New York’s Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes New York are a popular and beautiful spot for a weekend getaway or a family vacation. Known for beautiful scenery, outdoor recreation, and wineries, this region sees a lot of visitors in both summer and fall. Many people visit New York State Parks here to walk through winding gorges and see waterfalls during their trip to the Finger Lakes.
Where are the Finger Lakes?
New York’s Finger Lakes are located in upstate New York. The region got its name from the set of long narrow lakes that are shaped like fingers.
How Many Finger Lakes Are There?
There are 11 Finger Lakes in New York. The 2 largest lakes are Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake, located in the center of the Finger Lakes New York. Many people visit these 2 lakes during their Finger Lakes vacation, stopping in popular places like Ithaca and Watkins Glen.
Finger Lakes Hotels
Whether you choose a romantic bed and breakfast, a beautiful resort, or a hotel in the middle of the action, New York’s Finger Lakes have lots of hotels and accommodations to offer. Book a luxury stay at Inns of Aurora Resort and Spa or stay right on the lake at the Inn at Taughannock Falls or the Lake House on Canandaigua. Or book a series of historic bed and breakfasts as you explore this beautiful region.
Things To Do in the Finger Lakes
Watkins Glen State Park – Probably the most famous of the Finger Lakes New York state parks, this park has a beautiful winding gorge trail with more than a dozen waterfalls.
Letchworth State Park – A local favorite, this state park has 3 large waterfalls, one of which is under a scenic bridge. This park is also a popular place for ballooning. We saw Balloons over Letchworth two of the mornings we stayed there.
Taughannock Falls State Park – This park features one of the tallest single-drop waterfalls in the eastern U.S.
Buttermilk Falls State Park – This small park is well-loved for its swimming hole at the base of the beautiful falls. The park also has lovely gorge trails.
Stony Brook State Park – This gorge trail begins with a natural swimming pool and winds upriver past several impressive waterfalls.
Robert H Treman State Park – Located outside of Ithaca, this state park has a natural swimming area and a gorge trail with a dozen waterfalls.
Finger Lakes Wine Trail – This area is especially known for Riesling, and it couldn’t be easier to build your custom wine trail itinerary for Seneca Lake Wine Trail, Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, or Keuka Lake Wine Trail. You’ll also find several transportation companies available with pre-set or custom wine trail options.
Cayuga Nature Center – Walk scenic nature trails and climb the 6 story treehouse.
Harriet Tubman Home – Learn about this famous American and her work with the Underground Railroad.
Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion – Tour the historic Queen Anne mansion built in 1887 and beautiful formal gardens.
Take A Boat Tour – Seneca, Cayuga, and Keuka Lakes all have amazing water recreation, from sailing tours to kayak rentals.
Book a Unique Tour – Horseback riding, hot air ballooning, or a fishing charter… what would make your trip to the Finger Lakes complete?
Wander Charming Small Towns – Antiquing, admiring beautiful homes, and farm to table dining are all popular things to do in the Finger Lakes.
Attend a Festival – The Fingers Lakes New York are filled with festivals throughout the year, from an Ice Wine Festival in Fairport to a Celtic Faire in Mumford. A few of the most popular festivals you might want to plan a trip to the Finger Lakes around are the Naples Grape Festival, the Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival, the Canandaigua Music Festival, the Festival of Balloons in Dansville, and the Keuka Arts Festival in Penn Yan.
New York State Parks Camping
Many of the New York State Parks in the Finger Lakes offer camping, including: Watkins Glen State Park, Letchworth State Park, Stony Brook State Park, Keuka Lake State Park, Seneca Lake State Park, Cayuga Lake State Park, Long Point State Park, Filmore Glen State Park, Taughannock Falls State Park, and Buttermilk Falls State Park.
One perk we really appreciated about New York State Parks camping was that your state park entry was included in your camping reservation, not just for the state park you were staying at, but for any New York State Park. For example, when we stayed at Letchworth State Park, we were able to visit Stony Brook State Park without paying an additional entrance fee that day.
Watkins Glen State Park
This state park is the centerpiece of the lovely Finger Lakes New York State Parks, with a total of 19 waterfalls in a winding 2 mile gorge walk. The Rainbow Falls viewpoint of the Watkins Glen gorge trail is an iconic spot and especially beautiful on sunny afternoons, although beautiful sights can be seen throughout the entire walk.
Watkins Glen State Park is located right in the heart of the town of Watkins Glen, making it a central place both to visit and to camp during your trip to the Finger Lakes.
Watkins Glen weather in the summer is warm and pleasant with temperatures averaging between 70 and 85 degrees. Evenings and early mornings are cooler. We visited Watkins Glen State Park in early October and enjoyed highs in the 60s and 70s during our visit. We did all our hiking in the early morning, so we dressed warmly.
Tips for Visiting Watkins Glen
The Watkins Glen gorge trail is a very popular hike. You can access the trail from the visitor center area right in town, which has 2 small adjacent parking lots. Or you can use the south entrance of Watkins Glen State Park and park there. Either way, you will want to arrive early in the day to avoid crowds on the winding gorge trail. Weekday mornings can also be less crowded. We finished our 2 mile loop hike around 10 am, as many people were arriving to walk the gorge.
During the peak season, the park will offer a shuttle so that visitors can enjoy a one-way walk through the gorge. The park charges per person for the shuttle, so some visitors prefer to drop off most of their party at the trailhead and have only the vehicle’s driver ride the shuttle. If the shuttle is not running, the Watkins Glen gorge trail map offers options for making the hike into either a 2 mile or 3 mile loop.
There are over 800 stairs along the Watkins Glen gorge trail, which sounds intimidating, but we stopped frequently to admire the waterfalls and take pictures and most staircases aren’t too tall, so we didn’t really notice the number of stairs. If you’re doing the hike as a loop, you can take Mile Point Bridge like we did and cross over to the wooded upper trail, which eliminates the 180 steps of Jacob’s Ladder at the end of the gorge hike.
Watkins Glen State Park Camping
We highly recommend Watkins Glen State Park camping if you can book a site, because staying inside the park helped us get on the gorge trail early and beat the crowds. Other Watkins Glen camping options include the Watkins Glen KOA and Clute Memorial Park.
Watkins Glen Hotel
If you won’t be camping during your Finger Lakes vacation, here are a few hotels in Watkins Glen you might enjoy: Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel is located right at the edge of the lake. Or choose a romantic bed and breakfast like Idlwilde Inn or Hudson Manor Bed and Breakfast.
Things To Do in Watkins Glen
In addition to the Watkins Glen gorge trail, this charming town has much to offer visitors. The town is probably best known for the Watkins Glen International Speedway, which draws many racing enthusiasts each year. Here are some other things to do in Watkins Glen:
Seneca Lake Wine Trail – Numerous wineries, breweries, and distilleries are located around Seneca Lake and the area is well known for its Riseling. Local transportation companies offer tours for an easy and enjoyable day trip.
Corning Museum of Glass – Just a 30 minute drive from Watkins Glen, the impressive glass exhibits at this museum are worth a visit.
Boating on Seneca Lake – Take a boat tour with Captain Bill’s Seneca Lake Cruises, a sail with Seneca Lake Sailing Adventures, or rent a kayak and paddle to see Hector Falls from the water.
Drive the Seneca Lake Scenic Byway – Drive from Clute Park in Watkins Glen to Lodi along 414 north. This is one of the best things to do in Watkins Glen when the leaves are at their peak.
Apples & Moore – If your Finger Lakes vacation is in the fall, this farm offers over 20 varieties of apples during the season as well as cider and donuts.
If you haven’t had enough of waterfalls yet, here are some additional outdoor things to do near Watkins Glen. Take a short drive south to the village of Montour Falls, driving past Aunt Sarah’s Falls and Shequaga Falls, both of which can be seen from the road. These waterfalls are best viewed after rain, especially Aunt Sarah’s Falls. Eagle Cliff Falls in Havana Glen Park is also a beautiful spot to visit and a very short trail. Entrance fee applies.
Letchworth State Park
Letchworth State Park weather in the summer is ideal for hiking and outdoor recreation, averaging in the mid 70s and low 80s. Fall temperature is cooler and the vibrant leaves are worth bundling up for.
This gorgeous state park doesn’t get as much national attention as Watkins Glen State Park, but it is truly spectacular and a local favorite. Given the nickname “Grand Canyon of the East”, Letchworth State Park features 3 major waterfalls through a deep gorge.
Tips for Visiting Letchworth State Park
Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls are all connected by the Gorge Trail, but we recommend hiking down to Lower Falls separately from Upper and Middle Falls to split one long out and back hike into 2 shorter ones. The best view of Lower Falls is from the pedestrian bridge across the Genesee River. Inspiration Point and Big Bend are two lovely overlooks we also recommend stopping at.
If you enjoy hiking, Letchworth State Park has over 66 miles of trails, both along the gorge and through the surrounding forests. Make sure to pick up a park map to help with your planning.
Don’t miss the Humphrey Nature Center and Autism Nature Trail. The trail has fun exploration station for visitors to enjoy.
Letchworth State Park Camping
This is a great state park to camp in! My parents stayed in one of the Letchworth State Park cabins and we booked one of the many campsites in the state park. This is a pretty rural area, so there aren’t a lot of RV options outside of Letchworth State Park camping. The Letchworth State Park cabins offer a range of amenities in the different cabin loops, with some cabins being more rustic than others.
Nearby, RVs and tent campers can book a site at Silver Lake Campground. Cabins, tiny homes, and tents are available at Silverlaken.
Stay Near Letchworth at Hotels in Castile, Silver Springs, or Perry
Booking a room at the Glen Iris Inn at Letchworth State Park puts you just steps away from the path to Middle Falls. The closest hotels and home rentals outside of the park are in Perry, NY, about a 20 minute drive to the Lower Falls parking lot.
Things To Do Near Letchworth State Park
Balloons over Letchworth – Take a sunrise balloon excursion inside the park!
William Pryor Letchworth Museum – Learn about the history of the park in this small museum.
Mount Morris Dam – Free guided tours available to park visitors.
Genesee Valley Greenway – Hike or bike this 90 mile rails-to-trail.
Arcade and Attica Railroad – Take a 2 hour train ride through the beautiful countryside.
Castile Cider Mill & Three Falls Cider – If you’re visiting in the fall, pick up some cider fry cakes and cold pressed cider.
Silver Lake Twin Drive-In – Step back in time and enjoy a drive in movie.
Silver Lake – Rent a pontoon boat or paddleboards from Silver Lake Marine.
Hidden Valley Animal Adventure – Drive through the animal park and enjoy feeding a variety of animals.
Stony Brook State Park – Just 40 minutes away from Letchworth State Park, the gorge trail here is gorgeous!
Watkins Glen State Park & 30 Other Things To Do in the Finger Lakes
