The Land The Finger Lakes are found between high rocky mountain ridges. They are long, parallel bodies of water that are kind of shaped like fingers, thus the name Finger Lakes. The Finger Lake Region has fertile land for farming. There are beautiful valleys around the Finger Lake region. A valley is the low land between hills or mountains often with a river at the bottom. Many gorges dot the Finger Lake region. A gorge is a narrow, deep valley with steep, rocky sides. The Allegheny Plateau is also located in the finger lake region.
The Waterways There are eleven Finger Lakes that lie in a row, or parallel to one another. As you may have guessed, they are called the Finger Lakes because they resemble fingers on a hand. The Finger Lakes range from four mile long Cayuga Lake to three mile long Canadice Lake. The names of the lakes are Skaneateles, Otisco, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, Canandaigua, Honeoye, Canadice, Conesus and Hemlock. The lakes are found between the cities of Syracuse and Rochester. There are many waterfalls in this area as well; nineteen to be exact! The Rainbow Falls is a popular waterfall in this region.
The Seasons and Weather This region has four distinct seasons. Summers are warm with an average temperature between 75 to 85 degrees. Winter snow starts in November and varies throughout the region. Fall brings crisp temperatures and beautiful colors as the trees turn from green to yellow to orange and red. Spring is mild and colorful too, as waterfalls thaw and buds bloom. Any season is a great season to visit the Finger Lake region of New York!
Tourism and Points of Interest There are many fun things to do in the Finger Lakes region. You may want visit the Geva Theater to see a show. Around the Seneca, Cayuga, Keuka, and Canadaluga Lakes are vineyards. The world famous Corning Museum of Glass shines with glass art and glass blowing shows. For more fun, you can ride the Greek Peak Resort’s mountain roller coaster and visit the Cascades Indoor Waterpark, which is rated #1 of the Top Ten Waterpark Resorts!