If you've landed on Keuka as your Finger Lakes homebase, good pick—it's my favorite, and the one I grew up going to. This is the lake I have the most recommendations around, so consider this your deeper dive into what to do once you get here.
(Still deciding which lake? Start with my overview guide to planning a Finger Lakes family vacation.)
Keuka Lake:
Keuka Lake has some of my favorite small towns—many of which are accessible via boat with docks on the edge of town! If Keuka is your destination, there are two little towns worth checking out, and they’re only about 26 minutes apart via car: Penn Yan at the northern tip and Hammondsport at the southern.
If I was picking water sports as the anchor of my family vacation, Keuka would have my vote. You can get a vacation rental on the water or stay in Penn Yan or Hammondsport and still have easy access to the beautiful lake. In both towns you can do your grocery shopping for picnics or grilling out and find places to rent gear for the water.
On the Lake: Swimming & the Wine Trail
Two things Keuka does especially well: getting you in the water, and pouring you a glass next to it.
Where to swim. For a public beach, Keuka Lake State Park near Branchport has a family-friendly swimming beach, a playground, and picnic areas (there’s an entry fee, so check before you go). Closer to town, Red Jacket Park in Penn Yan and Indian Pines Park both have beaches and lifeguarded swim areas, and down south, Depot Park in Hammondsport sits right on the water with a lifeguard on duty. I’m more of a “rent a boat and jump off the boat” girl but if I don’t have a boat, I love Depot Park in Hammondsport.
Picture taken at Depot Park
The wine trail. Keuka is one of the most scenic trails in the Finger Lakes — vineyards run right down to the water. You can map out a route on the Keuka Lake Wine Trail site. I don’t drink a lot of wine to be honest. But I’d never pass up an opportunity to go to Heron Hill and Dr Konstantine Frank for riesling.
Wine tasting at Dr Frank.
Penn Yan
Penn Yan is probably the most popular of the two, and it's the bigger of the pair — it sits right at the northern tip of Keuka on the branch where the lake splits into its signature "Y" shape. We used to spend at least one day of our vacation here, and it feels a little more ‘people live here’ — on Main St you’ll pass a hardware store, something you normally don’t see in vacation towns. Here’s where I’d go:
If you’re there on a Saturday, you have to go to the Windmill. It’s a farm and craft market with merchants ranging from collectibles to home decor to produce and more!
Start your day with a cup of coffee at Amity Coffee! It’s one of my favorite spots because the vibes are SO GOOD. I recommend either an iced tea or cold brew.
Cold Brew and admiring the gallery wall at Amity Coffee
Walk along Main Street and shop some of the little gift stores. If you didn’t pack a book, Longs’ Cards & Books has you covered. If you want to show your kids your favorite candy, the Candy Emporium is a cool place to check out. There are also lots of second hand and thrift stores.
For lunch, I’ve gotta recommend either a winery or brewery. If you want to stay close to Penn Yan or even get there via boat, go to Lake Life Brewery.
Stop by Seneca Farms ice cream for fried chicken or homemade ice cream! I love their peanut butter! My favorite.
@middleofsomewhere.life No Penn Yan trip is complete without ice cream #fingerlakes #newyorkstate #centralnewyork
Hammondsport
Hammondsport is on the southern tip of Keuka, about 30 minutes from Watkins Glen. It’s small. Super duper small — the entire town is situated around a square — but it carries weight! It’s very easy to access either by boat (you can dock there) or by car (parking is plentiful), and it has some nice farm-to-table restaurants and thoughtful boutiques. Here’s where I’d go:
Bully Hill Vineyards is one of my favorite places for lunch. During the pandemic they switched to a more casual dining experience and I really love the vibe of their campus.
If you' want lunch (or even a spot to stay) the Village Tavern Restaurant & Inn is where I’d recommend. Their “Caesar with a Kick” salad with a side of fries is something I crave for girl dinner.
Most of the stuff to do in Hammondsport is around a square park called “Pulteney Square” and there isn’t much to do that’s not eating in Hammondsport but check out the Park Pharmacy (more of a gift shop and less of a pharmacy) and go to the Wine Barrel Furniture Company. Everything is handmade out of wine barrels and it’s s inspiring to see how old barrels are being given new life.
And if you have a sweet tooth, I have to recommend ice cream (or breakfast!) at the Crooked Lake Ice Cream shop.
That’s my Keuka — the lake I keep coming back to. If you’ve got a favorite spot I didn’t mention, I want to hear it: drop a comment with your favorite things to do on Keuka Lake. And if you’re planning to visit a different one, tell me — which lake should I cover next?