Chimney Bluffs State Park in Wolcott New York

My first view of Chimney Bluffs.  Check out the Oswego power plant in the bottom left.

View from the beach looking up.

Today I spent a half day on a trip to Chimney Bluffs State Park in Wolcott, NY.  I had never heard of the park before, and in fact I was taken there as a surprise.  My girlfriend had been there once before, and knew I would be impressed.  She certainly was right.  It is amazing how much natural beauty and variety there is within a couple hours of driving from Syracuse, NY.  This trip took about an hour and was well worth it.  When we first arrived I assumed she had just brought me to some nice hiking trails along the shore of Lake Ontario, but when I looked up the coast and saw the "chimney bluffs" I was shocked.  At first I didn't know if I was looking at something man-made or natural.  As we hiked closer it became apparent that we were seeing incredible geologic features made from erosion.  The view reminded me of photos I've seen of places like Bryce Canyon, and yet they were only made from the eroding hillside of a drumlin.  How these spires continue to stand is beyond me, as it looks like a single storm would take them out.  What was obvious was that the erosion of the bluffs is ongoing.  There were many downed trees lying at the bottom of the hill having apparently fallen from the cliff edge.  The hiking itself wasn't very hard, but the trails take you right alongside the cliff edges.  I don't recommend this for your children or anyone who isn't surefooted.

This view was probably my favorite.

I bumped up the contrast in this one to make it a little more dramatic.