When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”—John Lennon
Panama Rocks Scenic Park has been on my things to see list for years, but it always seemed so far out of our way. We have tons of wonderful things to do in the Finger Lakes. Renting this house and spending time in western New York gave us the chance to visit this truly amazing place. Even on a cold cloudy day the park was a fascinating place to be. I wish it was closer so we could return each year.
Panama Rocks was established in 1885 and has operated as a privately owned park for over 130 years. It’s believed that the formations were sacred land to the Erielhonan (Eriez) people and then used by robbers and counterfeiters in the mid-1800’s. It’s been a popular tourist attraction since the park was established.
The main trail at Panama Rocks explores a half-mile long ridge of 60-foot high rock hidden in an ancient forest. We were free to explore off trail…hiking through the woods or climb over and through countless passageways, caves, and crevices.
The trail map.
Castle Rock
The Mayflower is a large, slanted rock that reminds some guests of the bow of a great ship.
The path round the Mayflower.
Exploring the crevices near the Mayflower.
Cannonball Canyon near the Eagle Claw.
Eagle Claw is named for a tree with roots forming the shape of an eagle’s talon. From here you can climb uphill to the Cannonball Canyon and behind Fat Man’s Misery.
Entering the crevices at Eagle’s Claw.
The narrow crevices at Fat Man’s Misery.
It was interesting to see how hard trees work to hold on to the cliff and find just a little bit of soil.
Pride Rock
The side exit to Devil’s Den. It was a fun place to climb around.
The entrance to Paradise Alley. This crevice is hundreds of feet long terminating at caves known as Counterfeiter’s Den. The rocks and earth cool air flowing through the crevice creates a natural air-conditioning system at the lower entrance.
The Tower of Babel.
The Sand Cave gets its name from the sand near the entrance created by erosion. The cave is about 30′ deep with a small passage leading to an area behind the formation.
The Wig Wam is a small den formed by large blocks of rock. From here you can take a trail to the top of the cliff.
The Counterfeiter’s Den is a series of two small caves at the end of a long crevice. In the mid-19th century counterfeit printing materials were found in these caves.
The Ice Cave is about 50′ deep and can hold ice and snow into the early summer.
The Covered Bridge. It looks like a giant was here playing with blocks.
This long crevice is known as Thieves Run.
The history of the rock formations date back about 400 to 350 million years ago. To put that into perspective the first animals appeared 2 million years ago and modern humans are believed to have originated about 200,000 years ago. Over 300 million years ago, the Panama Rocks were Sea Islands of sand and gravel, along the shore of a vast inland sea that extended west toward what is now Utah.
Panama Rocks is thought to be the most extensive formation of glacier-cut, ocean-quartz conglomerate in the world. Ocean-quartz conglomerate is sometimes referred to as “pudding stone” or “Panama Conglomerate.” Stones embedded in this rock are oval and rather flat, due to the water action (wave action) they experienced when they were on those ancient beaches.
The caves, crevices, and passageways that run through the rocks are likely the result of year after year of freezing and thawing: rocks cracking under pressure from the elements and their own weight; slowly and steadily pulled downhill by gravity in a process known as “creep.”
