Parque estatal Letchworth

Letchworth State Park. It is a state park of 14,427 acres located in the counties of Livingston and Wyoming, New York. The park is approximately 27 km long, following the course of the Genesee River to the north through a deep gorge and over several large waterfalls. It is located 56 km southwest of Rochester and 97 km southeast of Buffalo, and covers parts of the cities of Livingston, Leicester, Mount Morris and Portage, as well as the cities of Castile and Wyoming County.

Content
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1 History
2 Characteristics
3 Waterfalls
4 Geology
5 Activities
6 Sources
History
The territory of the park was for a long time part of the homeland of the Seneca, who were forced to abandon the American Revolutionary War, since they had been allies of the defeated British. The Seneca called the land around this Sehgahunda canyon, the Valley of the Three Falls, it was believed that the Middle Waterfalls (Ska-ga-dee) were so wonderful that the sun stopped at noon.

After having first seen the gorge that would become the park from the nearby railroad trestle in 1858, William Pryor Letchworth bought some 0.77 km2 of land near Portage Falls in 1859 and subsequently started working on his Glen Iris Estate . By buying the land, Letchworth successfully halted plans to install a hydroelectric dam in the gorge that would have altered the flow of the river and diminished flows over the large waterfalls. He enlisted the services of the famous landscaper William Webster to design winding paths and roads, rustic bridges, glistening "lakes" and a sparkling fountain.

Letchworth spent the following years expanding his land holdings in the area. In 1906, Letchworth awarded Glen Iris and those around 4 km2 to the state of New York as a public park, with the intention of deterring commercial businesses from damaging the fragile nature of the gorge and the surrounding forests. It also required that the land be administered by the American Society for Scenic and Historic Preservation.

characteristics
The park features prominently three large waterfalls, the Upper, Middle and Lower, on the Genesee River, which flows into a deep gorge that meanders through the park. The rocky walls of the gorge, which rise up to 170 m in some places, boosted the area's reputation as the Grand Canyon of the East.

The park entrances are located near Mount Morris, Perry, Castile and Portageville. A paved road of two or three lanes follows the west side of the gorge, allowing many scenic views for geological features.

Waterfalls
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Within the park, there are three large waterfalls and up to 50 waterfalls that are found in tributaries that flow into the Genesee River. The three main waterfalls, called Upper, Middle and Lower Falls, are located in Portage Canyon, the southern section of the park. The only path that links the Genesee River in the park crosses a stone bridge just below the Lesser Waterfalls. Middle Falls is the highest, and Upper Falls has an active railroad trestle crossing immediately above.

The park also contains Inspiration Falls, a cascade of ribbon that sits on an affluent stream a short distance east of the Inspiration Point Overlook, 640 m west of the park's visitor center, has a total drop of 110 m. Although impressive in its height, it is seasonal and often appears as a water spot on the cliff. The falls face south-southwest.

geology
The exposed bedrock in the gorge is of Devonian age, mostly slates, with some layers of limestone and sandstone. The rock was placed in an ancient inland sea, and contains many marine fossils. The shape of the valley section of the Genesee River represented by the park is geologically very young, caused by a deviation of the river from the old valley by the last continental glacier, which forced the river to cut a new section of the valley.

Activities
The park includes pavilions, picnic tables, playgrounds, 106 km of hiking trails, two large swimming pools, cabins, tent sites, towing sites with dump stations and horseback riding trails. Activities within the park include hiking, biking, fishing, white-water rafting and kayaking, geocaching and hunting (wild turkey and deer in season). During the winter, the park facilitates snowmobile rides, cross-country skiing, snow tubing and horse-drawn sleighs. There are hot air balloons available in the park, weather permitting.

In 2015, Letchworth State Park won the Reader's Choice competition from USA Today as the best state park in the United States