The Longest Lake, the College Town at Its Heart
Cayuga Lake stretches 40 miles from end to end, making it the longest of the Finger Lakes. But length is not what defines it. Ithaca sits at the southern tip, and Ithaca is its own kind of place — a small city where Cornell University and Ithaca College bring in 30,000 students, a food scene that punches absurdly above its weight, and a culture that genuinely lives its “Ithaca is Gorges” bumper sticker. The gorges here are real and spectacular: Cascadilla, Fall Creek, Six Mile Creek, and the crown jewel just up the west shore, Taughannock Falls, which drops 215 feet — taller than Niagara.
America’s First Wine Trail
The Cayuga Lake Wine Trail holds the distinction of being America’s oldest organized wine trail, and it still delivers. The wineries here are more spread out than on Seneca, which means a day of tasting feels more like a road trip than a pub crawl. You will find excellent Riesling, as you will everywhere in the Finger Lakes, but Cayuga also has producers doing serious work with Cabernet Franc and Blaufrankisch. Sheldrake Point, on the west shore, is worth a stop for both the wine and the view. Buttonwood Grove and Lucas Vineyards are long-standing favorites.
Ithaca: More Than a College Town
Ithaca’s food and culture scene has grown far beyond what a city of 30,000 should reasonably support. The Ithaca Farmers Market, running since 1973 on the inlet, is one of the best in the Northeast. Moosewood Restaurant put vegetarian cooking on the American map from right here. The Commons, Ithaca’s downtown pedestrian mall, has independent bookstores, locally owned shops, and restaurants that source almost everything from surrounding farms. For a place this small, the arts scene is remarkable — the Hangar Theatre, Kitchen Theatre, and Cornell’s Johnson Museum all operate at a level you would expect from a much larger city.
On the Water and Along the Shores
Cayuga Lake is excellent for kayaking, sailing, and fishing. The lake’s north end, near Seneca Falls, is shallower and warmer — good for a casual swim. The Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway follows the eastern shore and passes through small hamlets with farm stands, cideries, and views that make you want to pull over every half mile. Stewart Park in Ithaca is the go-to spot for a lakeside afternoon, and Taughannock Falls State Park has both the falls overlook and a swimmable beach.
When to Visit
Summer is prime time, but Ithaca keeps things interesting year-round. September and October bring apple season, fall colors, and Cornell football weekends that fill every restaurant in town. Winter is cold but beautiful, and the gorges partially freeze into ice formations that draw photographers from across the state. Spring is gorge season — the waterfalls run hardest after snowmelt, and the trails reopen with a rush of energy that makes the whole region feel new again.
