Finger Lakes Bike Trails

Finger Lakes Biking

Finger Lakes National Forest Bike Trails (Finger Lakes Region, New York)

Location: North of Watkins Glen, NY between Seneca and Cayuga Lakes. Schuyler County.

Length/Configuration: 30+ miles of interconnecting trails. About 13 miles available for mountain biking on the No-Tan-Takto, Burnt Hill and Backbone Trails with added loop using the northern 2 miles of the Interloken Trail.

Terrain/Surface: Dirt natural surface trail with sections of gravel and grass.

Technical Difficulty: Easy/moderate

Elevation Change: Relatively flat with total gain less than 200 ft.

Trail Use: mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, cross country skiing. Snowmobiling on some trails when conditions allow.

Caution: Watch for vehicles on roads within forest. Trails are closed in early Spring when trails are wet and muddy. Bring insect repellent during blackfly season, July-September.

Directions:

Take Rt. 414 north from Watkins Glen for 9 miles, past the Hector Ranger Station of the Finger Lakes National Forest. Continue .5 mile to Schuyler CR 2 then . . .

Blueberry Campground: Turn right and follow CR 2 east for 4.0 miles to the Blueberry Patch Campground and parking area.

Backbone Campground: Travel for 3.5 miles east. Backbone Campground and parking area is on the left, opposite the intersection with Burnt Hill Road.

General Description:

The ridge tops and open pastures of New York State's only National Forest with roadways on one mile square grids and free-ranging cattle are reminiscent of the wild west. The Finger Lake National Forest's diverse habitat provides a home for a variety of wildlife. Ring-necked pheasant, Eastern Meadlowlarks and American woodcock can be heard and spotted in the park's open areas and pastures. Signs of an active beaver population can be seen in a number of ponds that dot the forest. Deer, free-ranging cattle, wild turkey, skunk and red fox can be observed along the park's network of roadways. If you are camping here, listen for the calls of the screech, barred and great horned owls in the evening. The area is also well known for its varied species of raptors.

A popular outdoor recreation destination, The Finger Lakes National Forest trail system comprises over 30 miles of multi-use trails open to hikers, cross-country skiers, equestrians and snowmobilers. There are three developed campgrounds. Located next to the Blueberry Patch Campground is a five-acre high and low bush blueberry patch managed by the forest. You can pick bushels of blueberries in season .Yum.

The Trails:

Mountain bikes are permitted on the No-Tan-Takto Trail, Burnt Hill Trail, Backbone Trail and the northern end of the Interloken Trail. These 13 miles of interconnected trails provide opportunities for a variety of ride lengths and loop options. Mountain bikers can also choose to extend their ride by riding on the scenic town and county roads that crisscross the area.

No motorized vehicles permitted except snowmobiles when conditions allow. Trails are closed to horse and mountain bike users from March 15th thru May 1st due to muddy conditions. Please close any gates behind you and carry out what you carry in.

No-Tan-Takto Trail: 4.5 miles one way. Green paint blazes.

Trailhead: Access from the Blueberry Patch Campground via the Backbone Trail, from the Backbone Horse Campground or from the parking area on Parmenter Road.

By doing an out and back on No-Tan-Takto trail and combining the 2 mile Northern Interloken Loop, you can make this an 11 mile ride. The terrain is relatively flat and travels through open pastureland. There are beautiful vistas to the east and west and nice lake views. From the Backbone Campground the trail heads north into Seneca County, crosses the Interloken Trail at Seneca Road and follows Townsend Road east for about 0.5 miles before heading north to the Parmenter Road parking area.

Interloken Trail: 12 miles one way (mountain bikes allowed only on a 2 mile stretch). Orange paint blazes.

Trailhead: Access from the Blueberry Patch Campground via the Backbone Trail and head north on the No-Tan-Takto Trail, or from the parking area on Parmenter Road.

Mountain bikes and horses are permitted only on the north end of the trail between Seneca and Parmenter Roads. In this area, the trail is flanked by tall conifers and is generally flatter and more open than the southern section. It passes through pastures and alongside numerous swamps. The Interloken Trail is a branch of the Finger Lakes Trail system (FLT). It bisects the Forest north to south. Highlights include lovely views of Seneca Lake. Can be wet fall and spring. During the winter months, this is a popular Nordic cross country ski route.

Backbone Trail: 5.5 miles one way

Trailhead: Backbone Horse Campground. From the north, the trail can be accessed at the corner of Ball Diamond Road and Wardner Corner Road or at the Foster Pond parking lot.

Travels through forest, fields and shrub land on a combination of dirt and grassy doubletrack trails and long abandoned roads. Many old homestead sites, cellar holes, stone walls, and other remnants mostly from post-revolutionary war settlements and farms can be seen along this trail and throughout the forest. The trail intersects the Interloken and Burnt Hill Trails to the south and the No-Tan-Takto trail to the north.

Burnt Hill Trail: 2.5 miles one way

Trailhead: View Point parking area (just east of the Blueberry Patch Campground). The trail is located on the south side of the road.

Natural surface trail that offers many beautiful vistas along it's path. Located at the southern end of the Forest, extending south from Picnic Area Road, it crosses shrub lands, open fields and pastures. The trail intersects the Interloken Trail as well as the Backbone Trail providing an opportunity for a nice loop ride. In the fall, these open areas are dusted with a beautiful palette of russett, burnt siennas, oranges and reds.

Historical Note:

Camp Fossenvue & "Queen's Castle"

Listed on the State Register of Historic Places in 1999. It became part of the Hector Ranger District of Finger Lakes National Forest when it was purchased in 1996.

Camp Fossenvue was started by a group of seven women from Geneva looking for a place to camp for their summer vacation. They chose Faucetts Point now called Caywood Point located on the eastern shores of Seneca Lake, New York. These women were leaders in the women's suffrage movement. In existence from 1875 to the early 1900's, it was an unusual "lakeside retreat" for wealthy social reformers, artists, poets, suffragettes including Susan B. Anthony, John Ruskin and many other famous people.

The lone surviving structure from the Fossenvue period is the "Queen's Castle," the only building constructed after 1881. It is currently undergoing a roof restoration.

Directions: To visit the Queen's Castle, park at the Caywood Point sign on route 414 just south of the old underpass, and walk down the path to the lake shore. It's a bit more than 1 mile. Or you could arrive by boat on the point waterfront.

For more information:

Finger Lakes National Forest
5218 State Route 414
Hector, NY 14841.

Keuka Lake Biking Trail

Finger Lakes Region, NY

Summary: Beautiful scenery, gorgeous waterfalls and many historic points of interest.

Location: Beween the villages of Penn Yan on Keuka Lake and Dresden on Seneca Lake in Yates County.

Directions: Exit 42 off I-90 (NY Thruway). South on Rt.14 (19 miles).

Dresden: Turn left (east) at Rt.54, heading toward Main St. (Citgo gas Station and Crossroads Ice Cream Shop at the corner) At ice cream shop take immediate right onto Seneca St. Parking on right just before the railroad tracks.

Penn Yan: Turn west on Rt.54 (5 miles), southwest on Rt.54A (.1 mile), South onto Rt.14A, right onto Keuka St. Park at trailhead (Little League Baseball Park)

Trail Length: 8.2 miles

Trail Surface: Ballast, cinder, asphalt

Trail Difficulty: Easy

Trail Use: hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, cross country skiing, snowshoeing.

Caution: Shared use with hikers and equestrians.

Located in the heart of central New York wine country, the Keuka Lake Outlet Trail is a popular recreational rail trail that offers much to remind us of it's canal and railroad era past. The trail follows the Keuka Outlet Stream and the abandoned Fall Brook Railroad bed. Many remnants of the industrial age such as gristmills, sawmills, distilleries, stone canal locks, several dams, a blacksmith shop and an abandoned bridge can be seen along the trail. Additionally, remnants of the Crooked Lake Canal, with it's 27 locks, run along the north side of the outlet.

Located along the trail, The old Kelly Tire Buildings are now home of the Alfred Jensen Memorial Visitor Center where you can find restrooms, picnic tables and information. Picnic tables and benches can also be found at the picnic pavilion at Seneca Mills Falls.

The rail-trail, is marked by green and white trail signs. Signage along the way mark points of interest and historical value. Even with its industrial past, this rails-to-trails offers a rustic, wooded environment. The trail is not very strenuous with a slight uphill grade. If you start in Dresden and work toward Penn Yan, the return trip has gravity working on your behalf. Be on the lookout for beaver activity in the area. An elevation drop of nearly 300 feet, beautiful scenery, gorgeous waterfalls and unusual plants make this an excellent ride for everyone and one of the nicest family bike rides in New York's Finger Lakes Region.

The Finger Lakes region is a popular bicycle touring destination. The main roads surrounding the lakes are adorned by many outstanding wineries. The wine list for the Finger Lakes region is long and varied. There is something to suit every taste. Ride this trail with your significant other and top off your bike ride with a tour of one or several of the areas wineries, a romantic candlelit dinner and a stay in an historic bed and breakfast inn.

Historical Note:

The Keuka Lake Outlet with a drop of 270 feet, connecting Seneca and Keuka Lakes, formed 10,000 years ago. People, attracted by the reliable water source, first settled in the area in 1788. Eventually mills of every type including: gristmills, sawmills, fulling and carding mills sprung up. For many years it was used for industry and transportation.

The Keuka Lake Canal (called by early American settlers "Crooked Lake Canal" because of its crooked shape) opened in 1833 to transport farm products to eastern markets. It took about six hours for canal boats to make the journey to Seneca Lake, a mere 6 miles away due to the twenty-eight wooden locks that brought the boats down 274 feet to the level of Seneca lake. In 1877, after 44 years due to financial losses, the state auctioned off all of the machinery and stone. Only the towpath remained.

In 1844 the Penn Yan and New York Railway, affectionately known as the "Corkscrew Railway", opened on the former canal towpath. It got its name because of the many twists and turns along the route. The railway eventually became part of the New York Central System and operated until 1972, when the tracks were washed out by the flood from Hurricane Agnes.

Fun Fact: The quaint village of Penn Yan had an equal number of people from Pennsylvania and Yankees from New England and thus, its curious name!

Today the Friends of the Outlet Trail, a local nonprofit organization owns and maintains the trail.

Friends of the Keuka Outlet Trail
P.O. Box 65
Penn Yan, NY 14527

An illustrated guide to the Outlet Trail can be purchased for $5 from the Yates County Historical Society, located at 110 Court Street, Penn-Yan, 14527.

A series of 17 leaflets describing the history of the canal, railroad, mills and historic sites along the outlet is available from the Yates County Chamber of Commerce (1-800-868-YATES).

Authors: Barbara & Peter Lynn
Finger Lakes Mountain Biking Trails in New York

Finger Lakes Bike Trails