The Finger Lakes region is 9,000 square miles of a variety of things to see and do. While there is some debate, there are actually 11 Finger Lakes that span across the region. These eleven glimmering lakes were all formed from Ice Age glaciers moving through the area creating the illusion of finger shaped lakes. The glaciers that carved out the beautiful countryside left rolling hills and valleys perfect for the outdoor enthusiast to explore, and the perfect conditions for grape vines to grow.

The region encompasses 14 counties and spans all the way from just outside the western borders of Rochester all the way east to Syracuse from the shores of Lake Ontario all the way south to the Pennsylvania border. The Finger Lakes region is not just a point on the map, but an entire region waiting for your next adventure!

It is a four season destination with flowers blooming and agriculture blossoming in the spring, to festivals, Nascar events, and shopping opportunities galore in the summer, to vibrant fall foliage and the smell of grapes being pressed in the fall, all the way to snowmobiling, skiing, and mouthwatering culinary delights in the winter waiting to be explored! The variety of businesses to be found in the Finger Lakes region will take you days if not weeks and as soon as your visit to the region ends, you find yourself quickly starting to plan your next visit.

With all the natural splendor and outdoor activities to be found on the lakes themselves as well as surrounding hiking areas, state parks, and marinas, visitors will also be pleasantly surprised to discover the abundance of rich history that lies in the Finger Lakes. Museums dot the region dedicated to western art, the art of glassblowing, photography and film, and even a museum solely dedicated to America's favorite dessert, JELL-O found in the Finger Lakes community of Le Roy!

Major national events have ties to the Finger Lakes region such as the home of abolitionist Harriet Tubman who lead enslaved African Americans to the north. The Women's Rights movement took place in the town of Seneca Falls and women's rights leader Susan B. Anthony's home can be toured in the same location. If you're a Huckleberry Finn fan, be sure to visit Mark Twain's study in the town of Elmira and see where the iconic pages of the novel were written. These are just a few of the locations that break off the tip of the iceberg waiting for your inner curious history buff to explore!

Information provided by: Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance