SENECA LAKE

Length: 38 miles

Width: approx 3 miles

Depth: 618 feet

Nearby Towns: Towns of Geneva, Lodi, Romulus, Milo, Hector and Watkins Glen

Seneca Lake, once part of the proud Seneca Nation, is among the most popular of the Finger Lakes of New York, with natural scenic beauty and beloved destinations and attractions, from the Seneca Lake Wine Trail to the race track at Watkins Glen.The hills that surround Seneca Lake are dotted with vineyards that cover hundreds of well-tended, picturesque acres, and its beautiful waters draw sports enthusiasts from all over, who come to enjoy boating, fishing, sailing, and swimming.Quaint towns and villages line the shores of Seneca Lake, including beautiful Geneva at the northern tip of the lake.

PLAN YOUR VISIT TO SENECA LAKE

Seneca Vacation Rentals

Seneca Lake Hotels & Lodging

Things to do

Seneca Lake Wineries

HIGHLIGHTS OF SENECA LAKE

Belhurst Castle & Winery

Ventosa Vineyards

Wine Travel Card

Climbing Bines Hop Farm

Finger Lakes Distilling

Toast Winery

THINGS TO DO – ON SENECA LAKE

Boating on Seneca Lake

Take a sunset Boat Cruise or afternoon excursion on one of Seneca Lake’s scheduled tours. Or you can Rent a boat and explore the region. There are several boat launch sites and marinas across all four counties that surround Seneca Lake. To find out where they are located and get more details of what you will find at each one, check out our Seneca Lake Boating Guide.

Fishing

Fishing on Seneca Lake

Charter a fishing boat with a professional to help you find the best fishing spots on the lake. Trout (especially brown trout and rainbow trout) is a prime catch all over Seneca Lake. See our Seneca Lake Fishing Guide for more information on the different types of fish you could catch and other tips. 

 

Finger Lakes Swimming

Swimming in Seneca Lake

The northern end of Seneca Lake is home to Seneca Lake State Park which has a spray park along with the swimming area. On the east side of the lake, just north of the Finger Lakes National Forest is Sampson State Park, the largest park in the finger lakes which also has a designated swimming area. Clute Memorial Park can be found in Watkins Glen, and has free admission to their swimming area at the east side of the park. To see the full list of swimming locations, check out our Finger Lakes Swimming Guide.

THINGS TO DO – AROUND SENECA LAKE

Parks / Hiking

Watkins Glen State Park
Address: 1009 N Franklin St, Watkins Glen, NY 14891
Trail Map: https://parks.ny.gov
Watkins Glen State Park is a beautiful canyon with waterfalls galore, and it’s very popular with visitors as a result. In 2015 Watkins Glen State Park won third place in USA TODAY Readers’ Choice Poll for Best State Park in the United States. It has a full range of amenities including: Biking, Campsites, Cabins & Lodging, Hiking, Hunting, swimming pool and of course what its best known for is its waterfalls. There is a vehicle entrance fee. The park is open year round but we recommend checking their website for pool, camping, and trail opening dates.

Hector Land Use Area
Address: Trumansburg, NY 14886
Less well-known, but certainly worth your time, is the Hector Land Use Area—it has 25 miles of hiking trails and a handful of campsites.

The Keuka Lake Outlet Trail
Address: 1032 Hopeton Rd, Penn Yan, NY 14527
Website: https://www.keukaoutlettrail.org/
Trail Maps: https://www.keukaoutlettrail.org/maps
The Keuka Lake Outlet Trail, which connects Keuka Lake to Seneca Lake, is a great hiking trail that runs along abandoned railroad tracks from Penn Yan to Dresden. The five mile trail winds past old mills that have long since fallen into disuse and two stunning waterfalls that are very much still alive.

The Keuka Lake State Park
Address: 3560 Pepper Road, Bluff Point, NY 14478
Website:https://parks.ny.gov/parks/67
The Keuka Lake State Park, near Penn Yan in Bluff Point, has some nice hiking trails and plenty of other attractions as well.

Finger Lakes National Forest
Address: Hector Ranger Station at 5218 State Route 414, Hector, NY 14841
Telephone: 607-546-4470
Website: Finger Lakes National Forest  / NYS-DEC Finger Lakes National Forest
The Finger Lakes National Forest, a 15,000 acre woodland in Hector, NY, offers hiking trails, horse trails, camping and fishing, as well as cross-country skiing and snowmobiling in winter. It’s also New York State’s only national forest and has over 30 miles of interconnecting trails that traverse gorges, ravines, pastures and woodlands. The Interlaken Trail, a 12-mile marked trail that runs past two ponds and traverses varied terrain, is one of the trails to check out.

Sampson State Park
Address: 6096 Route 96ARomulus, NY 14541
Phone: (315) 585-6392
Website: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/154/
Trail Map: https://parks.ny.gov/documents/parks/SampsonSampsonTrailGuide.pdf 
On the east side of the lake, just north of the Finger Lakes National Forest is Sampson State Park, the largest park in the finger lakes! Here there is a designated swimming area, along with an abundance of other accommodations. 

Waterfalls

Watkins Glen State Park
Address: 1009 N Franklin St, Watkins Glen, NY 14891
Here you will find 19 waterfalls created by the glen’s stream which descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs. 

SheQuaGa Falls
Address:109 S Genesee St, Montour Falls, NY 14865
In Montour Falls, just south of Watkins Glen, check out the stunning SheQuaGa Falls. The Falls are lit up at night, and the view from downtown Montour Falls is breathtaking.

Hector Falls
Address:3835 NY-414, Burdett, NY 14818
Located north of Watkins Glen in the town of Hector, Hector falls boasts over 165ft cascading waterfalls that pour into Seneca Falls.The lower portions of the falls are on private property and only visible to the public from the lake. 

Aunt Sarah’s Falls
Address: 307 N Catherine St, Montour Falls, NY 14865
Aunt Sarah’s Falls is well over several hundred feet tall from the top of the gorge but the top 2/3rds is not visible or accessible. Only the bottom 90 ft are visible from the road.

Eagle Cliff Falls
Address: 135 Havana Glen Rd, Montour Falls, NY 14865

Havana Glen Park, where you will find Eagle Cliff Falls, is located at the south end of the village of Montour Falls. As you walk towards Eagle Cliff you’ll find numerous small cascades along the way to the larger 41ft high waterfall. Once there, you can walk behind the falls and in the shallow pool below it. There is a small admission fee during peak season.

Biking

The area around Seneca Lake is especially good for bicyclists, as a well-maintained bike path lines the eastern and western shores of the lake. The Seneca Lake Loop is a 77-mile route, with Lakeshore Park in Geneva, being the most convenient starting and ending point. It’s a moderate ride, with only one grade to climb coming out of Watkins Glen.

Wine

The Finger Lakes is the largest and most well-regarded winemaking region in the eastern United States, and it owes much of its acclaim to the depth of the lakes, the steep slopes of the surrounding hills, and the moderate climate. These and other factors make for top-notch viticulture in the Finger Lakes. Many varieties thrive in this climate, but the Finger Lakes Rieslings are especially esteemed by oenophiles. 
Seneca Lake has some of the most beautiful vineyards that stretch for hundreds of acres on the sloping hills that ring the lake. The Seneca Wine Trail draws more than half a million visitors each year to sample the fruits of the local vintners’ labors. Visitors enjoy tasting events, harvest celebrations, and food and wine pairings throughout the year. 

Farmers Markets abound in the Finger Lakes, as well as U-Pick Farms, and opportunities for open farm tours. The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, part of Cornell University’s Agricultural College, offers tours through the university.

RELATED PAGES

Seneca Lake Boating

Seneca Lake Fishing Guide

Seneca Lake Fishing

Seneca Lake Hotels

Seneca Lake Wine

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FingerLakes.com is your complete guide to the entire Finger Lakes region of New York State--from wine trails to hiking trails and fishing to skiing.