Finger Lakes - Day 1 Itinerary

Day 1

Taughannock Falls - one of the highest waterfalls in New York, this waterfall cascades 215ft through the shale, limestone and sandstone that used to make up an ancient lake that covered the finger lake region. The name “Taughannock” comes from the Iroquois and Algonquin tribes and means “the great fall in the woods.”

🏞️Taughannock Falls Gorge Trailhead - 1 hr easy

hike (time included there and back). Parking is across the street and is $10

🏞️Taughannock Falls Overlook View Point - 4 min drive up the gorge to see the falls from above

Hector Falls - this gigantic waterfall stems from the hector falls creek and follows into Seneca Lake. Only the widest portion that overlooks Seneca Lake is accessible to be viewed (the rest is private property). The falls back in the day powered a wool and later a grist mill. They were named just like the town of Hector after Richard Ely’s (the founder of the town) son.

🏞️Hector Fall Viewing Point - viewed on route

414 shoulder parking. Coordinates -

NY-414 : N 42.41802 / W 76.86677

Corning - this cute little town could be a day trip in of itself. From its beautiful bridges to its picturesque streets this town is a must see stop. Have lunch in one of its cute cafes. Popular choices include - Aniello’s Pizzeria, Old World Cafe, Hand and Foot Cafe.

🏞️Corning Museum of Glass - definitely a must see while in Corning. If you can make up time with early hikes, this museum is worth spending 2-3 hours at. Not only does it discuss glass history and making, but also has glass art pieces from all over the world that date up to 3500 years old. They also have glass making where you can make a glass pumpkin or vase for an extra fee.

Watkins Glen State Park - by far one of the highlights of our trip, this beautiful park with its 400ft deep gorge and 19 waterfall is a sight to see. There is an official parking lot by the entrance as well as $10 paid parking lots and lots of free street parking for those who don’t mind a 5-10min walk.

🏞️Watkins Glen Gorge Trail - a beautiful but challenging hike with 832 steps. This trail takes 1hr and 10 min, however given you’ll likely be snapping pictures like us I would allot 2 hrs. If running short on time I would at least go halfway till the Rainbow falls as this hits most of the main highlights. For a more ambitious travel crew, you could easily spend a whole day here exploring all 3 of the main trials.

Seneca Lake - the biggest finger lake, this lake was formed more than 2 million years ago when glaciers carved these formations into the ground. The “scratches” that formed, filled with water when the glaciers melted, forming the finger lakes we know today. The word Seneca stems from the Seneca tribe of the Iroquois nation and translates as the “great hill people.”

🏞️Pier House Seneca Lake Watkins Glen - end the day by watching the sun set over the lake. Lots of restaurant options here but make sure to either come early and expect a 1 hr wait or book a reservation. Some popular places with lake front dining include Pier House, Seneca Harbor Station and Blue Pointe Grille

**** Refer to the next post for day 2☺️

#fingerlakes #upstatenewyork #travel #itinerary #Wanderlust