Watkins Glen State Park

This state park exceeded my expectations. Walking up to it from the lower parking lot, which is located right in downtown Watkins Glen, I was not sure what to expect. You are quickly surrounded by waterfalls and cliffs. The foliage was beautiful when we went in early October of 2022.

There are several trails that take you on outer and inner rims of the gorge. We opted for the Indian, Gorge and Finger lakes trail, which took us about 2 hours to do a loop. The trails are easily identifiable. On the outer rim of the gorge there are public bathrooms, a playground, campgrounds, and picnic tables.

While the trails did go upward and involved steps, overall this felt like more of a moderate walk than an actual hike.

It had rained the day prior, so the rocks were very wet and required extra caution. Be prepared for the park to be packed despite weather, as this is one of Seneca Lake’s main attractions.

Seneca Lake hosts the most wineries of all the Finger Lakes. There are over 50 wineries making your options abundant. We visited Atwater winery and Hector winery, but I’ve included some other wineries that were recommended to me as well! Click on each winery name to be taken to their site for more info.

Atwater Winery- Located on the east side of Seneca Lake. My brother loved this winery so much when he went the year prior he became a member. We made a reservation which, with his membership, included a complimentary tasting for four people and a complimentary cheese plate. Reservations are recommended, which I think are necessary here. Dogs are not welcome in the indoor tasting area, only in the outside area.

Hector Winery - this was our 2nd winery of the day on the east side. It was a much more low key, casual winery which allowed dogs and offered delicious snacks to purchase for pairing. We ended up buying wine from here, we enjoyed it that much. Tastings are on a first come, first serve basis with a maximum group size of 10 people.

Glenora Wine Cellars - located on the west side, Seneca Lake’s oldest winery & inn. First come first serve basis for groups only under 8 people.

Fox Run Vineyards - west side, first come, first serve tastings for groups of 12 max. Dogs are welcome in tasting areas, but not in the cafe.

J.R. Dill Winery - east side, first come, first serve tastings for groups of 6 or less. Dog friendly!

Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards - east side, first come, first serve regardless of group size, reservations recommended for groups over 8+. Offers live music and dog friendly!

Lakewood Vineyards - west side of the lake, reservations are required for groups of 7-12.

While we had a DD on our trip, most people will want to enjoy wine country without worrying about driving so I have researched and listed some inexpensive transportation options with links below!

Lakeside Trolley - this hop on hop off trolley has pre-picked destinations in which you can hop on or off at any time for $30. The trolley will return in 50-80 minutes and take you to the next location. Day passes are available for either east or west side of the lake, with a full calendar available on the website!

Main Street Drivers - private driver, customize your own route, and stop as many places as you’d like. This company costs $42 an hour on weekdays with a 4 hour commitment and $48 an hour on weekends with a 5 hour minimum, regardless of the amount of people.

There are several private limo companies, but this is a much more expensive option.

Uber and Lyft are alternatives too, although be prepared to wait since it is such a rural area and service can be limited at times.

Thai Elephants Restaurant - we went here for lunch two days in a row, it was that good. It’s a hole in the wall Thai restaurant located in Watkins Glen that provides big portions for a reasonable price.

Graft Wine + Cider Bar - cute trendy restaurant with great atmosphere in downtown Watkins Glen. We sat at the bar and ate dinner one night. It was delicious. Our server was the chef’s daughter, who we enjoyed getting to know.

Kindred Fare - farm to table style restaurant in Geneva, which is on the north tip of Seneca Lake. This restaurant was incredible. My siblings had eaten here prior and swore it was worth driving 25 minutes in the opposite direction of Watkins Glen from our airbnb, and sure enough it was.

Landon’s Pub & Pizza - very casual bar/pub in Watkins Glen. We went here for a drink after dinner. They have a jukebox and let me play Zach Bryan all night so I enjoyed myself here.

Horseheads Brewing Co. - brewery right on the lake in downtown Watkins Glen with incredible views.

Grist Iron Brewing Co. - located on the east side of Seneca Lake, this microbrewery also offers 9 rooms for lodging.

Daniel's Place

Located right on the water on the west side of Lake Seneca, this newly remodeled 2 bedroom (3 beds + sofa bed), 1 bathroom ranch house was perfect for our stay. The house was fully stocked with everything we would need to cook, shower, and sleep comfortably. The home provided lots of old school games, which we had fun playing every night. Daniel’s place even came with an outdoor bonfire, which was perfect for October nights. The house also includes a grill, has since added kayaks and is in the process of redoing the dock. There is a driveway so parking is never an issue and Daniel offers self-check in. The home is a convenient 20 minute drive to the main town of Watkins Glen. Daniel is very kind and quick to respond to any and all guests’ questions and needs. I highly recommending staying here when visiting Seneca Lake! We will definitely stay here when we return!

Keuka Outlet Trail- this 7 mile flat trail can be however long you desire, depending where along the trail you park and start. You can walk, bike, horseback ride, or cross-country ski. The trail leads to several waterfalls with clean bathrooms along the way.

Taughannock Falls State Park - The Gorge Trail is 1.8 miles in and out that leads to the Taughannock Falls, while passing along the lower falls on the way. This trail is easy therefore heavily trafficked. There are bathrooms and a parking lot before the park entrance, although it gets very crowded quickly.