Finger Lakes Region of New York

Continuing our trek across New York state from west to east, brought us to the Finger Lakes region. The Finger Lakes are a series of eleven narrow lakes south of Lake Ontario. Although the lakes are no more than 3.5 miles across, they are up to 38 miles long and over 600 feet deep. Those are some long skinny fingers!

We stayed in Watkins Glen, NY at the southern edge of Seneca Lake because this was on the doorstep of our primary attractions, Watkins Glen State Park. So no need to delay, let’s start there. I’ve said it a dozen times and now I’ll put it in print, the Gorge Trail at Watkins Glen State Park was probably the most magnificent 2 mile hike (walk) I’ve ever taken. And if you’ve been following us over the past nine months or so, you understand the significance of that statement.

Watkins Glen State Park is the perfect harmony of man and nature. The Gorge trail traverses through the deep gorge and along 19 (yes 1-9) waterfalls. The construction of the stone walkway and steps throughout the trail allows you to experience the magnificent beauty but in a very natural way. The pathway seems to be made from similar natural material as the gorge itself, so it all flows together in a very harmonious way and doesn’t take away from the natural beauty at all, in fact it enhances it.

Don’t let the 800 stone steps deter you, the walk is gradual and you are so mesmerized by the incredible beauty… well who’s counting anyway. The trail takes you over bridges, through cutouts in the rocks and, in some cases, behind the waterfalls. The beauty is stunning, and I applaud the descendants of John Watkins and the state of New York for their vision and means of preserving nature.

TIP: The park encourages you to take the Rim Trail back to avoid head-to-head combat on the narrow Gorge Trail with folks going both directions. This is good advice… which we didn’t follow since it was not crowded when we where there. I’m told the Rim Trail doesn’t have a view of the gorge, so we figured why not experience the beauty twice if you can.

OK, so I started out talking about the vast area of eleven lakes, so I suspect you’re expecting to hear more. Well, there is a lot more, much more than we had time to explore, in fact. Since we love waterfalls, we decided to do some further exploring of the area. So, let’s cover the highlights.

Shequaga Falls:

Ever think about how cool it would be to live next door to a waterfall? Well Shequga Falls is actually right in a small residential neighborhood in the town of Montour Falls. Think, empty lot between two houses. This “empty lot” made park provides easy access to the 165′ tall waterfall. Pretty cool and a very short distance from Watkins Glen.

Eagle Cliff Falls:

The short trail to Eagle Cliff Falls starts at the back of Havana Glen Park. Although there are a couple of hairy parts of the trail, it is very doable and short. There are multi-levels to the falls so the hike there is equally as beautiful as the main attraction. The main falls is in a secluded area within a gorge. Somewhere you just want to hang out for… a day or two.

Deckertown Falls:

Just a little further up the road is Deckertown Falls. This trail goes through thicker woods and therefore views of the series of falls is a bit more obscured. For those (included you know who) who like doing a little “trail improvising” will get treated to some additional viewing points. When you get to the bridge, you’re at the end. Please be respectful of the private property adjacent to the trail.

Taughannock Falls:

Our last stop took us to the Cayuga Lake area and Taughannock State Park to see the namesake falls. There are two ways to see these falls and I would recommend doing both in the order of your preference. There is a great viewing spot from the Falls Overlook, which is right off of a parking area. This is the perfect photo opt spot. We then took the Gorge Trail (about 1.5 miles up and back) for a closeup view of the falls. This is a maintained trail that goes along a river bed and ends at the open gorge area. You’re then standing in the gorge with the 215′ waterfalls cascading down in front of you. Talk about feeling small!

For some off the trails leisure time, I highly recommend checking out the Seneca Lodge, outside of Watkins Glen, a landmark for vacationers, sportsmen and racing enthusiasts for more than 50 years. Although we can’t speak to the lodge or restaurant first hand, the nostalgic tavern has a lot of interesting history to it. Watkins Glen has a long history of auto racing and much memorabilia is on display in the Seneca Lodge Tavern Room. When you belly up to the bar you will notice all the arrows in the wall behind the bartender, be sure to ask about the history of this as well. I won’t spoil it for you but it’s a very interesting story to say the least.

We found several good places to eat in Watkins Glen. Specifically (and to our surprise) we really enjoyed the Thai Elephants for some authentic Thai food. Additionally, Horseheads Brewing is a great place for a bite or beverage, overlooking Seneca Lake.

We feel we just hit the tip of the iceberg on this short trip to the Finger Lakes region. The beautiful lakes, rolling hills, quaint towns and local wineries makes this an area that you can easily spend a couple weeks in. On the other hand, a day trip to Watkins Glen State Park alone would be well worth the journey.

Take care and see you down the road a piece. Oh, and don’t forget to check out all of our great pictures from the Finger Lakes region.