Five-Star Trails: Finger Lakes and Central New York Your Guide to the Area's Most Beautiful Hikes

The Finger Lakes and Central New York are not known for rugged mountains and their panoramic vistas which are so commonly sought in the Adirondacks to the north. They hardly could be - the area was scoured clean by glaciers millennia ago. But don’t let that fool you, the region is full of natural wonders of its own. Instead of mountains and ridges, the region is known for rolling drumlins, an abundance of scenic gorges, quiet woodlands, beautiful waterfalls and picturesque lakes. Trails included in Five-Star Trails: Finger Lakes and Central New York by Tim Starmer feature a broad mixture of these landscapes and were carefully selected to give the most varied but also rewarding experience when picking a trail.

Each trail has been thoroughly researched, recently hiked and includes a detailed description, trail profiles and map. At a glance ratings in important categories such as Scenery, Trail Condition, Difficulty, Solitude and appropriateness for children let you quickly select a trail that fits your tastes and ability. Other useful information such as fees, restrictions for dogs on the trail as well as advice on when to visit offers you the best information so you can plan your trip with ease.

Tim Starmer has always been an outdoor enthusiast and spent most of his childhood seeking out remote and wild areas whenever possible. During a brief hiatus from Brown University during 1997, he drove across the United States for six weeks, camping the entire way. Along the way he explored many of the West's national and state parks, including Canyonlands, Yellowstone, Arches, Bryce Canyon. At the trip's conclusion, he headed down to Australia, where he backpacked for a few months exploring the eastern Outback, the Great Barrier Reef, and the caves of Tasmania, as well as traversing the Tasmanian World Heritage Area along the Overland Track. Tim currently works in upstate New York as a timber framer and can still be found exploring the wilds whenever possible.

1. Buttermilk Falls
2. Buttermilk Falls (Lake Treman)
3. Enfield Glen (Robert Treman)
4. High Tor Wildlife Management Area
5. Conklin Gully
6. Bear Swamp
7. Shindagin
8. Watkins Glen
9. Taughannock Falls
10. Sweedler Lick
11. Abbott Loop
12. Kennedy State Forest (international Loop)
13. Kennedy State Forest (Virgil Mountain)
14. Lime Hollow
15. Beaver Lake
16. Baltimore Woods
17. Sterling Nature Center
18. Cayuta Creek
19. Fillmore Glen
20. Carpenters Falls
21. Chimney Bluffs
22. Green Lakes
23. Green Lakes (Farmers Hill)
24. Bob Cameron Loop
25. Tinkers Falls
26. Morgan Hill
27. Queen Catherine Marsh
28. Texas Hollow
29. Urbana State Forest
30. Bare Hill Unique Area
31. Hemlock Lake
32. Johnson Hill(Reynolds Gully)
33. Grimes Glen
34. Cuyler State Forest
35. Adams Eden (look out)
36. Adams Eden (creek walk)
37. Highland Forest
38. Clarks Reservation
39. Wesley Hill Nature Preserve
40. Finger Lakes National Forest (Gorge Trail)
41. Finger Lakes National Forest (** Loop)