Eleven finger-shaped lakes cross the Center of upstate New York in this region of refreshing waterfalls and deep gorges, sun-kissed vineyards, delicious eateries and a booming wine industry!
At the end of the last ice age, over one hundred-thousand years ago, massive glaciers advanced southward from Canada, carving deep trenches in the earth. As the earth warmed and the glaciers receded, the trenches filled with water and formed what we now know as the Finger Lakes.
The eleven Finger Lakes range in length from 40 miles (Cayuga Lake) to only 3 miles (Canadice Lake) and in depth from 618 feet (Seneca Lake) to just 30 feet (Honeoye Lake), and are beloved for their natural beauty. The deep waters of the largest lakes, combined with the steep slopes of their hillsides, create a “micro-climate” ideal for wine production, which attracts wine makers and enthusiasts from all over the world to the region.
Some of the lakes are well developed with booming tourism industries and are dotted with quaint towns and villages, while some lakes are pristine and undeveloped with miles of peaceful, picturesque hiking and biking trails.
