Planning your visit
Which Finger Lake Should You Visit?
Eleven lakes sound like a lot of choice until you look at the map and realise how far apart the ends of them are. Almost everyone who comes here for a weekend sees one lake properly, or two badly. The first decision is which.
How many Finger Lakes are there?
Eleven, running roughly north to south across central New York. Four carry most of the visiting: Seneca, Cayuga, Canandaigua and Keuka. The rest are smaller and quieter, with far less built around them.
They were cut by the same glaciers, which is why they look alike on a map. What differs is size, depth and what has grown up on the shores.
Which lake suits which trip?
Seneca for the most wineries and the gorge at Watkins Glen. Cayuga for Ithaca and its waterfalls. Canandaigua for the closest approach from Rochester. Keuka for the shortest drives and the quietest day, and because it is where the region's wine began.
The size difference is the practical one. Around Seneca or Cayuga you spend real time in the car between stops. Around Keuka you do not, which changes how much of the day is actually spent somewhere.
A quick answer
- One day, first visit: Keuka, for short distances and an unhurried pace.
- Two days, want variety: Seneca, or Seneca plus Keuka.
- Waterfalls and gorges: Seneca at Watkins Glen, or Cayuga at Ithaca.
- Coming from Rochester with limited time: Canandaigua.
What makes Keuka different?
Its shape. Keuka is the only Y-shaped lake in the region, with two northern arms divided by the ridge of Bluff Point. That gives it more shoreline and more slope aspects for its size, and it is why the vineyards here are so concentrated.
We go into the geography properly in our Keuka Lake facts, and we compare it directly with its bigger neighbour in Keuka or Seneca.
Can you see more than one?
Over several days, comfortably. The southern ends of Keuka and Seneca are about twenty minutes apart, so a base at either reaches both. Trying to add a third lake to a weekend usually means seeing none of them properly.
Our two-day plan around Keuka shows what an unhurried version looks like.
On the east shore of Keuka, the smallest of the four and the easiest to see in a day.
Which Finger Lake is the biggest?
Seneca is the longest and deepest. Cayuga is close behind. Keuka is considerably smaller than either.
Which is best for a first visit?
Keuka, if you have a single day and want to be unhurried. Seneca, if you have longer and want the widest choice of stops.
How far apart are the lakes?
Their southern ends are close, roughly twenty minutes between Keuka and Seneca. The northern ends are much further apart.
Written by
The Domaine LeSeurre Team
Céline & Sébastien LeSeurre and the team at Domaine LeSeurre — a family winery on Keuka Lake, in Hammondsport, New York. French roots, Finger Lakes soul.
