There are several options for places to stay near Letchworth State Park in western New York, but the best way to experience the “Grand Canyon of the East” is by camping right on site. When I was looking into staying at Letchworth, I found there wasn’t a lot of concise information on your options for camping or other lodging so I decided to put together a guide to accommodations at Letchworth State Park
Why Camp at Letchworth State Park?
Letchworth is a huge state park to explore with over 60 miles of trails. There aren’t a ton of local hotels outside of the area since there aren’t many large towns surrounding the park. You don’t want to spend a lot of time driving back and forth to the park if you are going more than one day, so staying within the park is your best bet for exploring over a weekend. Plus, with spotty cell service at best, you can really escape into nature here.
Tent Camping at Letchworth State Park
With 250+ campsites, camping is a popular option for visitors to the park. We chose to camp in our new Coleman Sundome 4 Person Tent. While it rained the first night, our tent stayed nice and dry throughout the weekend. Check out our gear we use on our adventures in the Gear section of my blog. Pets are also welcome in some of the campsite loops so if you are planning to bring a pet make sure you choose a site in the correct loop!
Centrally located bathrooms and showers can be found on each loop. During our stay (mid-2019), they were in the process of upgrading the showers and bathrooms and had only completed them in the first two loops of the Highbanks Campground. Some of the sites allow pets and all have electric hookups.
RV Camping at Letchworth
Campsites are able to accommodate up to 50′ RV’s. There is also a dumping station when leaving the park, but on our way out there was quite a line to use them on a Sunday as people left for the weekend. The sites themselves were not really large but decently sized for everything you could need. One problem was the amount of standing water. With all the rain on the first day, some of the lower campsites got flooded and I actually overheard other campers discussing how it was so bad that they needed to move campsites. This could pose a problem if your RV gets stuck in a low lying area with a lot of mud.
You can make reservations for either RV or tent camping at Letchworth State Park like any other NY state campsite through Reserve America. Both cabins and campsites fill up quickly so be sure to reserve far in advance if you can to ensure your spot.
Letchworth Campground Amenities
Letchworth is a large park with a large campground, and as such there are some additional amenities you might not find at other campgrounds in the region. One of those is the camp store, complete with everything you need for cooking over the fire, starting a fire in the first place, hiking gear and other merchandise. There is also a section where you can buy food and even coffee (albeit not particularly good coffee). We stopped here to grab ice for the cooler before heading back to our camp.
Another added bonus of camping in Letchworth is the recreation area. There is a number of activities and options for campers including crafts and activities for kids throughout the day, a pool table and multiple ping pong tables, lawn games like cornhole outside and a playground, among other things. This is in addition to all there is to do at the park itself, including hiking, a pool for swimming, and rafting (which will cost you a bit extra). Check out my post on top things to do in Letchworth State Park for more ideas.
Other Letchworth Accommodations Besides Camping
When we were trying to decide if we wanted to camp, we looked at several options in and outside the state park to see what was available. There aren’t any major towns around Letchworth so the hotel options were few or farther away from the park than we would have liked but there were several options for staying directly within the park including renting houses and cabins in addition to camping.
Letchworth State Park Cabin Rentals
One of the most popular options in Letchworth State Park if you aren’t camping is cabin rentals. There are 81 cabin rentals available in the park and most can accommodate up to 6 people. If it’s just a couple like Mike and I it’s not really worth it, but for those with bigger families or a group of friends it can be a great option. One caveat is that during peak season, which is the 4th Saturday in June to last Sunday before Labor Day, most of the cabins must be rented in 7 or 14 day increments from Sunday to Sunday or Saturday to Saturday based on cabin area. Some are open later in the season, but may not have a heat source available when the weather starts getting cold.
Glen Iris Inn
The Glen Iris Inn was the original homestead of the founder of the park, William Pryor Letchworth. He built his estate directly in view of the Middle Falls, the most spectacular of the three major falls in the park. You can now stay in the inn directly on park grounds overlooking the falls. The Glen Iris also does events; we saw a wedding taking place here the weekend we visited.
If you choose to stay here or one of the other homes on-site it is obviously more expensive than camping, but it is much closer to the key attractions of the park including the three waterfalls and the William Pryor Letchworth Museum across the street.
Other Homes and Condo Accommodations at Letchworth State Park
There are a few houses within the park that actually operate sort of like an Airbnb. You can reserve these homes for a large number of guests but it gets pricey very quickly when you don’t have enough people to split it with. Options include The Chalet, The Stone House, Caroline’s Cottage, and the Pinewood Lodge and Lofts. Pinewood Lofts is just up the street from the Glen Iris Inn and contains a number of small apartments to rent. These are all booked through the Glen Iris Inn website and most can be booked between April and November.
Conclusion
Letchworth State Park is a beautiful area to visit. However, it can be a pain to travel to if you aren’t staying inside the park. Whether you’re going for a quick weekend or something more, any of these accommodations will ensure you have a great time at Letchworth!