Finger Lakes, New York – Charming towns amid captivating beauty (Updated 2024)
Finger Lakes
Beautiful scenery with cute towns
People from all over the world love to visit the Finger Lakes Region in New York State. It covers 23,300 square kilometers and has fun things to do all year long. Eleven clean, freshwater lakes are spread out across the area like fingers. Native American stories say that the Great Spirit blessed the land with his hands and then left these lakes behind. The names of these towns show what they are related to: Skaneateles, Otisco, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, Canandaigua, Honeoye, Canadice, Conesus, and Hemlock.
Each lake is linked to the others by rivers that end at Lake Ontario. To the north, the Erie Canal goes through the Finger Lakes. Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake are linked to the Erie Canal in Montezuma by the Cayuga-Seneca Canal. Along with the bigger rivers and streams, many smaller lakes, ponds, and streams connect to them. All of these offer a huge range of water sports, such as swimming, fishing, boating, diving, and more.
New York’s great state parks let you hike, bike, and camp in the great outdoors. These include Letchworth State Park, which is known as “The Grand Canyon of the East,” the canyons of Watkins Glen, and Taughannock Falls, a beautiful waterfall that falls 121 meters into a basin. The beautiful Chimney Bluffs are right next to Lake Ontario.
The wine walks are what the area is best known for. Some of the best wineries in the country are along these trails. But you can taste more than just wine; you can also drink beer, distilled spirits, juices, and ciders all over the area. There are art trails, history and museum trails, the Seaway Trail, the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail, the Finger Lakes Beer Trail, and trails that go along the Erie Canal. And there are more. Natural Choices is an organic and eco-friendly walk that you can visit on your way between Cortland, Ithaca, and Owego.
You shouldn’t miss the New York Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua or the place where Dinosaur BBQ began in Syracuse. Grape pies, trash plates, ice cream from Ithaca (where the original Sundae was made), and fresh farm market food are some of the most famous foods in the Finger Lakes. You can find them on the side of the road and at many farm and craft markets.
Along with this natural beauty, there are cities, towns, and villages that are rich in history and culture:
That’s where the Great New York State Fair is held.
You can visit the Strong National Museum of Play and the George Eastman International Museum of Photography in Rochester.
The Museum of Glass in Corning shows how glass has been made for 3,500 years.
Elmira is proud of its ties to Mark Twain, and the National Soaring Museum is close by.
“History’s hometown” Auburn has a thriving arts scene.
It is in Seneca Falls that you can find the Women’s Rights National Historic Park.
Visit Hammondsport, which has been called “America’s Best Small Town.”
You can go to Watkins Glen International to race cars on its famous track, or you can go to the park and walk among the gorges and waterfalls.
It could be summer, winter, spring, or fall. In the water or on the hills. There is something for everyone in the Finger Lakes, whether they want to be in the woods or walk through the wineries.