Finger Lakes
Keuka Lake
Not only is Keuka Lake the lake that looks like a Y, Keuka also means crooked lake. It’s the only lake that both flows north from Hammondsport to Penn Yan but from the west branch of Branchport flowing south to the end of the bluff, the land space between the Y of Keuka Lake. The Finger Lakes region was formed by glaciers and so there are sloping ridges and ravines in between each lake. These ridges and valleys make for great outdoor adventure.
Points of Interest
Keuka Lake State Park is a great place to hike, swim, and take a boat out onto the lake. Keuka has great places to play for kids and pets with 2 large playgrounds! Fishing is also available along the shores of this small but mighty lake at various approved sites as well.
For a challenging hike, The Finger lakes Trail has a large number of offshoot trails that are on the southwestern side of Keuka Lake running through the Urbana State Forest along beautiful ridges. You can pick up part of the trail in Hammondsport.
The Historic Outlet Trail follows the river that flows from Keuka Lake into Seneca Lake and has been home to many locations and landmarks over its rich history. On the trail today you can see remains of old sawmills, gristmills, distilleries, abandoned railroad bridges, and a lock system with two beautiful waterfalls along the path. It is a great place to hike, bike and even kayak at the mouth of the outlet in Penn Yan on Keuka Lake.
Seneca Lake
Seneca Lake is the largest of the glacial Finger Lakes and the deepest glacial lake in New York. The length of Seneca is 38 miles and max depth is 618 ft. It is known to be the lake trout capital of the world and is the home of the National Lake Trout Derby. Due to the lake being formed by glaciers, Seneca Lake has a lot of shoreline ravines and waterfalls that provide a great outdoor scenic experience. Lots of Hiking, boating, fishing and waterfalls galore.
Points of Interest
Watkins Glen State Park is one of the most beautiful hikes in the Finger Lakes and is on the south end of Seneca Lake. Within two miles, the Glen's stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course. The gorge path winds over and under waterfalls and through the spray of Cavern Cascade. Rim trails overlook the gorge. They have a great campground including an Olympic size pool with diving boards and kiddie pool for the little ones.
Seneca Lake State Park is located in Geneva on the north end of Seneca Lake. It is handicap accessible and pet friendly walkway right on the lake. You can walk to the pier house overlooking the water and have an ice cream. The park has a great sprayground with over 100 water jets that spontaneously spray water. Seneca Lake State Park is another great swimming area with life guards on duty.
Sampson State Park encompasses over 2000 acres, including just over 5.5 miles of lakefront providing beautiful scenic views and abundant recreational activities. There are two trails to hike, one is the History Trail and the Lake Trail. It has a beautiful boat launch, swim area and playground.
Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake, the longest and second deepest of the Finger Lakes is 39 miles long and average width is 1.7 miles and about 435 ft deep with over 95 miles of shoreline. It has three different Wildlife Management Areas and plenty of waterfalls to take in with swimming, fishing, boating, kayaking, hiking or biking.
Points of Interest
Taughannok Falls State Park is on the south western shore of Cayuga Lake with majestic waterfalls you can see on a beautiful hike. The park has lakefront swimming, boat launches, pavilions, and play grounds. Farther south of Cayuga Lake there are two other large state parks with waterfalls you can swim under, Robert Treman State Park and Buttermilk Falls.
The swimming areas are damned up part of the river so we can swim under a waterfall a truly unique experience! Cayuga Lake State Park is on the northern end of Cayuga Lake with camping, biking and swimming.
The Montezuma Wildlife Refuge stretches 9,809 acres throughout the Finger Lakes in Seneca, Wayne and Cayuga Counties. This wildlife refuge is a resting place for numerous migratory birds and is situated in one of the most active flight lanes in the Atlantic Flyway.
Canandaigua Lake
Canandaigua Lake is 15.5 miles long, 1.5 miles wide with a shoreline of 39.5 miles. Canandaigua Lake is also the sole source of drinking water for the town of Canandaigua with well oxygenated water making it thrive with fish in both deep and shallow waters. It has high ridges on the west side creating wonderful spaces for all outdoor activities. It is also a boater’s paradise where the northern shore is shallow and you can often see boats tied together as well as plenty of kite or sail boarding.
Points of Interest
Enjoy renting boats of every kind motor or hand powered watercrafts like kayaks, canoes, paddleboats and more. Kershaw Park in Canandaigua has a wonderful swimming area and Canandaigua Sailboard is right next to it so you can try kiteboarding, sailboarding, paddle boarding, and kayaking.
Bristol Mountain Sports offers all year round activities from skiing, zip lining and pretty fall chairlift ride to enjoy the beautiful fall leaves.
Canandaigua Lake Marine Park is a year round boat launch facility that provides fishing access to Canandaigua Lake.