Outdoors
Scenic Drives Around the Finger Lakes
There are two kinds of road here. Shore roads run close to the water, flat and slow, with the lake appearing between houses. Ridge roads climb the land between the lakes and give you the long view. A good day uses both.
What is the best drive around Keuka Lake?
The full loop, taken slowly. Because Keuka is Y-shaped you have to go around Bluff Point between the two arms, which makes the circuit roughly two hours of driving without stops. With stops it fills a comfortable day.
Run it anti-clockwise from Hammondsport and you have the water on your right most of the way up the west side, which is the better direction for pulling over. We describe the quiet half in our guide to the west branch.
Where are the best views?
From the ridge roads rather than the shore. Bluff Point, the high ground dividing the two arms of Keuka, looks down both branches at once. The slopes above the west shore give you the lake with vineyard rows in the foreground.
We wrote about the point itself, and why the lake is shaped the way it is, in a separate guide.
Getting the timing right
- Morning light works on the west shore, evening light on the east.
- Autumn is the obvious season, and the roads are busiest then.
- Shore roads are narrow with few places to pull over. Plan your stops.
- Allow twice the time the map suggests. That is the point of the drive.
What about between the lakes?
The country between Keuka and Seneca is farmland and ridge, and the roads crossing it are quieter than either shore. It is about twenty minutes between the two lakes at their southern ends, through hills rather than along water.
Our guide to the wineries near Watkins Glen covers that crossing and what sits at either end of it.
On the west shore, where the loop passes. A good place to stop halfway round.
How long does it take to drive around Keuka Lake?
About two hours without stops. The Y shape means going around Bluff Point rather than cutting across.
Which side of Keuka Lake is more scenic?
The west side is quieter with the road closer to the water for longer. The east side carries more traffic and reaches Penn Yan faster.
Are the roads difficult?
Narrow in places, with few passing spots and no lighting after dark, but not difficult in daylight. Take them slowly.
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.
