Staff Pick

Road Trip Niagara Falls → Finger Lakes – Watkins Glen, Wineries

Niagara Falls (NY) Ithaca
220
km
3h30
drive
All seasons
season

The Itinerary

In western New York State, the road trip from Niagara Falls to the Finger Lakes combines two very different wonders: North America's most-visited falls and the eastern U.S.'s largest wine region.

Niagara Falls (US side) offers a rawer view than the Canadian side — Cave of the Winds drops you within 20 m of the foam at American Falls' base. The Goat Island promenade splits the two cascades. I-90 then heads east through Buffalo (Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin Martin House architecture), and on to the Finger Lakes.

The Finger Lakes are 11 long vertical glacial lakes splayed like fingers, ringed by 130+ wineries. Seneca Lake (largest) and Cayuga Lake host the most renowned wine trails. Watkins Glen State Park hides a spectacular gorge with 19 waterfalls you walk down. Ithaca, Cornell's college town, closes the loop.

Points of Interest

  • ✦
    Niagara Falls (US side)
    Cave of the Winds, Goat Island, close-up American Falls.
  • ✦
    Watkins Glen State Park
    Gorge with 19 waterfalls, legendary downward trail.
  • ✦
    Seneca Lake Wine Trail
    Largest Finger Lake, 40+ wineries, acclaimed Riesling.
  • ✦
    Ithaca
    Cornell town, gorges, Buttermilk Falls.
Practical info
  • Departure Niagara Falls (NY)
  • Destination Ithaca
  • Distance 220 km
  • Duration 3h30
  • Category Medium (100–250 km)
  • Best season All seasons
Themes
waterfall wine lake Family new-york scenic-drive Waterfall gorge

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