WATKINS GLEN, NY (July 2, 2018)—Building on groundwork by the Open Space Institute (OSI), a new main entrance and a series of transformative improvements have been unveiled at Watkins Glen State Park. Most notably, the new entrance, completed on land conserved by OSI in 2016, will improve public access while enhancing safety in the park.
OSI’s purchase of land adjoining the park allowed officials to repurpose the previous parking area at the base of the gorge into green space, creating new park amenities and enhanced interpretation of Watkin Glen's unique natural and cultural history. The project relocated a parking area away from the gorge and across Franklin Street, to OSI-secured property, to improve vehicular traffic flow on village streets and pedestrian traffic flow in the park, while transferring the old asphalt parking lot into a more natural landscaped park setting.