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A few million years ago, according to Native American legend, the Great Spirit descended to Earth, leaving behind the marks of his fingers and creating eleven lakes. Or perhaps it was the work of evil spirits, since the lakes resemble the giant claw marks of a fierce predator. That's one of the legends explaining the origin of the Finger Lakes. In reality, the lakes were formed during the last Ice Age, when massive glaciers carved deep valleys and gorges into the landscape. As the ice retreated, these depressions filled with water, creating the Finger Lakes and the region's countless waterfalls.
The Finger Lakes lie within one of New York State's most scenic protected regions, known for its crystal-clear lakes, cascading waterfalls, rolling hills, and dramatic gorges. These landscapes inspired Mark Twain, who spent summers in the area, and James Fenimore Cooper, whose Native American stories were shaped by the beauty of this region.
We were lucky enough to visit in the fall, when the explosion of autumn colors makes the Finger Lakes even more breathtaking. Would you like to join us as we explore some of the region's most beautiful places, visit the cabin where Mark Twain worked, descend into fascinating caves, and explore the largest glass museum in the world?
Day 1
Our journey began with a visit to Watkins Glen State Park, arguably the most beautiful place in the Finger Lakes region.
The gorge was carved during the last Ice Age, when powerful streams of meltwater cut their way through the rock, creating the dramatic and intricate formations you see today. In some places, the gorge reaches depths of up to 120 meters (394 feet)
A stream flows along the floor of the gorge, cascading over numerous rock ledges to form a series of beautiful waterfalls. Some of them are so accessible that you can walk right up to the rushing water
We climbed the winding trails alongside a series of stunning cascading waterfalls, then made our way back down through the colorful autumn forest
Day 2
We stayed in the charming town of Ithaca, home to the prestigious Cornell University. Here's a view of one of its campuses, with Cayuga Lake stretching out in the distance
Not far from our hotel there was also Buttermilk Falls State Park, home to the beautiful Buttermilk Falls waterfall
We also visited Robert H. Treman State Park, with its truly fairytale-like waterfalls and scenic gorge trails
After spending plenty of time exploring the colorful autumn parks, we decided it was time for something different and headed to the famous Howe Caverns to give the kids a real underground adventure.
It's said to be the second most-visited tourist attraction in New York State after Niagara Falls. The drive took about 2.5 hours, and for some reason our GPS stubbornly refused to take us on the highways. Instead, we drove through small American towns, enjoying the spectacular fall colors, vineyards, and rolling countryside, with the occasional stop to stretch our legs
The cave tour was a hit with everyone, especially the kids. We took an elevator 14 stories underground, then followed our guide through the caverns, admiring the spectacular stalactites and stalagmites while resisting the temptation to touch these incredible natural formations.
An underground river flows through the cave, and without a doubt, the highlight of the tour was the boat ride along this subterranean waterway
The drive back to Ithaca wasn’t easy, as it poured rain and our GPS stubbornly continued to lead us through small country roads. In the dark, they no longer felt as romantic as they had in daylight.
Still, exhausted, we slept deeply that night. And later on, at night, in our dreams there were autumn forests and clouds drifting down to the treetops
Day 3
In the morning we set off again. Still on our list was one more waterfall — Taughannock Falls State Park.
It is famous for being even taller than Niagara Falls by about 10 meters
Being in the Finger Lakes region, it was impossible not to visit the town of Elmira, where the famous Mark Twain once spent his summers writing.
It was in this very house that he wrote “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, and other beloved works, surrounded by the quiet landscapes that inspired so much of his storytelling
Deciding that we had already exceeded our quota of nature and historical sites, we headed to the stunning and, as it is often described, the world’s largest glass museum — Corning Museum of Glass.
The museum is located in a rather remote area, yet it was surprisingly busy with visitors. We were impressed by its scale, as well as the incredible variety and beauty of its halls and exhibitions
And so our journey came to an end. We had originally planned to visit one more well-known park, but had to postpone it due to lack of time.
On the bright side, we already know where we’ll head next time we’re in the area…
The next time we returned to this area was nine years later. You can watch that trip here
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