The Keuka Outlet Trail follows the natural outlet stream that connects Keuka Lake at Penn Yan to Seneca Lake at Dresden, covering roughly seven miles along a former railroad bed. The trail passes through a mix of woodland and open areas, with the stream running alongside for most of the route. Along the way, hikers encounter the ruins of several 19th-century mills and factories that once used the outlet’s water power, as well as small waterfalls and cascades—particularly in the spring when water levels are high.

The trail is relatively flat by Finger Lakes standards, making it accessible to casual walkers, runners, and cyclists. The Penn Yan end is the more developed trailhead, and the walk toward Dresden offers increasingly rural scenery. The mill ruins—stone foundations and dam remnants scattered along the creek—provide a physical connection to the region’s 19th-century industrial history, when the waterway powered everything from grain mills to cotton factories. For visitors staying in the Penn Yan or Keuka Lake area, the Outlet Trail is the best walking option available—a pleasant, historically interesting route that does not require driving to a state park.