Top Ten Reasons to Bicycle the Finger Lakes in Upper New York State

My love for cycling in the Finger Lakes began in 1979 while touring college campuses. I was not only taken by the beautiful Cornell Campus but I was inspired by the incredibly picturesque landscapes that surround it. My decision was easy, Cornell was not only going to be a great place to attend school but it was going to be an incredible destination to enjoy and expand my passion for bicycling. 

While at Cornell, I not only studied anthropology, I poured over maps of the area and began exploring all the roads within a 50-mile bike ride radius of campus – the endless cornfields, vineyards, the huge expansive lakes, the quaint villages, and the super quiet country roads kept always adventuring after classes and on weekends. 

Its undulated terrain and big open skies found a place in my heart and stirred my curiosity. Home to almost 100 wineries and breweries, New York’s Finger Lakes region is also home to 11 pristine, glacial lakes, sparkling waterfalls, small farms, and magnificent parks! There are plenty of charming villages with one-of-a-kind museums and plenty of artisan shops. The Finger Lakes also has a rich cultural history with ties to glassmaking, winemaking and viticulture, aviation and motorcycle history, literary history, the Underground Railroad, and the Civil War. In addition to abundant small roads with smooth and quiet cycling, the Finger Lakes provides unique cultural experiences. 

Foodies will be in heaven as food producers in the Finger Lakes make some of the freshest meats, cheeses, and shelf products there is to be found. The small-scale farmers strive to use the best local ingredients and pride themselves in the expertise and care that’s put into their produce – tastings at the Keuka Creamery, beer samples at the Bottomless Brewing Craft Beer, and an exclusive visit to the Dr. Konstantine Frank Vineyard on Keuka Lake ranked one of the top 100 vineyards in the world and whose founder  Dr. Konstantin Frank “ignited the Vinifera Revolution a movement that forever changed the course of wine growing in the Finger Lakes and the United States.” 

If you are drawn to culinary meccas and wine-making regions like Tuscany, Piedmont, Napa Valley, and the South of France, then the Finger Lakes is a must-visit destination.

While there are so many reasons to cycle in the Finger Lakes, here are my top Ten Reason to experience this region on two wheels.

Reason #10: Wine tasting at the world-class Dr. Konstantin Frank vineyard.

Pedaling along the west side of Keuka Lake through the heart of the Finger Lakes wine country make sure to enjoy a special visit to Dr. Konstantin Frank Vineyard, one of the most prestigious and beloved wineries in the Finger Lakes and named one of the top 100 vineyards in the world! Dr. Frank introduced vinifera (classic European grape varieties) to the Eastern United States which ignited a winemaking renaissance in the region. Without the contributions of Dr. Frank, the Finger Lakes wine region would not be where it is today. The winery was established in 1962 and is now in its fourth generation of Frank family ownership. The winery’s tasting room overlooks beautiful Keuka Lake and some of the oldest vinifera vineyards in America.

Reason #9: At the end of your ride, visit the Women’s Rights National Historical Park, the Fight for Civil Rights that changed the world. 

The town of Seneca Falls, NY is located right in the heart of the Finger Lakes. Known as the “Historic Gateway to the Finger Lakes”, this village has always been ahead of its time. Historic Seneca Falls is famous for the Seneca Falls Convention, the first women’s rights convention in the United States. The meeting, held in July of 1848, launched the women’s suffrage movement, which more than seven decades later ensured women the right to vote. Spend the afternoon visiting the National Women’s Hall of Fame and don’t forget to grab a selfie on the bridge from the iconic movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life!” 

Reason #8: Bike an old rail line to edge of Taughannock Falls. 

A lovely 8 mile ride along a Rail Trail is part of the old line that was once the flagship passenger line of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Known as the Black Diamond Express, this luxury passenger service ran from New York to Buffalo from 1896 until 1959. Riding on this trail you experience a range of natural landscapes from a towering canopy of mature maple, hemlock, oak, and hickory, to views of pastoral agricultural lands, and dozens of ravines with the sounds of cascading waters all heading for the picturesque Cayuga Lake. The stone-dust path along the upland slopes of Cayuga Lake makes for an enjoyable spin to Taughannock Falls, the tallest single-drop waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. One of the outstanding natural attractions of the Northeast, the Fall plunges 215 feet past rocky cliffs that tower nearly 400 feet above the gorge. The gorge and rim trails offer spectacular views from above the falls and from below at the end of the gorge trail. 

Reason #7: Spin through Cornell University’s stunning campus, the Cornell plantation, along Beebe Lake and to the famous The Lab of Ornithology. 

Cornell, “high above Cayuga’s Waters” is beloved and famous for its vast and sweeping views of Lake Cayuga and the surrounding hills of the Finger Lakes. Founded as a private university and the land-grant institution of New York State in 1865, the distinctive blend of public and private colleges continues to make Cornell University the most educationally diverse university in the Ivy League. Cornell University is also one of the most beautiful campuses in the world with 745 acres nestled among woodlands, and waterfalls. This campus is nestled on a hillside above Cascadilla Gorge and multiple gorgeous waterfalls. On top of stunning natural beauty, Cornell has an eclectic mix of architecture styles, including ornate Collegiate Gothic, Victorian, Neoclassical buildings. And contemporary buildings, such as the Johnson Museum of Art designed by I. M. Pei and Partners.

Reason #6: Take a biking break at The Glenn Curtiss Museum, a vintage biker’s dream, named after the pioneer in aviation and bicycle frame builder. 

Curtiss was born in Hammondsport, New York, in 1878. Curtiss began his career as a bicycle messenger, bicycle racer, and bicycle-shop owner. In 1901, he developed an interest in motorcycles when internal-combustion engines became more available. He made his early reputation building and racing bikes and motorcycles, but in the early 1900s, he became fascinated with flight and turned his attention to building a flying machine. Five years after the Wright Brothers’ iconic flight, Curtiss announced his own. He took the “June Bug” up in the air and flew 5,000 feet. It was, according to the museum, the “first pre-announced, public flight in America.” Inside, the museum has a nice collection of aircraft, cars, boats, and motorcycles, Curtiss’ first great mechanical love. 

Reason #5: Hop off your bike and Explore Watkins Glen State Park and its 18 cascading waterfall and breathtaking gorges.

Watkins Glen is the most famous of the Finger Lakes State Parks. The Glen Creek drops 400 feet, between 200-foot cliffs, carving out 19 stunning waterfalls. It’s truly gorgeous! The centerpiece of the park is a 400-foot-deep narrow gorge cut through rock by a stream—Glen Creek—that was left hanging when glaciers of the Ice age deepened the Seneca valley. The scene is further enhanced by handsome stone staircases, arched bridges, and winding tunnels that weave up and through the scenic gorge.  The trail through the gorge is an awe-inspiring confluence of water’s persistent and powerful stone sculpting and a thoughtful merger of human craftsmanship.  Simply put, the gorge is a can’t-miss trail for waterfall lovers and anyone seeking to full complete their true Finger Lakes experience. 

Reason #4: Pedal through Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, a 10,000-acre wildlife preserve home to eagles, heron, snow geese, and much more.

This refuge serves as a major resting area for waterfowl and other waterbirds on their journeys to and from nesting areas in northeastern and east-central Canada. The Montezuma Marshes were named a National Natural Landmark in May 1973 and at the time was one of best examples of undisturbed swamp woodlands in the Northeast. The Algonquin People and later the Cayugas of the Iroquois Nation were the earliest known inhabitants to enjoy the bounties of life in the marsh. The name “Montezuma” was used in 1806 when Dr. Peter Clark named his home “Montezuma” after the palace of the Aztec Emperor Montezuma in Mexico City. Eventually the Marsh, the Village, and the Refuge all shared the name.

Reason #3: Have a museum break at the Ice Age Glacial Exhibit at the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca.

During the last Ice Age, the Finger Lakes region were covered by a glacier over two miles thick. This plate of ice sculpted the landscape, scratched rocky outcrops, and gouged deep V-shaped valleys that created the Finger Lakes. The Museum of the Earth, part of the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) features an exhibit devoted to educating visitors about this dynamic age of North America’s prehistory. Exhibits range from glacial connections to the Earth’s climate to their effects on flora, fauna, and geology.

Reason #2: Everywhere you ride and walk, see why “Ithaca is Gorges”.

With over 150 waterfalls and gorges within a 10-mile distance of downtown including Ithaca Falls in the heart of downtown, you can easily see why this place is as the beloved motto goes gorges (or gorgeous)! The area is simply a geological masterpiece where you can witness layers of the earth’s history on every gorge walk. If you are looking for the best waterfalls in the northeast, Ithaca is the place to spend time. And who can resist exploring gorges with names like Buttermilk, Horseshoe, Lucifer, Triphammer and the most beautiful Cascadilla, with its 1.3-mile trail passes six beautiful Ithaca waterfalls along with historic stone steps that were first constructed in the 1920s.

Reason #1: Ride past and along lakes, lakes and more lakes.

The 11 Finger Lakes — Conesus Lake, Hemlock Lake, Canadice Lake, Honeoye Lake, Canandaigua Lake, Keuka Lake, Seneca Lake, Cayuga Lake, Owasco Lake, Skaneateles Lake and Otisco Lake — offer a unique and delightful topography for bicycling as you are either biking rolling roads from lake to lake or hopefully catching a tailwind along the lovely shores of a lake. These lakes were created by the retreat of massive glaciers that covered the Northeast. Yet despite the lakes’ ancient presence, the first record of the Finger Lakes being referred to as such only dates back to the 1800s. And yet, the 11 lakes that resemble fingers laying a handprint across Central New York have existed for more than two million years, giving life, beauty, and amazing cycling routes to this fantastic region.