Finger Lakes are a group of long, narrow lakes in west-central New York. They received their name because they are shaped somewhat like the fingers of a hand.
Most geographers include 11 lakes in the group. The lakes are, from east to west, Otisco, Skaneateles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, Canandaigua, Honeoye, Canadice, Hemlock, and Conesus. All the lakes lie generally in a north-south direction.
The most common explanation for how the lakes were formed is that glacial ice sheets deepened valleys that already existed in the area. Water from melting glaciers filled the valleys, which were dammed at their southern ends by glacial deposits of soil and rock.
Seneca is the largest of the Finger Lakes. It is 37 miles (60 kilometers) long and 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) wide at its broadest point. This lake lies 446 feet (136 meters) above sea level and is 600 feet (180 meters) deep at some points. Watkins Glen, a famous summer resort, is at the head of Seneca Lake.
Cayuga Lake is 40 miles (64 kilometers) long, 1 to 3 miles (1.6 to 4.8 kilometers) wide, 435 feet (133 meters) deep, and lies 380 feet (116 meters) above sea level. Taughannock Falls (215 feet, or 66 meters), near the head of Cayuga Lake, is one of the highest waterfalls east of the Rocky Mountains. Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake are connected at their northern ends by the Cayuga and Seneca Canal, which is part of the New York State Canal System.
The Finger Lakes lie in rolling country, with rounded hills from 60 to 800 feet (18 to 240 meters) above the level of the lakes. Thick woods, vineyards, orchards, and dairy farms cover most of the lake shores. Streams that run through many gorges and glens empty into the lakes.
