CAYUGA LAKE

Length: 38 miles
Width: 3.5 miles
Depth: 435 feet
Counties: Tompkins, Cayuga, and Seneca Counties,
Towns: Ithaca and Seneca Falls

Cayuga Lake, the longest of the Finger Lakes, is surrounded by year-round lake homes, vacation rentals, and wineries, offering gorgeous opportunities for a lakeside getaway in the heart of New York’s Wine Region. Dozens of wineries and breweries circle the lake and a drive along the Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway offers a scenic tour of some of New York’s award-winning wineries. Crossing three counties (Seneca, Cayuga and Tompkins Counties), Cayuga Lake stretches for nearly 40 miles from historic Seneca Falls to beautiful Ithaca, New York.

HIGHLIGHTS OF CAYUGA LAKE

Buttonwood Grove Winery

Enjoy excellent wines and wonderful views from the multi-level deck at Buttonwood Grove

Cayuga Lake Vacation Rentals

Find the perfect place for your lakeside getaway with Finger Lakes Premiere Properties

Shepherdess Cellars

Located on the west side of Cayuga Lake, Shepherdess Cellars offers “well balanced, thoughtful wines”. Stop in to enjoy some excellent selections.

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things to do – on cayuga lake

Boating

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Fishing

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Swimming

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things to do – around cayuga lake

Biking

Like most of the Finger Lakes, the area around Cayuga Lake is good for bicyclists. There are no marked biking trails on the lake, but the 101-mile circuit around the lake is a popular road route. Several organizations host annual rides including the Cayuga Lake Triathlon which takes place mid August.

Hiking

There are some great places to hike around Cayuga Lake, many of which afford the opportunity to see breathtaking waterfalls.

Robert Treman State Park

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Taughannock Falls State Park

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Cayuga Nature Center

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For the complete list of hiking trails see our Cayuga Lake Hiking guide.

Parks

Cayuga Lake has several state parks that surround the lake, giving access to boating, kayaking, camping, swimming and other amenities.

Harris Park

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Robert Treman State Park

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Taughannock Falls State Park

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Montezuma Wildlife Refuge

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Waterfalls

Waterfalls, Gullies and other natural springs are peppered around Cayuga lake. Most require a short hike but others have lookout points like Taughannock Falls.

Taughannock Falls

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 Robert Treman State Park

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Ludlow Falls

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ARTS & CULTURE

Nothing says eclectic quite like Ithaca and the arts & culture scene there is a prime example. Stroll through art galleries, take in their street art or catch one of their live music nights. Ithaca has a couple of performing arts centers including the Hangar theater which is one part renovated airplane hangar, and one part professional theater.

For a family friendly outing, visit the Museum of the Earth. A 8,000 permanent exhibition that takes you on a journey through 45 billion years of history. Hands-on visual exhibitions include North Atlantic Right Whale, mastodon skeletons as well as a live coral reef tank. PRO TIP: Get the Wine and Travel Card App for Buy One Get One on admission.

 

Check out everything Ithaca has to offer in our Towns & Villages- Ithaca guide.

 

Seneca Falls is the home of Women’s Rights. There’s a national historic park and a hall of fame dedicated to the Suffrage movement. Read more about Seneca Falls museums and historical sights in our Towns & Villages- Seneca Falls guide

EVENTS

Ithaca has a very active events calendar from cooking/baking demos and competitions to live entertainment, marathons, kids events and more. The Ithaca Festival, one of the largest festivals where over 100 local and regional artists showcase their work, over 70 performances throughout the city on various stages, plus craft foods and beverages to sample and bring home.

 

Seneca Falls- Every year the town celebrates with an It’s A Wonderful Life Festival in December where cast members and other special guests associated with the film give a guest appearance. There is also a, “Its a Wonderful Life” museum that is open all year round. See their page for more details.

SITE SEEING

Seneca Falls

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Women’s Rights National Historical Park

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National Women’s Hall of Fame

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Anthony-Stanton Statue

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Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway

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WINERIES & BREWERIES

Cayuga Lake is surrounded by wineries and breweries, most with beautiful scenic vistas of the lake. There are currently a total of 25 wineries to visit near Cayuga Lake, Thirteen of those are on the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail. The Cayuga Lake Wine Trail is the oldest wine trail in the United States. Started by Mary Plane of Cayuga Vineyards (since renamed Cayuga Ridge) in the early 1980s, the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail has blossomed into a string of highly regarded vineyards. As the winemaking industry has grown, so has the Cayuga Wine Trail.

 

Save before you visit:  Download the Wine & Travel Card  app on your phone and enjoy discounts at the following Cayuga Lake area destinations (plus dozens more in the region).

WINERIES & TRAVEL CARD PARTNERS:

Liquid State Brewing Co.(North Shore & Cayuga Lake locations)- Receive a free soft pretzel with your purchase of $12 or more

Bet The Farm- 15% off a 6+ wine bottle purchase or 20% off case purchase.

Shepherdess Cellars- Buy one tasting, get one free. Plus 15% off wine bottle purchases.

Hosmer Winery- Save $5 off a $30+ wine bottle purchase.

Sixty-Eighty Cellars- Receive 50% off tastings for up to two people ($12.50)

Buttonwood Grove Winery- Buy one / Get one free wine tasting Lakeshore Winery- Two free wine tastings. Plus 15% off wine bottle purchase.

Montezuma Winery- Save $5 off a $40+ wine bottle purchase.

Treleaven Wines- One free wine or beer tasting. Plus 10% off a 3+ wine bottle purchase.

Fleur De Lis Brew Works – Save 15% off your pint purchase

 

 

Muranda Cheese Company- 10% off cheese purchase

Lively Run Goat Dairy- 10% off cheese purchase

Sidehill Acres Goat Farm- 15% off cheese purchase

links & more

Cayuga Lake Boating Guide

Cayuga Lake Fishing Guide

NYS DEC Cayuga Lake Fishing

Finger Lakes Swimming guide