Finger Lakes
Satellite view of the Finger Lakes region in late fall.Lake Ontario can be seen at the top left.
Location	New York
Coordinates	42°40′N76°50′W / 42.667°N 76.833°W /42.667; -76.833
Type	Finger lakes
Part of	Lake Ontario Basin
Primary outflows	Oswego River
Basin countries	United States
Settlements	Ithaca,Geneva,Canandaigua
Location
Interactive map of Finger Lakes

The eleven Finger Lakes of New York State.

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Part ofa series on
Regions of New York
Downstate New York New York City Long Island Hudson Valley (Lower)
Upstate New York Hudson Valley (Middle and Upper) Capital District North Country Southern Tier Mohawk Valley Central New York Finger Lakes Western New York
Administrative divisions Counties Cities Towns Indian reservations Unorganized Territory Villages Census-designated places Places (including hamlets)
Timelines of town creation Downstate New York Hudson Valley Capital District North Country Central New York Southern Tier Western New York
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TheFinger Lakes are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–southlakes located in an area called theFinger Lakes region inNew York, in theUnited States. This region straddles the northern and transitional edge of the NorthernAllegheny Plateau, known as the Finger Lakes Uplands and Gorges ecoregion, and the Ontario Lowlands ecoregion of theGreat Lakes Lowlands.^[1]

The geological termfinger lake refers to a long, narrow lake in anoverdeepenedglacial valley, while the proper nameFinger Lakes goes back to the late 19th century.^[2][3]Cayuga andSeneca Lakes are among the deepest in the United States, measuring 435 and 618 feet (133 and 188 m), respectively, with bottoms well below sea level. Though none of the lakes' widths exceed 3.5 miles (5.6 km), Seneca Lake is 38.1 miles (61.3 km) long, and at 66.9 square miles (173 km²) is the largest in total area.^[2]

The origin of the nameFinger Lakes is uncertain.^[4] Currently, the oldest known published use offinger lakes for this group of 11 lakes is in aUnited States Geological Survey paper byThomas Chamberlin^[5] that was published in 1883. This paper was later cited andFinger Lakes formally used as a proper name by R. S. Tarr^[6] in aGeological Society of America paper published in 1893.^[7] Older usage ofFinger Lakes in either maps, papers, reports, or any other documents remains to be verified.^[4]

The eleven Finger Lakes, from west to east, are:

Seneca, Cayuga, Skaneateles, Owasco, Keuka, and Canandaigua are considered the major Finger Lakes, while Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice, Honeoye, and Otisco are considered the minor Finger Lakes.^[19]

Numerous nearby lakes have been excluded from the traditional list of the lakes. All eleven are part of the Lake Ontario drainage basin.Waneta andLamoka lakes, located southeast of Keuka Lake, are sometimes called the "fingernail" lakes, but are part of theSusquehanna Riverwatershed, draining into a tributary of theChemung River.^[20]Silver Lake, which has the same geological characteristics as the Finger Lakes and is sometimes regarded as the "12th" Finger Lake, has traditionally been excluded due to its distance from the others, west of the Genesee River.^[20]Onondaga Lake andCazenovia Lake to the east have similarly been excluded.Oneida Lake, to the northeast ofSyracuse, is sometimes included as the "thumb", although it is shallow and somewhat different in character from the rest.^[20]

These glacialfinger lakes originated as a series of northward-flowing streams. Around two million years ago, the area was glaciated by the first of many continental glaciers as theLaurentide Ice Sheet moved southward from theHudson Bay area. During the glacial maximums,subglacialmeltwater and glacial ice widened, deepened, and accentuated the existing river valleys to form subglacialtunnel valleys.^[21] Glacial debris, possiblyterminal moraine left behind by the receding ice, acted as dams, allowing lakes to form. Despite the deep erosion of the valleys, the surrounding uplands show little evidence of glaciation, suggesting the ice was thin, or at least unable to cause much erosion at higher elevations. The deep cutting by glacial erosion left sometributaries hanging high above the lakes—both Seneca and Cayuga have tributaries hanging as much as 120 m (390 ft) above the valley floors.^[2][21] Based on sediment cores, seismic stratigraphy, and radiocarbon dates, the finger lakes became ice-free about 14,400BP calendar. At this time scouring by ice and meltwater ceased and these lakes filled initially withproglacial lakerhythmites. The deposition of proglacial lake rhythmites occurred between 14,400 and 13,900 BP calendar. After the margins of the Laurentide Ice Sheet retreated into the Ontario lowlands after 13,900 BP calendar, the accumulation, at first, of massive gray clays followed by dark gray to black, laminated, organic-rich muds, accumulated without interruption until present within the Finger Lakes.^[2][22]

Detailed studies ofMarine Isotope Stage 3 and 4 agesediments exposed at a locality called theGreat Gully on the eastern flank of the Cayuga Lake, nearUnion Springs, New York, record the presence of apaleolake that existed prior to Cayuga Lake. This paleolake, which is calledGlacial Lake Nanette, was aproglacial lake that filled the bedrock valley currently occupied by Cayuga Lake from about 50,000BPcalibrated until it was overridden by a glacial readvance that occurred prior to 30,000BPcalendar and buried it beneath younger glacialtill. This research shows that bedrock valleys, in which the Finger lakes lie, existed prior to the Last Glacial Maximum and developed over multiple glaciations.^[3][23]

Finally, although sub-glacial scour during the Last Glacial Maximum removed the majority of pre-existing sediment down to thebedrock bottoms of the Finger Lakes, patches ofinterglacial deposits are likely preserved locally within or near hanging valleys on the margins of their valleys. For example, the principal site that has been well-studied is theFembank exposure of interglacial deposits on the west margin of Cayuga. This deposit provides direct evidence that some version of Cayuga Lake and its bedrock valley existed prior to Last Glacial Maximum.^[24][25]

Much of the Finger Lakes area lies upon theMarcellus Shale and theUtica Shale, two prominent natural gas reserves. Due to the recent increase infracking technology, thenatural gas is now accessible for extraction. While some large landowners have leased their lands, and a number of small landowners would like to follow suit, many residents of the Finger Lakes oppose the fracking process due to concerns about groundwater contamination and the industrial impact of the extraction-related activities. The firstdirect actions and local legislative actions against fracking occurred in the Finger Lakesbioregion.^[26] In December 2014, thegovernment of New York banned all fracking in the state, citing pollution risks.^[27]

Trash fromNew York City is also sent to landfills in the area.^[28]

Since 2017, all of the Finger Lakes have experienced at least one outbreak oftoxic algae, and for most of the lakes it has become an annual occurrence.^[29]

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The Finger Lakes region is a central part of theIroquois homeland. The Iroquois tribes include theSeneca andCayuga nations, for which the two largest Finger Lakes are named. TheTuscarora tribe lived in the Finger Lakes region as well, from ca. 1720. TheOnondaga andOneida tribes lived at the eastern edge of the region, closer to their namesake lakes,Oneida Lake andOnondaga Lake. The easternmost Iroquois tribe was theMohawk.

The Finger Lakes region contains sites of unknown cultural affiliation and age. TheBluff Point Stoneworks is one such site as its age and who may have constructed these enigmatic stone structures has not been determined.

During colonial times, many other tribes moved to the Finger Lakes region, seeking the protection of the Iroquois. For example, in 1753, remnants of several VirginiaSiouan tribes, collectively called theTutelo-Saponi, moved to the town ofCoreorgonel at the south end of Cayuga Lake near present-day Ithaca and lived there until 1779, when their village was destroyed by theSullivan Expedition.

Iroquois towns in the Finger Lakes region included the Seneca town ofGen-nis-he-yo (present-day Geneseo),Kanadaseaga (Seneca Castle, near present-day Geneva),Goiogouen (Cayuga Castle, east of Cayuga Lake),Chonodote (Cayuga town, present-day Aurora),Catherine's Town (near present-dayWatkins Glen) andGanondagan State Historic Site inVictor, New York.

As one of the most powerful Indian nations during colonial times, the Iroquois were able to prevent European colonization of the Finger Lakes region for nearly two centuries after first contact, often playing the French off against the British interests in savvy demonstrations of political competence. The renowned ingenuity and adaptability of the Iroquois people were key tools of resistance against hostile European powers rapidly spreading throughout North America, eager to dominate and increasingly brutal toward Native Americans in the Finger Lakes and beyond.

By the late 18th century, with the French governmental influence gone from Canada, Iroquois power had weakened relative to the steady growth in European-Americans' populations, and internal strife eroded the political unity of theIroquois Confederacy as it faced pressures from colonists itching to move west and a desire to keep them out of Amerindian lands. During theAmerican Revolutionary War, some Iroquois sided with the British and some with the Americans, resulting in civil war among the Iroquois. In the late 1770s, British-allied Iroquois attacked various American frontier settlements, prompting counter-attacks, culminating in theSullivan Expedition of 1779, which destroyed most of the Iroquois towns and effectively broke Iroquois power. After the Revolutionary War, the Iroquois and other Indians of the region were assigned reservations. Most of their land, including the Finger Lakes region, was opened up to purchase and settlement.

Roughly the western half of the Finger Lakes region comprised thePhelps and Gorham Purchase of 1790. The region was rapidly settled at the turn of the 19th century, largely by a westward migration fromNew England, and to a lesser degree by northward influx from Pennsylvania. The regional architecture reflects these area traditions of the Federal andGreek Revival periods.

The Finger Lakes region, together with theGenesee Country of Western New York, has been referred to as theburned-over district.^[30] There, in the 19th century, theSecond Great Awakening was a revival ofChristianity; some newreligions were also formed.

The region was active in reform and utopian movements. Many of itsUnderground Railroad sites have been documented. For example, theHarriet Tubman Home atAuburn recalls the life and work of the African-American "Moses of her people."

On the northern end of the Finger Lakes are alsoSeneca Falls, the birthplace of thewomen's suffrage movement;Waterloo, the birthplace ofMemorial Day; andPalmyra, the birthplace ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. An annual outdoor drama, TheHillCumorah Pageant, produced by the church, draws thousands of visitors each year.

Hammondsport was the home of aviation pioneerGlenn Curtiss, and favorable air currents make the area a popular spot forglider pilots.Elmira, just to the south, was the home ofMark Twain in his later life, and the site of an infamousCivil War prison.Corning is most noted as the home ofCorning Glass Works and theCorning Museum of Glass.Hornell, just southwest of the Finger Lakes, was a majorrailroad center;locomotives were repaired there for many years and rail passenger cars are built there today (2022).^[31]

Conesus remains the home of the oldest producer of pure grapesacramental wine in the Western hemisphere.

Notable among the historic buildings of the region (most linked below) is theGranger Homestead (1816), a large village house inFederal Style at Canandaigua, New York. Another example of the Federal Style is the Prouty-Chew House (1829) at Geneva, portions of which were altered at various times in new fashions.

ThreeGreek Revival mansions are situated near three lakes: The Richard DeZeng House, Skaneateles (1839); Rose Hill, Geneva (1839); and Esperanza, Penn Yan (1838). The latter two are open to the public.

The Seward House in Auburn, aNational Historic Landmark, is a mansion more characteristic of the Civil War era, virtually unchanged from the nineteenth century.Belhurst Castle, Geneva, a stone mansion in the Romanesque Revival style, now serves as an inn.Sonnenberg mansion at Canandaigua is a later nineteenth-century residence in the Queen Anne style, known for its restored period gardens. Geneva on the Lake is a villa (1910–14) that recalls those on Italian lakes. Now an inn, it has European-style gardens. Many buildings and historic districts of the Finger Lakes region are notable, in addition to these historic houses.

Implemented in August, 2010, the Hemlock-Canadice State Forest covers 6,684 acres (27.05 km²) that encompass the two western Finger Lakes,Hemlock andCanadice. These lakes have provided drinking water for the City of Rochester for more than 100 years. To protect water quality, the city acquired much of the property around the lakes. Over the decades, the land reforested, but a few traces of its past, such as stone walls or cottage foundations, remain. Today these two lakes, with their steep, forested, largely-undeveloped shorelines and deep, clear water, provide visitors a glimpse of the Finger Lakes of the past. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) manages this State Forest for compatible public access for recreation, includingfishing, hunting, nature study, boating and hiking. Activities in Hemlock-Canadice State Forest are subject the DEC's Rules and Regulations for the Use of State Lands, 6 NYCRR Part 190, as well as any other applicable state statutes, rules and regulations. These are sensitive areas because they protect public drinking water.

The 584-mile (940 km)Finger Lakes Trail and its branch trails run through the southern portion of the Finger Lakes region and also constitute a portion of the 4,600 mileNorth Country National Scenic Trail.

Hemlock Lake is home to the state's oldest nestingbald eagle site, dating back to the early 1960s. The nesting bald eagles of Hemlock Lake have fostered a resurgence of bald eagles throughout New York State. Hemlock Lake, originally known as "O-Neh-Da" which is Seneca for "Lake of Hemlock Trees", is home to the nation's oldestsacramental winery, founded by Bishop McQuaid in 1872. Today, O-Neh-Da Vineyard continues to make premium natural pure grape wine for churches and foodies alike.

The Finger Lakes region is New York's largestwine-producing region. Over 400wineries andvineyards surround Seneca, Cayuga, Canandaigua, Keuka, Conesus, and Hemlock Lakes. Because of the lakes' great depth, they provide a lake effect to the lush vineyards that flank their shores. Due to the size and concentration of these lakes, the region retains residual summer warmth in the winter and winter's cold in the spring; as a result, the grapes are protected from disastrous spring frost during shoot growth, and early frost before the harvest. Additionally, due to the long, narrow, north-to-south positioning of the Finger Lakes, the slopes on the east and west side provide for variations in sunlight exposure, temperature, soil, and more; this leads to a great diversity of growing environments within the region and ultimately in the yielded wine.

The main grape varieties grown areChardonnay,Riesling,Gewürztraminer,Pinot noir,Cabernet Franc,Vidal blanc,Seyval blanc and manyVitis labrusca (American native) varieties or cultivars.

With the passage of theFarm Winery Act in 1976, numerous wineries are now open to visitors. Wineries are a growth industry of the region, contributing through their production and by attracting visitors. The Finger Lakes American Viticulture Area (AVA) includes two of America's oldest wineries, O-Neh-Da Vineyard (1872) on Hemlock Lake and The Pleasant Valley Wine Company (1860) on Keuka Lake.

Aside from wine, the Finger Lakes' craft beer industry has grown significantly in recent years. In 2018 the region was home to the second-highest number of breweries in New York after theHudson Valley.^[32]

The area is also known for higher-education learning. The largest isIvy League institutionCornell University, in Ithaca. Other notable schools areIthaca College, also in Ithaca;Syracuse University,SUNY Upstate Medical University,State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, andLe Moyne College, in Syracuse; SUNY Cortland, in Cortland;Tompkins Cortland Community College in Dryden, Ithaca, and Cortland;Wells College in Aurora;Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva;Keuka College inKeuka Park;Finger Lakes Community College inCanandaigua and Geneva;New York Chiropractic College inSeneca Falls andCayuga Community College in Auburn.

Nearby the Finger Lakes isBinghamton University (SUNY), theUniversity of Rochester,Nazareth College,St. John Fisher University,Roberts Wesleyan University,Monroe Community College, andRochester Institute of Technology in Rochester;Elmira College in Elmira;Corning Community College in Corning; and theState University of New York at Geneseo.

The Finger Lakes region is home to several museums. These include theCorning Museum of Glass, theJohnson Museum of Art atCornell University, theStrong National Museum of Play, theGlenn H. Curtiss Museum, theFinger Lakes Boating Museum, theWings of Eagles Discovery Center, theSciencenter, theMuseum of the Earth, theNational Soaring Museum, theRockwell Museum, the Seward House Museum, theWilliam H. Seward and the Samuel Warren Homesteads of the New York Historical Society, birthplace of New York State's first successful commercial winery.

TheWomen's Rights National Historic Park is in Seneca Falls. The park includes the home ofElizabeth Cady Stanton and the Wesleyan Chapel, where she held the first convention onwomen's rights in 1848.^[33]

• Thompson, John H., ed.Geography of New York State (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1977)
• Engeln, O. D., von.The Finger Lakes Region: Its Origin and Nature (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1961, 1988)
• Finger Lakes Tourism Statistics
• Bloomfield, Jay A., ed.Lakes of New York State: Volume I: Ecology of the Finger Lakes (New York, NY: Academic Press, 1978)

• The official Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance website

• Finger Lakes
• New York (state) wine
• Regions of New York (state)
• Glaciology of the United States
• Upstate New York
• Lakes of New York (state)
• Lake groups of the United States

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