瓦特金斯格倫州立公園位於美國紐約州五指湖區的塞內卡湖南方，斯凱勒縣的瓦特金斯格倫村。本公園在 1863 年開放，時為私人營運的觀光區，直到 1906 年紐約州政府將其購入。1924 年，此公園劃歸五指湖地區分室管理，以迄於今。 此公園的核心為格倫溪所侵蝕出來的峽谷，深達 。在冰河時期，冰河主流侵蝕出了塞內卡峽谷，而冰河支流形成的支流峽谷底部較高，在硬巖層上造成的落差形成了急流與瀑布。此處的岩石是泥盆紀形成的沉積巖，主要是較軟的頁巖，有些巖層則是較硬的砂岩與石灰岩。 此公園裡有三條步道，開放時間從五月中旬到十一月上旬。南緣步道與印第安步道行經峽谷的林地邊緣，峽谷步道則最靠近溪流，有 800 多階的階梯與石造橋梁，可行經、跨越瀑布或由瀑布後方透過。這些步道與五指湖步道系統（於紐約州境內長達 800 英里（1280 公里）的步道系統）相連。Watkins Glen State Park visitors guide New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation Finger Lakes Region 2012 地理 During the Pleistocene era a vast area was covered by ice during the maximum extent of glacial ice in the north polar areaSchlee J 2000 02 15 Our changing continent This is important because of the role glaciers played in the creation of the Finger Lakes region The Watkins Glen area is a small part of the Finger Lakes region a region shaped by glaciation during the movement of the Laurentide and Wisconsin ice sheets The area and process of its formation is best described as seen on the Finger Lakes Wiki under the Geology section which reads as follows The lakes originated as a series of northwardflowing streams Around two million years ago the first of many continental glaciers of the Laurentide Ice Sheet moved southward from the Hudson Bay area initiating the Pleistocene glaciation These glaciers widened deepened and accentuated the existing river valleys The glacial debris possibly terminal moraine left behind by the receding ice acted as dams allowing lakes to form Despite the deep erosion of the valleys the surrounding uplands show little evidence of glaciation suggesting that the ice was thin or at least unable to cause much erosion at these higher altitudes The deep cutting by the ice left some tributaries hanging high above the lakesboth Seneca and Cayuga have tributaries hanging as much as 120 m above the valley floorsSam E 02 2014 24 Finger lakes Watkins Glen State Park is a prime example of the effects of this glaciation as glaciers moved through this region the Finger Lakes were carved out of the surrounding land As a direct result of glacial melting widening and deepening the streams in these areas the surrounding lands eroded leaving low lying valley lakes with surrounding streams that still run into these valleys Over time the streams running into these valleys eroded the land that they ran over sending sediment downstream and digging down into the harder rock layers of the land This erosion was not a uniform process as the different layers of rock were eroded they created increased stream gradient and many unique erosional features The results of this erosion are areas such as Watkins Glen State Park this area was turned into a tourist attraction in 1863 based upon the erosional features of the area Watkins Glen state park boasts nineteen waterfalls spaced along a trail roughly two miles long these waterfalls would not be possible in this area if it were not for the glacial and erosional history of the areaWatkins Glen State Park Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance nd Retrieved February 20 2014 The 1000 acre park consists of mostly shale limestone and sandstone these types of rock erode at different speeds leaving behind waterfalls and pools of water According to a glacial erosion study completed in 2011 sandstone erodes more quickly than limestone thus the sandstone in this area must have eroded first leaving the limestone base Krabbendam M Glasser N F 2011 Glacial erosion and bedrock properties in NW Scotland Abrasion and plucking hardness and joint spacing Geomorphology 130 34 374383 doi101016jgeomorph201104022 活動設施 此公園有露營區、野餐桌、涼亭、食物販賣、遊戲場、禮品店、游泳池、露營車營地、淋浴間，並有釣魚、健行、滑雪以及其他休閒活動。入園費為每部車每天 8 美元，公園全年開放，但並非所有設施皆為全年開放使用。 參考資料 外部連結 New York State Parks Watkins Glen State Park LLBeancom Watkins Glen State Park Friends of The Finger Lakes for a bit of history about the region Pickupimage Photo Gallery Watkins Glen State Park Category1906 年紐約州建立 Category1906 年設立的保護區 Category 紐約州州立公園