Whetstone Gulf

J Franz

Nice NYS Park north of Booneville. I grew up hiking in the Adirondacks, but never heard of Whetstone Gulf State Park located to the west in the Tug Hill area of the state. We hiked the South and North Trails along the gorge perimeter. Beautiful day although peak autumn colors had passed. The South Trail starts with a short but steep accent, followed by an easy hike around to the North Trail and then a short steep decent to the trail end. About 5-6 miles in total, the trail is in very good shape except for the abundance of tree roots that can be bothersome. The views of the gorge are limited, but there are enough to keep it exciting.

Bob's Wandering Way

Hiked the South and North rim of the Gorge. Trails were clean and well maintained and the staff were very nice and helpful. Thank you for providing this beautiful trail for all to enjoy.

Balgerus

Intro: Unfortunately, I'm not going to be as kind with this one as the other parks I've review. The main reason is extremely superficial; it was simply too hard to get clear views of the gorge from the upper trails. Entrance: Just off the main road, side road marked by clear, clean signs. The roads between the locations in the park are a bit small, but that's nitpicking. I believe there is a fee for entering the park, but I visited outside the Toll Booth hours, so I don't know. Parking: Gravel parking, just outside the North Rim trail entrance. Not a robust amount of parking, but the park doesn't get much traffic. Facilities: Quite a few facilities. You got the typical picnic setups, tables, grills, a few rentable pavilions. There is a large cabin Beach House, but I do not know if it's for rent or serves some other purpose. There are a few playgrounds and campsites. One interesting feature is a large deck overlooking the creek, with a staircase of sorts leading into the creek, I've seen people standing in the creek and having fun. I'm not sure this is intended, since there are "no swimming" signs right next to it, but there could be a difference between standing and swimming, lol. There are also some RV specific facilities, but I didn't look closely at those. Trails and other Features: Even though I was told the Rim trails combined is nearly 6 miles, I went ahead and hiked them. The goal was to get as many pictures of the gorge from a high viewpoint as possible. Unfortunately, the trees were too clustered on the edge to allow much of a clear view. Not necessary a bad thing, but I was looking for an unobstructed view. The trail maps marked several viewing places, but even those views were pretty obstructed. I did find 2-3 good views, but considering it was 6 miles, that isn't a lot. The trails are very rough with exposes roots crisscrossing the trail for most of it. Both Rim trails have quite the steep incline/decline at the beginning, both the South Rim trail is more severe, I recommend saving that trail for the return trip. The Observation Tower trail can be quite scary, only hike it if you are careful. Then again, most of the trail is near the edge of the rim, and there is nothing between you and the open air, heh. Final Word: Despite making a fuss about the views, the Rim trails were actually a nice, pleasant hike after you get past the beginning part. I recommend it if you want an interesting hike, but not if you want take pictures of the gorge. Maybe it'll be different in the Winter, might have to come back.

Kathleen D

Fun, remote and quiet state park. The gorge trail was a fun challenge. We also biked around all the other paths and roads.

Mike Wagner

I almost hesitate to tell others about this park in fear that it might become a destination. Part of its exquisite charm is that it's practically abandoned most of the time. In my opinion, Whetstone puts Letchworth to shame. The rim trails, while not for the faint of heart, will definitely remind you that you are alive. It's an invigorating hike (watch your step) through a variety of woods with jaw-dropping views.