DIX, N.Y. (WETM) – As you drive up Route 14 into Watkins Glen, you’ve probably seen a small trailer park at the bottom of a steep hill across from Curly’s restaurant. Those trailers and bungalows have been there for decades, but one new buyer has plans to bring new life into that strip of land.
Jeff Klossner, owner of Hop Notch Brewing in Montour Falls, bought the famous trailers on Rt. 14 in the spring of 2023. To redevelop the lot, he said he and his younger sister plan to sell off the trailers (which have been in place for decades), announcing the blank-slate plan on Facebook.
“We’re trying to redevelop the space,” Klossner said. “We decided we wanted to put a little new life back in that area. It’s the first thing you see when you come into Watkins Glen and we want that to be a great experience for everybody when they come in.”
Klossner explained that while the trailers and cabins aren’t in the greatest condition, there’s been a huge amount of interest from the local community.
“It’s really interesting to see,” Klossner said. “Everyone wants to see what’s going on, and people want to know what’s going to be happening new in this small community… I think there’s a lot of growth going on right now in this industry and this area right now.”
Nothing’s set in stone, but Klossner said there are some ideas in the works, some that might even take several years to implement. “But, first things first, we have to get it back to a workable space.”
Trailer No. 5, already sold, on Rt. 14 in Dix, between Montour Falls and Watkins Glen 
Inside a trailer for sale on Rt 14 in Dix, between Watkins Glen and Montour Falls 
Trailers for sale on Rt. 14 in Dix, between Montour Falls and Watkins Glen 
Trailer No. 6 for sale on Rt. 14 in Dix, between Montour Falls and Watkins Glen 
Inside a trailer for sale on Rt 14 in Dix, between Watkins Glen and Montour Falls 
Trailer No. 6 for sale on Rt. 14 in Dix, between Montour Falls and Watkins Glen 
Trailer No. 7 on Rt. 14 in Dix, just south of Watkins Glen 
Trailer No. 4 for sale on Rt. 14 in Dix, between Montour Falls and Watkins Glen 
Trailer for sale on Rt. 14 in Dix, between Montour Falls and Watkins Glen 
The empty space where Trailer No. 5 sat on Rt. 14 in Dix, between Montour Falls and Watkins Glen
According to a 1994 Star Gazette article, the trailer park at the bottom of the cliff was put in place around 1944 by Fred and Arminda Wiltse, and was up for sale in the mid-1990s. The paper reported that the trailers were from the Pine Valley area and were originally rented out by the weekend to tourists in the summer and by the month during the winter.
Based on Google Street View images dated July 2022, there were people staying in at least some of the trailers at the time.
As of the time this article was published, Trailer No. 5 has been sold and moved from the property. Anyone interested in purchasing a trailer can reach out to Klossner with his contact information posted on the trailers themselves.
