Finger Lakes National Forest

Maps - Photos - Videos

Nestled in upstate New York, the Finger Lakes National Forest spans 16,000 acres of diverse terrain, combining lush woodlands with expansive pasture land. Encompassing woodlands, grasslands, and glacial lakes, its picturesque landscapes and well-maintained trails attract outdoor enthusiasts, offering opportunities for hiking, birdwatching, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The forest’s five distinctive trails wind through the scenery, revealing stunning views of gorges, waterfalls, and panoramic vistas. The forest is also home to the celebrated Finger Lakes Trail, a long-distance hiking trail extending over 580 miles. Limited free primitive and roadside camping opportunities along the roads add to the allure, providing a chance to immerse in the natural beauty for longer periods. As the only national forest in New York State, it provides a unique space for relaxation, exploration, and immersion in the captivating landscapes of the Finger Lakes region.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_Lakes_National_Forest
http://www.fs.usda.gov/fingerlakes
http://www.cnyhiking.com/FingerLakesNationalForest.htm

Finger Lakes Sunset

Andy | August 9, 2022

Taken on Tuesday August 2, 2022 at Finger Lakes National Forest.

Evening at Foster Pond

Andy | August 8, 2022

Taken on Friday July 29, 2022 at Finger Lakes National Forest.

Caywood Point

Andy | August 6, 2022

Free beach and camping area on Seneca Lake.

Taken on Wednesday August 12, 2020 at Finger Lakes National Forest.

Weather Update – August 6, 2022

Andy | August 6, 2022

Should be a decent next two days for closing out vacation ⛺

Continued warm it seems into next week but I’ll be back in my air conditioned office 🏢 and knowing that I will have a lot of work to do and will be staying late. But alas summer can’t last forever with Labor Day Weekend three or four weekends away and the heat certain to break sometime before or after that.

Today. Muggy !	A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Increasing clouds. Southwest wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. and	87 degrees	, 70 max dew point,	8:22 sunset.
Tonight. Muggy !	A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 9pm. Partly cloudy. Southwest wind 7 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. and	71 degrees	, 68 max dew point,	6:04 sunrise.
Sunday. Muggy !	A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Mostly sunny. West wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. and	88 degrees	, 70 max dew point,	8:21 sunset.
Sunday Night. Muggy !	A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, then a chance of showers between 11pm and 2am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am. Partly cloudy. South wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. and	70 degrees	, 70 max dew point,	6:05 sunrise.
Monday. Feels like … July 15th.	A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8am, then a chance of showers between 8am and 11am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Partly sunny. West wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. and	84 degrees	, 70 max dew point,	8:20 sunset.
Monday Night. Muggy !	A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. Chance of precipitation is 50%. and	68 degrees	, 67 max dew point,	6:06 sunrise.
Tuesday. Feels like … September 8th.	Showers likely, mainly after 2pm. Partly sunny. Chance of precipitation is 60%. and	77 degrees	, 68 max dew point,	8:18 sunset.
Tuesday Night. Hot !	Showers likely, mainly before 8pm. Mostly cloudy. Chance of precipitation is 60%. and	65 degrees	, 64 max dew point,	6:07 sunrise.
Wednesday. Feels like … September 1st.	Partly sunny. and	79 degrees	, 64 max dew point,	8:17 sunset.
Wednesday Night. Feels like … July 31st.	Partly cloudy. and	62 degrees	, 62 max dew point,	6:08 sunrise.
Thursday. Feels like … September 8th.	Mostly sunny. and	77 degrees	, 61 max dew point,	8:16 sunset.
Thursday Night. Feels like … August 30th.	Partly cloudy. and	58 degrees	,	6:09 sunrise.
Friday. Feels like … September 14th.	Sunny. and	75 degrees	, 56 max dew point,	8:14 sunset.

Daily Update – August 6, 2022

Andy | August 6, 2022

Good morning! Last full day of summer vacation. 🏖

Got to make the most of it as tomorrow at this time I’ll be taking down camp. All good things must end, it wouldn’t be a vacation if it lasted forever.

Partly sunny and 74 degrees at the Finger Lakes National Forest. ☀ There is a south-southwest breeze at 8 mph. 🍃. The dew point is 69 degrees. The muggy weather ends Thursday around 3 am. 😓

Yesterday I spent the bulk of the day paddling along Seneca Lake 🛶 first from the kayak launch up to Hector Falls – about three miles under Hector Cliffs then swam and cooled off in Seneca Lake. 🏊‍♂️ Then for about two hours thunderstorms ⛈ and rain rolled through and I hung out in my truck with nothing better to do. Then when the rain stopped I paddled to the other side of the lake to the Watkins Glen marina ⛵ and explored a bit of the south and west shore before checking out the Montour Canal which seemed a lot cleaner since the new Watkins Glen sewage treatment plant 🌿 came online.

Going to be a hot one today but breezy 🌬️ so I ended up deciding against going to Taughannock State Park to swim and paddle, instead deciding on the much smaller but still choppy Cayuta Lake in Odessa. 🛶

Figure explore the marshy Cayuta Inlet 🐦 which is good for finding birds and turtles 🐢 and maybe do some catch and release fishing 🎣. Midday maybe hike a little with binoculars from Airport Road at Catharine Creek Marsh Wildlife Management Area and then the Watkins Pool 🏊‍♂️ and then one last Glen Dairy Bar ice cream 🍦before heading back to camp. 🌭 Go back to camp ⛺ watch the stars ✨ for a while at Foster Pond 🔥 then have a fire to close out the night.

Tomorrow I hope to take down camp ⛺ early and then head to Taughannock State Park. I’ll have my 🛶 with me as I’m heading home from there, so if Cayuga Lake is reasonably calm I’ll paddle it, otherwise I’ll check out the falls and do some swimming before heading home 🏡. Actually I might go to my parents house first for Sunday dinner if they are around and stay over there. Avoid the city 🌆 as long as possible. Depends on the timing but with gas prices ⛽ I will probably take the most direct route home.

8-14 Day Outlook – Friday August 5

Andy | August 5, 2022

It seems likely that the heat wave will continue throughout much of August based on predictions of above average temperatures much of August. But don’t worry, autumn is still coming.

Weather Update – August 5, 2022

Andy | August 5, 2022

Final weekday of summer vacation 🏊‍♂️

So it would seem. The crowds return tonight and tomorrow then Sunday I pack up and head home. Today and even tomorrow could be stormy but I hope not. A

Today. Feels like … August 14th.	A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Partly sunny. Light west wind. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. and	82 degrees	, 70 max dew point,	8:24 sunset.
Tonight. Muggy !	A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. and	68 degrees	, 70 max dew point,	6:03 sunrise.
Saturday. Muggy !	A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Mostly sunny. Southwest wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. and	88 degrees	, 70 max dew point,	8:22 sunset.
Saturday Night. Muggy !	A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Mostly clear. South wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. and	71 degrees	, 69 max dew point,	6:04 sunrise.
Sunday. Muggy !	A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Sunny. West wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. and	89 degrees	, 70 max dew point,	8:21 sunset.
Sunday Night. Muggy !	A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2am. Partly cloudy. Chance of precipitation is 30%. and	73 degrees	, 70 max dew point,	6:05 sunrise.
Monday. Muggy !	Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly after 2pm. Mostly sunny. Chance of precipitation is 60%. and	90 degrees	, 71 max dew point,	8:20 sunset.
Monday Night. Muggy !	Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8pm, then a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy. Chance of precipitation is 60%. and	69 degrees	, 68 max dew point,	6:06 sunrise.
Tuesday. Feels like … September 8th.	A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Partly sunny. Chance of precipitation is 60%. and	77 degrees	, 66 max dew point,	8:18 sunset.
Tuesday Night. Feels like … July 31st.	Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8pm, then a chance of showers between 8pm and 2am. Mostly cloudy. Chance of precipitation is 60%. and	62 degrees	, 63 max dew point,	6:07 sunrise.
Wednesday. Feels like … September 8th.	Mostly sunny. and	77 degrees	, 61 max dew point,	8:17 sunset.
Wednesday Night. Feels like … August 20th.	Mostly clear. and	60 degrees	,	6:08 sunrise.
Thursday. Feels like … August 28th.	Sunny. and	80 degrees	, 60 max dew point,	8:16 sunset.