Finger Lakes National Forest loop

This was another bikepacking trip loosely inspired by a Bikepacking.com route. In this case, I'd already logged many hours of biking in the Finger Lakes area since my aunt and uncle live on the eastern shore of Keuka Lake. I have always loved the area (I went to college in Geneva, NY) and I was interested in visiting New York's only National Forest. I created my own route that started and ended in Keuka Lake, circling Seneca Lake in a counterclockwise direction.

Day 1: 52 miles with 2,851 feet of climbing

I rolled out around 9 a.m. with a 6 mile send-off from my uncle. East Lake Road parallels the busier Route 54 and skirts the shore of Keuka Lake. This lakeside community is in its full glory in mid-July and the road was replete with residents and visitors enjoying the cool morning air. After a few additional (less scenic) miles on Route 54, I arrived in Penn Yan and found my way to the Keuka Outlet Trail. This path runs 7 miles from downtown Penn Yan to Dresden. I remembered using this trail with my mom on a past trip and enjoyed the several waterfalls and old mill sites that the trail winds past.

After exiting the trail in Dresden, I turned south and rode roughly parallel to the west side of Seneca Lake. There is a large population of Mennonites in this area and I was traveling through just as their Sunday services were concluding. I encountered dozens of horse-drawn carriages and several large groups of Mennonites traveling by bicycle. I got lots of friendly waves and more than a few curious looks from kids hanging out the back window of their family carriages.

The sky was getting darker around this time and I felt exposed in this wide-open landscape. However, I avoided significant rain and the blue skies returned as I coasted into Watkins Glen. This small city has a rich auto-racing history and the crosswalks are painted to resemble finishing flags. The sun was starting to feel intense so I decided to stop for an ice cream cone at Ben and Jerry's.

The climb out of Watkins Glen was brutal but quickly brought me away from town, paralleling Seneca Lake before skirting east towards the Burdett. I caught my breath here and got some cold drinks at a cute country market.

The thunderstorms that I knew were in the area finally caught up to me on an open stretch of road a few miles outside Burdett. The rain was torrential but only lasted 15 minutes or so. I sheltered under a maple tree in a cemetery (near the grave of James Bond!) and sipped a can of country-store kombucha until the worst of the wet had passed.

After the rain, I picked up Burnt Hill Road. This dirt tract was the longest climb of the trip and the road was pretty washed out in places. At some point along this stretch, I passed into the Finger Lakes National Forest.

Although dispersed camping is allowed throughout the forest, I was aiming for the Blueberry Patch Campground since my mom remembered camping there as a child. When I arrived, I found there were several open sites but no water source. I set out to find some water to tote back to camp and was lucky to discover some about a half mile away. Due to the recent rain, all the running water was turbid. But the water rushing out of a culvert seemed like the best source I was likely to find. I cleaned up the best I could, filled up all my bottles (about 4 liters), and headed back to camp.

Blueberry Patch Campground does indeed abut a large blueberry patch, but the berries weren't ripe. Other than the lack of water, this was a nice spot with clean, well-supplied privies and pleasant sites with gravel tent pads and picnic tables. I was in my tent for the night before 9 p.m.

Day 2: 70 miles with 2,871 feet of climbing

I woke early and was on my bike a bit after 7 a.m. Although a more direct route out of the National Forest was possible, I decided to explore some of the dirt roads and trails before heading back towards Seneca Lake. I spent a few delightfully muddy miles on what appeared to be horse trails. This section was tough, but the 600X handled it beautifully. It took a few miles of riding on roads to fully shed all the mud and grass I had picked up (I also had to evict an opportunistic slug who tried hitch a ride).

Morning riding is my favorite and I savored a few more lovely dirt roads before leaving the National Forest and arrowing back towards Seneca Lake. One of my favorite roads of the trip was Shaw Road, which coasted over 500 feet down to the lake shore. For a few miles, I was on the Seneca Lake equivalent to my Keuka starting point—quaint lakeside homes with pleasant docks. Seneca Lake is a massive lake compared to Keuka, and the seagulls and small whitecaps gave the shore an ocean-side feel.

I had hoped to skirt Deer Haven Park (known for its protected albino deer) but the route I had planned required passing through some aggressively-signed private property with a small pack of dogs who barked incessantly as I approached. I decided to take State Highway 96A instead (busier but still scenic). Dropping back to the lake shore via Kennedy Road was a highlight of my trip as I was able to watch several ospreys cruise around their giant nests atop the telephone poles which lined the road. I had also seen these majestic raptors in Himrod the day prior.

I was in need of a break when I rounded the northern tip of Seneca Lake. Geneva has a wonderful lakeside park that was busy with walkers and sightseers. There was a convenient bottle-filling station and a welcome center with all manner of snacks and beverages. An iced coffee was exactly what I needed.

I couldn't resist cruising through nearby Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Rashna's and my alma mater. The campus was as beautiful as ever and passing through there always brings back pleasant memories. I opted for the most direct route back to Penn Yan which called for an almost 15 mile stretch on Pre Emption Road. I enjoyed a slight tailwind here and made good use of my aerobars, achieving cruising speeds seldom I seldom experience on my bikepacking rig.

Even on a Monday, Penn Yan was bustling with peak summer activity. I wound my way through the traffic and headed back towards Lake Shore Road to close the loop and end my trip.

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I've been meaning to do a trip like this for several years. The Finger Lakes region is a special place. I passed countless working farms and expansive vineyards—the vast open spaces are probably not what most people imagine when they think of New York.

As a bikepacking destination, this trip had just the right mix for me. It was logistically easy and had a pleasant combination of towns, country-riding, and forests. There are plenty of dirt roads to be found even outside the National Forest. I would love to return here to ride some of the dirt tracts I didn't get to visit on this trip.

The 600X with the rigid fork was perfect for this route. Although a more road-centric setup would have been appropriate for most of the miles I covered, I was very happy to have the burlier tires on the dirt roads and some of the rowdier trails in the National Forest (the latter could be easily bypassed if needed). The Pinion gearbox and belt drive worked flawlessly even when caked in mud and grass. I used a rear rack and panniers for this trip and continue to enjoy this simple setup for ease of organization.

One change for this trip was the inclusion of a small backpack just for my mirrorless camera, usually with my 80-300 mm zoom lens mounted. Although I also carried my small Canon G9X for snapshots, it was fun to occasionally dig out my zoom lens for some different shots.