Watkins Glen is proof that a town does not need to be big to leave a lasting impression. This small village at the southern tip of Seneca Lake has two claims to fame that draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, and both of them deliver. Watkins Glen State Park is the headliner — a two-mile gorge trail that passes under and alongside 19 waterfalls, with stone bridges and tunnels carved through 200-foot cliff walls. It is one of those places that makes people stop mid-stride and just stare. If you visit one state park in New York, this is the one.

The other draw is Watkins Glen International, the legendary road course that has hosted NASCAR, IndyCar, and Formula One. Race weekends transform the village into something electric, with the population swelling many times over. But even when the track is quiet, the Glen has a particular kind of charm — a main street that runs from the gorge entrance down to the lakefront, lined with small shops, wine tasting rooms, and restaurants that cater to both tourists and locals without feeling like they are trying too hard.

Dining in Watkins Glen reflects its position as a crossroads. You will find solid pub fare, lakeside seafood, and a handful of restaurants that take real pride in working with local ingredients. The village is also the southern anchor of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, which means dozens of wineries, breweries, and distilleries are strung along the lake in both directions. You can walk to a few tasting rooms right in town, or drive the loop and spend a full day exploring.

What Watkins Glen does best is compress a remarkable amount of experience into a small footprint. In a single day you can hike a world-class gorge, taste wines from three or four producers, eat a good meal on the waterfront, and watch the sun set over Seneca Lake. It is the Finger Lakes in concentrated form — no pretense, no sprawl, just the things that make this region worth visiting, all within a few minutes of each other.