- Entry to the glen at Watkins, wherever a gate charges it
May through October
The glen path usually opens in May and closes in early November. July and August are crowded and priced higher; the figures here come from weeknights in May and late September.
Settled at confirmation in Watkins Glen
The campground confirms the tent or cabin and whether a summer weekend requires three nights. A few summer weekends fill every campground in the county, and we tell you if your dates fall on one. Dates and availability can move the figure for the glen at Watkins; the written confirmation from the campground or inn is what you pay.
Shallower next: Cazenovia area fall getaway. One deeper: Trumansburg gorge camping trip.
Dates for the glen at Watkins
The form takes gorge requests 24/7. Written replies land before 5:30 p.m. Eastern on the next business day; phone answers run +1 (585) 663-2741, Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time.