10 Things to do Adventurous in Finger Lakes That You Shouldn't Miss

April 22, 2022 Merry Kessler

New York’s Finger Lakes region takes its name from 11 freshwater lakes placed like a handprint between Lake Ontario and the Pennsylvania border. Skiing, hiking and biking trails traverse the landscape; visitors can also indulge in various wine, cheese and beer trails. The area offers a culinary bounty, with an emphasis on farm-to-table cuisine. Rich history and culture are found throughout the region, with one attraction more inviting than the next.
Restaurants in Finger Lakes

1. Watkins Glen State Park

1009 N Franklin St, Watkins Glen, NY 14891-1432 +1 607-535-4511 http://nysparks.com/parks/142/details.aspx
Excellent
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5.0 based on 4,539 reviews

Watkins Glen State Park

The cascades of 18 waterfalls are the calling card of this state park.

Reviewed By marvi62 - Lafayette Hill, United States

We went to Watkins Glen (4th visit) on Tuesday, arriving around 11 am. The NY state Covid regulations in effect right now clearly state that masks are required, even outdoors, when passing within 6' of another person. These rules are posted at the entrance of the park, as is the one way direction for walking the Gorge trail right now. However, I would estimate 60% or more of park attendees did not put on masks when passing- and the Gorge trail is 2' - 3' wide in many locations. A number of hikers also ignored the one-way rule, coming back on the narrow Gorge trail instead of taking the designated trail back. It took us about 2-1/2 hours to hike the mile up the Glen, since my husband took a lot of photographs. The hike back down only took about 20 minutes. Bring water and wear sturdy shoes or good sneakers (the soles of your shoes will get muddy, even on a sunny day). There are bathrooms by the entrance, but none on the trail. Admission to the park is $8, payable by cash or credit card in a self-ticketing machine in the two parking lots (main lot plus 2nd lot across the street). Watkins Glen is an absolutely stunning gorge. I just recommend going really early to minimize close encounters with other hikers. The only park ranger I saw in our entire visit was the man in the Information Center near the park entrance.

2. Skydive Central New York

Excellent
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5.0 based on 258 reviews

Skydive Central New York

Perfect Safety Record. The First-Jump Experts. No Experience Necessary.

3. WNYSkydiving

Excellent
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5.0 based on 19 reviews

WNYSkydiving

WNYSkydiving is a full service skydiving trainingfacility conveniently located within easy driving distance from Buffalo, NY and Rochester, NY. WNYSkydiving operates out of the Pine Hill Airport located at 4906 Pine Hill Road, Albion, NY 14411.

4. Rochester Sport Fishing

Excellent
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5.0 based on 70 reviews

Rochester Sport Fishing

Rochester's premier deep water, sport fishing experience! Get ready to tell some fish stories, because you're going to land some Monsters!! We are conveniently located in the Braddock Bay Marina in Greece, N.Y. We will tailor fit a charter to your needs. Business trip? Family outing? Adventure with your buddies? We have you covered.

5. Southern Tier Balloon Tours

Excellent
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5.0 based on 261 reviews

Southern Tier Balloon Tours

Offering daily hot air balloon rides in the Ithaca, NY region of Tompkins county, Southern Tier Balloon Tours is the perfect way to see the entire finger lakes region of Ithaca, NY from the air. Flights are 45-70 minutes in duration with the whole experience being around 3 hrs from start to finish and conclude with a celebratory Champagne toast for all guests.

6. Liberty Balloon Company

Excellent
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5.0 based on 94 reviews

Liberty Balloon Company

Liberty Balloon Company was founded in 1976 by former US Navy aviator Carroll Teitsworth. Carroll is still the hub around which the business turns, but we have grown to a family-operated, full time hot air balloon company offering rides over Letchworth State Park and throughout the Finger Lakes Region. We schedule by reservation only, and always morning or evening. We take safety seriously; so we fly only when the weather permits and the wind is calm. We offer both shared basket rides as well as private flight packages for those looking for an even more exclusive experience. Join us for your own hot air balloon adventure; we look forward to meeting and flying with you!

7. Bristol Mountain Aerial Adventures

5589 S Hill Rd, Canandaigua, NY 14424-8881 +1 585-374-1180 [email protected] http://bristolmountainadventures.com/
Excellent
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5.0 based on 129 reviews

Bristol Mountain Aerial Adventures

Get outside, create memories, build confidence, and have an adventure! Bristol Mountain Aerial Adventures offers 3 unique adventures at the summit of Bristol Mountain. Soar through the trees on a small group, private, Zipline Canopy Tour. The tour features 7 ziplines measuring 5,000+ ft, 4 bridges with spectacular views of the Bristol Valley, and 2 off-road rides. Conquer the Aerial Adventure Park, a series of 7+ challenge courses interwoven within the forest canopy. Each course is made up of 12-15 unique elements that include ziplines, tight rope walks, rope ladders, bridges, and even a skateboard! Watch your child gain confidence as they navigate, balance, and zip their way through the trees in the Kids Adventure Park. 2 courses specifically designed for kids aged 4-7.

Reviewed By rochestervacationer - Farmington, United States

So much fun. It's actually not scary once you get going. You feel very safe in the harness and you feel that your kids are safe. It's such a great activity for right now during the COVID crisis. You get to be outside and do a unique experience like that. My daughter had turned 10 (we did it for her birthday) and a little hesitant so we only did two of the seven courses over the three hour time. Tons of unique activities just on these two courses. The zip lines were the biggest hits. Total blast throughout and makes you want to go back. We went early and were glad we did- it got a lot busier towards the midday point when we were leaving. Highly recommend, especially now.

8. Roseland Wake Park

Excellent
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5.0 based on 48 reviews

Roseland Wake Park

Roseland Wake Park is the perfect place for both beginner and advanced wakeboarder. We have a 5-tower main cable system and a 2-tower Lil Bro cable system for practice and training. For more advanced riders we have ramps, rails and kickers of different difficulty levels all throughout the park so everyone can ride at their comfort level and improve their skills. We have a variety of beginner programs and group rates available to help customers learn this sport as easily as possible. We also have a full watersports Pro Shop carrying a variety of brands. Our Pro Shop is stocked with all your watersports needs, a staff of experts within this industry and a full rental shop for those who wish to rent. We are determined to help our customers have a great time at the park and find the perfect gear for themselves

9. The Great Escape Room

1150 University Ave Suite 12A, Building 5, Rochester, NY 14607-1647 +1 585-512-8782 [email protected] http://thegreatescaperoom.com/rochester/
Excellent
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5.0 based on 418 reviews

The Great Escape Room

The Great Escape Room is a real-life room escape game based on the popular computer and mobile phone escape games. Escape games are the newest craze sweeping the nation – a fun, team-building, brain-busting experience! After entering a room with your team, the door is locked behind you. 60 minutes are on the clock! You must work together in order to find clues and solve puzzles that will lead you

Reviewed By CJMayer522

Nine of us went into the Escape Room; none of us had ever done one before. Great fun, challenging, and each of us contributed something important to the overall progress. My only suggestion is that they should have soft drinks or something for afterwards-- everyone is so pumped at the end, and we wanted to "relive" parts or talk about what happened. We all went to dinner somewhere else after. They could do well to offer that there

10. Great Escape Adventures

3300 Chambers Rd Arnot Mall,, Horseheads, NY 14845-1404 +1 607-873-7108 [email protected] http://www.GreatEscapeAdventures.net
Excellent
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5.0 based on 74 reviews

Great Escape Adventures

An ESCAPE ROOM is a fully immersive adventure game where groups of up to 10 people work together to interact with objects and clues to solve ciphers, riddles, and puzzles within a full size room or series of rooms. The objective of the game is to attempt to solve the mystery and escape the room in under 60 minutes.

Reviewed By Jokski

12 friends and family went to the Sci Fi escape room. We managed to get out 5 minutes shy of “time’s up”. It is challenging and forces you to “think outside the box”

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