One of the best places to really see the true beauty of the great outdoors is at a state park. Well known for our state parks,
Finger Lakes Wine Country is no exception. Finger Lakes Wine Country boasts six state parks and the
Finger Lakes National Forest - the only National Forest in New York State, by the way. I'm going to focus on four of the state parks for taking in fall foliage, although I can promise you that any of them would be a perfect place to do some leaf peeping.
Keuka Lake State Park ranks at number 22 on our Top Foliage Views. Keuka Lake State Park is a perfect place for a day with the family in the great outdoors. Enjoy hiking, biking, fishing, and even kayaking or canoeing. You can swim there too, but for fall foliage views, I doubt the water would be warm enough. Put that on your list of things to do for summer! The hills surrounding
Keuka Lake have been talked about throughout this blog if you've been keeping up with our Top Foliage Views. Some of the most breathtaking scenery in the region, Keuka Lake also boasts some great restaurants and of course, wineries. Make a day of leaf peeping on Keuka and you'll never be let down.
Pinnacle State Park in Addison, right outside of
Corning, is a great place to go golfing while in
Finger Lakes Wine Country. Of course it also offers visitors camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, and biking, the golf course is a great way to check out the fall foliage and enjoy some fun with family or friends. Fall is a great time to visit Corning, we've mentioned the
Gaffer District and of course the Glass Harvest at
The Corning Museum of Glass, and Pinnacle State Park is just up the road. A great place to spend a fall day, which is why it's number 23 on our list.
Newtown Battlefield State Park is located right outside of
Elmira and is a great place to not only do some serious leaf peeping, but also a great place to induldge in some Revolutionary War history. The battle of Newtown was the decisive clash in one of the largest offensive campaigns of the American Revolution. A stone monument was dedicated at the top of the hill on the centennial of the Battle of Newtown in 1879. The present granite monument was erected in 1912. During the 1930s, Civilian Conservation Corps crews built and developed many of the present facilities of the park, including a beautiful, rustic lodge. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Newtown Battlefield State Park is a wonderful place to camp or even just have a picnic. The beautiful rolling hills and peaceful surroundings are the reason
Newtown Battlefield State Park is number 24 on our list of Top Foliage Views.
Last but certainly not least is the well known
Watkins Glen State Park. Arguably one of the best known State Parks in the region, Watkins Glen State Park offers visitors an all encompassing experience. Hike the trails through the glacially carved gorge and count all 19 sparkling waterfalls that line the walkways. It's a wonderful place to camp and offers visitors a very convenient location to stay while visiting Finger Lakes Wine Country because it's right in the heart of downtown Watkins Glen, a central point in
Finger Lakes Wine Country. The fall foliage against the slate and stone of the gorge and the highlight of the crystal waterfalls is why
Watkins Glen State Park is number 25 on our list of Top Foliage Views.
If you were wondering the only other two state parks are they are
Mark Twain State Park, another good golf course, and
Stony Brook State Park, another great place to see some waterfalls. We hope that you've had a chance to see the gorgeous foliage in
Finger Lakes Wine Country this year. It's hard to believe fall is nearly over and we're on to thinking about the holidays. We hope you've enjoyed getting some great ideas for places to leaf peep around the region and look forward to sharing with you some holiday fun in the coming weeks.
While the holiday season is certainly fun and exciting, there is always that one part that tends to be a bit stressful: holiday shopping. Now I love to shop, but even I get stumped now and again trying to find that perfect gift for the ones I love. This year, I am going to do my best to shop local and give gifts that are unique to Finger Lakes Wine Country. Over the next couple weeks we’re going to give you some great ideas for holiday gifts that everyone will love. 
So here it is. Buy a gift certificate from a transportation company of your choice. Then, pick up some brochures if you’re local, or give our office a call at 800-813-2958 and we can send you Wine Trail brochures and our Travel Guide. Then put the brochures and the gift certificate in a basket with a bottle of Finger Lakes Wine and there you have it, you’re giving your loved one the ultimate Finger Lakes Wine Country experience with some extra thought and planning. Want to really impress them? Get a gift certificate to the hotel, inn, or bed and breakfast of your choice and give them an entire Finger Lakes Wine Country Weekend. They're bound to love it!
