Every time I think of waterfalls, mountains & crystal clear lakes, I think of everywhere but New York and in reality its all here! Today I’ve got the perfect & super cheap naturesque getaway just a few miles from The Big Apple.
I’ve lived here most my life and I have never explored New York outside of the city. Like many, I left the the exploring for vacation destinations outside of my home state and boy what I’ve been missing.
There’s everything from hiking and zip lining to water rafting and waterfalls.We had 3 days off and decided to rent a cheap cabin on AirBNB, take our groceries, and just hang out upstate.
Watkins Glen State Park
Just 4hrs away is Watkins Glen State park. I discovered this beauty on the Instagram explore page (cause you know , none of my friend do these things) and save it in my to-do list. Its so perfect the way the rocks naturally form, the water flows, and the plants align along the stream. You definately wont need Photoshop for this photo.
There’s two entrances. We started from the south entrance because we completely missed the main entrance right in front of our faces. Either route is easily walkable specially since the path is man made with stairs & paved trails. It’s great for all ages and about a two mile walk from start to finish. I recommend going early to avoid the tour bus crowds and using the North entrance. I say this entrance because it is more straight forward and much easier to return walking down than going up than the south entrance.
Know that there is a charge of $8 per car, accessible restrooms only at the entrance and no trash cans inside the park. So what you take in you must take out. This park is also not wheelchair or stroller friendly at all.
Nevertheless, Watson Glen State Park is beautiful location for instragramable photos but in my opinion this site should not be your main reason to drive 4hrs from the city. It’s very touristy and no hiking excitement. Plan a list of sites to visit nearby for a maximum adventure.
We wanted to struggle, sweat, fight pythons and get lost in the forest LOL (not literally) but this location was too cleaned up for tourist. With that said on to the next stop…
Seneca Lake
Turning corners from Watkins Glen State Park is Senaca lake. A perfect location to BBQ, swim with presence of a lifeguard, or simply hang out. A great way to spend the day relaxing and enjoying its free and never ending beauty. Fun facts: It’s the deepest & largest of the Finger Lakes in the U.S and there’s an endless number of wine tours surrounding it.
Buttermilk Falls National Park
About 30 mins from our cabin, is Buttermilk Falls National Park. It’s in Ithaca and there is a small parking fee but we went around 5pm on a Tuesday and did not get charged.
Its a steep incline of stairs and rocks (for that leg and butt workout) along the waterfall. I’m so out of shape, I almost died but trust me it’s doable.
The higher you go the more naturally occurring swimming pools you will run into (maybe even jump into).
Some areas of the waterfall are shallow enough to walk on and the water will lead you to a swimming area with lifeguard at the bottom of the stream.
Not sure if it was the time of day but I liked this waterfall more than Watson Glen because of the hike, you can get in it and less traffic of people. Park details here.
Kaaterskills Falls
We checked out of our cabin and headed towards the city making a breathtaking stop on the way. Just 2 hrs and 30 mins from the city is Kaaterkills falls. Finally a path not paved!
This trail is a short hike but it’s also a moderate work out. First you have to walk for 5 minutes from the limited parking lot across a busy highway to get to the entrance.
The steep trail along The Spruce Creek is as natural as it can be: dirt, rocks, fallen trees and ect. We felt as if we were far from civilization but really just down the block from a town.
15 mintes later, we were greeted by this magical waterfall. It didn’t have much water flowing but it was still a beautiful view.
Later we found out there is an easier route for all my lazy friends that don’t want to climb rocks. The flat dirt roads will lead you to overlooking the waterfall from above (not as exciting).
Inspiration Point in Catskill State Park
After checking out the waterfall we followed signs to the lake and inspiration point. It was easy to navigate through the forest with all the foot trail signs nailed to the trees.
To be honest, I felt like I was walking forrrever, even the babies fell asleep. If only I could be carried all day. Anyway, to ease the hike, bring some snacks and travel light. The best part of this trail to the view point is that its more of a walk than a climb.
Eventually, the forest roads led us to this breathtaking view of the land. A must if you are visiting Buttermilk Falls.
This park is huge and has trails to different sites that we didn’t get to see. One of them led to this lake where you can host picnics and swimming. It’s along a main road so dont think that youll have to carry your hot dogs and patties through the fall & forest.
Cabin fever for $75/night
How cute is this cabin? We used AirBNB to book a cabin an hour from Watkins Glen for just $75 (minus taxes & fees). We were only 3 plus the twins so it was close to nothing and plenty of space (for up to 10 guest). We saved money by bringing and cooking our own food as if were home.
There were no TVs or mobile service available but the owners offered Wi-Fi for our millennial enjoyment. I specially liked this cabin because it was far from any neighbors and the little decorative details. It also had old school board games, a record player and a bunch of pamphlets with recommended sites.
At night, its so dark out that the stars look magical. I would recommend it to all who don’t mind a drive and don’t NEED an air conditioner. Click here for direct link of where we stayed
Mama tip: I used two Infantino flip 4-in-1 convertible baby carrier. No I did not carry them like this all day, I would of died lol. My husband helped out. The only con about this carrier is that it doesn’t have pockets for small things but so far it has worked great.
So that resumes our quick 3 day escape from the city. It was sooo cheap and mentally relaxing that we are planning to return with some friends. There’s so much more that we didn’t get to do because hiking with babies takes up so much time and energy. Just know that there’s never a dull moment upstate and that you don’t need to travel far to enjoy your days off.