Entrance Cascade is a 43-foot waterfall on Glen Creek in Watkins Glen State Park, Schuyler County, New York, and the first falls hikers meet on the Gorge Trail when walking upstream from the visitor center. It pours through a narrow slot and then plunges into a rock amphitheater directly beneath Sentry Bridge.
The falls
A survey in person describes two tiers: a flume-like slot that drops 17 feet, followed by a nearly sheer 26-foot plunge. Earlier surveys listed 41 feet. The stream is only about 5 feet wide here. Glen Creek flows all year, at around 10 cubic feet per second for seven months and about 2 cfs for the other five, with lower water in summer and fall except after storms.
Getting there
The main entrance is at 1009 North Franklin Street in Watkins Glen. The falls are about 0.2 to 0.3 mile from the trailhead on the easy Gorge Trail. The park is open year round from dawn to dusk. Entry is $10 per vehicle, collected from mid-May to mid-October, or free with the $80 Empire Pass. In season a shuttle links the park entrances for $6 per person each way.
The new Sentry Bridge was completed in July 2026, restoring full access to the Gorge Trail and South Rim Trail.
When to go
The Gorge Trail is seasonal. In 2026 it opened on May 9, and the park says it typically closes in mid-October. The shuttle runs daily from June 28 to September 7 and on weekends in late spring and early fall.
On site
The falls can be seen from the trail at creek level and from Sentry Bridge above. The park calls the gorge 19 waterfalls in a 1-mile stretch, climbed on stone steps. Pets are not allowed on the Gorge Trail; elsewhere in the park, up to two leashed pets are permitted.
History and name
The alternate name is Sentry Cascade, after the bridge. The Library of Congress holds a 1907 stereograph of Entrance Cascade and Sentry Bridge.
Nearby
Minnehaha Falls is on the same stretch of Glen Creek, and Cavern Cascade is about 0.1 mile away. Central Cascade and Rainbow Falls are both about 0.4 mile away.
Distances are straight-line.