LOCAL

Want a socially distanced, fall-themed adventure? Go leaf peeping. Here are some routes.

Maggie Gilroy
Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin

As we head into the fall in the age of COVID-19, there's one activity that is safe and socially distant: leaf peeping.

It's easy to hop in the car with your quarantine buddies to observe the crimson yellow and deep ruby reds as the leaves change for fall.

We've cut down on planning time by compiling a list of autumnal trips packed with scenic views and seasonal activities. For those who want to be completely socially distant, just take the drives and skip some of the suggested restaurants, shops and stopping points. 

Pick a route below. And don't forget to snap a photo along the way.

Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway

In this nearly 58-mile trip, there are plenty of opportunities to stop for a glass of wine — or two.

The route: Taughannock Falls to Cayuga Lake State Park

Distance: 57.8 miles round trip

Driving time: 66 minutes round trip

Driving directions

Here’s an easy place to start: Begin at Taughannock Falls Overlook Visitors Center, located on Taughannock Park Road in Trumansburg. Take a walk around the falls before hopping in the car.

Head northeast: Turn left to stay on Taughannock Park Road, then turn left onto Route 89 north for 28.1 miles, until a right turn on Willows Hill Road. After 0.2 miles, turn right onto Lower Lake Road.

Stop at a winery: About a dozen wineries dot the route between Taughannock Falls and Cayuga Lake, which falls on the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail.

Sheldrake Point Vineyards in Ovid is on the Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway.

The longest of the Finger Lakes: Cayuga Lake was carved by glaciers. It’s 38.2 miles long and 435 feet deep, making it the longest and second deepest of the Finger Lakes. It reaches 53 feet below sea level.

Cayuga Lake Scenic byway: The Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway spans 87 miles and runs from Seneca Falls in the north to Ithaca in the south. Along the byway, you’ll find wineries, waterfalls, gorges, rural and woodland landscapes, views of the lake and many tourist and cultural attractions. This route only covers a portion of the byway, but if you would like to explore more of the byway, visit cayugalake.com/about-cayuga-lake-scenic-byway.

Wrap it up: Stretch your legs and enjoy a picnic lunch at Cayuga Lake State Park. 

[View the route in Google Maps]

Smart stopping points

Take in some nature: Take a break from the drive at the VanRiper Conservation Area and Whitlock Nature Preserve. Located on the west side of Cayuga Lake, it features about 1,900 feet of lake shore, woods and gullies. Walk the trails or just stand on the water’s edge of Cayuga Lake.

For the kids

At Cayuga Lake State Park, be sure to check out the playground.

The Finger Lakes Cider House (4017 Hickok Road in Interlaken) is not just for adults. In addition to orchard cider, families can pick their own apples at the orchard and sample the daily food menu. For more information, call 607-951-3313.

Watkins Glen to Seneca Lake

This nearly 72-mile trip will take you from Watkins Glen to Seneca Lake.

The route: Watkins Glen State Park to Seneca Lake State Park

Distance: 71.6 miles round trip

Driving time: 84 minutes round trip

Here’s an easy place to start: Begin at Watkins Glen State Park (1009 N. Franklin St. in Watkins Glen). Explore the park before jumping in the car. Be sure to check out the park’s 19 waterfalls.

Head north: Turn right on Pine Street, taking a left on North Franklin Street. Continue onto Lake Shore Drive / North Madison Avenue for 0.3 miles until Route 14 north. Remain on Route 14 north for 34.3 miles, then take a left onto South Cloverleaf Drive. After 0.1 miles, turn right onto Highway 20 east / Hamilton Street / Lakefront Drive.

The largest of the Finger Lakes: Seneca Lake is the largest Finger Lake by volume and second-largest by length behind Cayuga Lake. Seneca Lake’s depth exceeds 600 feet. The lake spans 43,343 acres and is 38 miles long.

Historic town: Located on the north end of Seneca Lake, the town of Geneva (population 13,000) features historic homes and an old town square. Stop by Pulteney Square to see beautiful views of Seneca Lake. The main industry in Geneva is winemaking, so be sure to check out the Seneca Wine Trail. 

More than racing: On the south end of Seneca Lake is Watkins Glen. If you’re a racing fan, Watkins Glen International is the best-known attraction. Check out the Farm Sanctuary, or one of the town’s museums, galleries, theaters and restaurants.

Wrap it up: Take in the views of Seneca Lake State Park, and bring a picnic. For boaters, the park contains two marinas with 132 electric slips and 84 non-electric slips.

Visit Seneca Lake during the fall on a leaf peeping road trip.

Where to eat

Before leaving Watkins Glen, stop by the Colonial Pottery & Creamery (701 N. Franklin St.). In addition to selling pottery and other goods, The Colonial makes its own homemade dairy and vegan ice creams, as well as waffle cones.

Ports Café (4432 West Lake Road in Geneva) is a high-end café with both food and wine. Call 315-789-2020 for reservations.

An aerial shot of Seneca Lake.

Located past Seneca Lake State Park, the Red Dove Tavern (30 Castle St. in Geneva) in Downtown Geneva features a menu with local ingredients. The eatery has 10 beers on tap, local wines on draft, as well as artisan cocktails and a local and international wine list. Call 315-781-2020 for more information.

For comfort food, check out Beef & Brew (293 Main St. Geneva) for lunch or dinner. Beef & Brew features American, British and Irish fare. For more information, call 315-789-7770.

[View the route in Google Maps]

For those who may fidget in long car rides, pull over and run around the Kashong Conservation Area (320 Kashong Road in Geneva), which features 84 acres of land that is a mix of hardwood, forest, brush land, fields and also a tributary to Seneca Lake. It was farmed until 25 years ago and high elevations provide views of Seneca Lake. The conservation area’s trails are fit for hiking, running, bird watching and skiing.

Endicott to Ithaca

This trip will be a favorite for bird watchers, taking you from Endicott's Cider Mill to Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology and Sapsucker Woods in Ithaca.

The route: Endicott to Ithaca

Distance: 88 miles round trip

Driving time: 2 hours round trip

Driving directions

Here’s an easy place to start: The Cider Mill (2 Nanticoke Ave. in Endicott) has been a fall tradition in Greater Binghamton for decades. Doughnuts are made by the thousands on the premises (you can watch them being made through a visitors’ window), and along with fresh-pressed cider it also sells baked goods, jams, jellies, pumpkins (in season), cheese and apples.

Though West Corners and Union Center: Make a left out of the Cider Mill parking lot and follow Route 26 to Route 38B, then make a left.

Beautiful hills and valleys: Find a few places to pull off on Route 38B and get some photos of the changing leaves, bucolic landscape and farm life.

Into Newark Valley: Take a right onto Route 38 to drive through the Tioga County village (population around 4,000), then head north to Berkshire and Harford. Keep an eye out near Belden Ryan Road for elks at the Mariah Elk Farm. (You’ll see plenty of horses and cows, too.)

Dryden Lake and its many walking paths offer some colorful fall foliage views in eastern Tompkins County. The lake also attracts migrating birds like this string of Canada geese flying above the lake at sunrise.

Check out a lake: Stop at Dryden Lake Park (just off West Lake Road), a small and shallow body of water created by an old crib dam and surrounded by a park and wetlands. It’s a neat place to get out of the car for a few, stretch your legs, and snap some photos of the flora and fauna. There are rest rooms, fishing and picnic shelters.

To Dryden: Take a left onto Route 13 when you hit Time Square (that’s right – you’ll know it by the clock) and head west. Turn left when you see the signs for Sapsucker Woods.

[View the route in Google Maps]

Smart stopping points

Hope Cemetery and Mausoleum (on Route 38 / South Main Street in Newark Valley, near the junction with 38B) was established as a community burial ground in 1820 and expanded between 1866 and 1931. The mausoleum was built of reinforced concrete in the 1920s in a style strongly reminiscent of Greek Revival architecture. It reportedly contains 200 crypts, plus four private rooms containing an additional 22 crypts.

The Bement-Billings Farmstead (9241 Route 38 in Newark Valley) is a living history museum that interprets domestic life, agricultural practices, and the natural environment of the early 1800s. The walking trails have remained open during the pandemic. 

For the kids

At Stoughton Farm (10898 Route 38 in Newark Valley), check out the popular corn maze, which will still open this year. 

Ringwood Raceway (1975 Dryden Road in Freeville) is a family-friendly go-kart track with a 1/6-mile blacktop road course. Note: You need to be at least 9 years old and 52 inches tall to drive your own kart; those who don’t meet those requirements can ride as a passenger with an adult driver in a double-seat kart.

Elmira to Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon

Beginning in Elmira, this trip ends in the Pine Creek Gorge, known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania.  

The route: Elmira to Pine Creek Gorge (the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania)

Distance: 168 miles round trip

Driving time: 3 hours, 30 minutes round trip

Driving directions

Here’s an easy place to start: Take a drive around the leafy campus of Elmira College. Check out Peterson Chapel in Cowles Hall, which features stained-glass windows depicting the college’s history and traditions, as well as writer Mark Twain and his wife, Olivia, an alumna of the school.

Peterson Chapel in Cowles Hall at Elmira College features stained-glass windows depicting writer Mark Twain.

Downtown Elmira: Hop onto the Clemens Center Parkway / Route 14 and head south across the Chemung River and past Seely Creek, then follow Route 328 through Southport and Pine City.

At the border: When you hit the New York / Pennsylvania line, bear left onto Route 549 and continue south through Mosherville.

College town: Take a left at Route 6 into Mansfield and have a drive through its quaint downtown as well as the Mansfield University campus.  

Southbound and down: With a left on Route 15, head south through Covington and Blossburg, then through part of the Tioga State Forest. The highway merges with the Appalachian Throughway. Then turn right onto Route 184 and head west until it becomes Route 287 south.

Almost there: At Salladasburg, make a right onto Route 973, then make a right onto Route 44 going north.

At the gorge: Pine Creek Gorge is 47 miles long and is carved into the Allegheny Plateau. The 12,163-acre state-designated Pine Creek Gorge Natural Area includes Colton Point and Leonard Harrison state parks as well as parts of the Tioga State Forest.

The Pine Creek Rail Trail through the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon has been rated one of the best in the world for bicyclists.

USA Today cited the Pine Creek Rail Trail as one of the 10 great places to take a bike tour in the world. Because of the gentle grade, the trail offers easy pedaling that requires minimal physical impact and only basic biking gear.

There are numerous ways to enjoy the beauty of the gorge, including hiking trails, driving routes and a horse-drawn wagon tour. (Learn more about that last one at olecoveredwagon.com).

[View the route in Google Maps]

Smart stopping point

Case’s Mansfield Cider Mill (16469 Route 6 in Mansfield) has been a popular autumn destination for more than seven decades that sells fresh apple cider, apple butter, jellies, jams and syrup.

Instagram spots

Mark Twain Riverfront Park (250 E Water St, Elmira) has a nice view of the Chemung River as well as benches and places nearby to grab lunch.

Pine Creek Gorge is pretty much all “Instagram spots,” so grab the phone and start snapping off photos. (You might have to wait until later to post if the cell signal is not strong.)

For the kids

See a film at the Victoria Theatre (222 Main St. in Blossburg, Pa.), which has been entertaining residents of Tioga County since the early 1900s. A 2010 restoration brought the historic theater back to life.

Pine Creek Gorge - better known as the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon - has a variety of hiking and biking trails.

Where to stay

Want to make it an overnight trip? For suggestions on lodging and other attractions in the region, check out visitpottertioga.com.

Vestal to Harveys Lake

Cross two states with this 128-mile tour from Vestal, New York to Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania. Begin at Arnold Park and end in the Luzerne County borough.

The route: Vestal, New York, to Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania.

Distance: 128 miles round-trip

Driving time: 3 hours round-trip

Driving directions

Here’s an easy place to start: Arnold Park is just off Pierce Hill Road in Vestal and is a good spot to see fall colors as well as views into the “Valley of Opportunity” below.

Head south: Hop on to Route 26, which becomes Pennsylvania Route 267 at the border and runs (mainly) parallel to Choconut Creek for its northern portion. For a quick detour, make a left on Quaker Lake Road and check out the views (and the homes) around Lake Marge and Lake Sophia.

Stopping in Meshoppen: Get out and stretch your legs in this small Wyoming County town, population 563 or so. Check out the Old White Mill, then make a left onto Route 6 (Roosevelt Highway) to head to Tunkhannock.

Small-town spirit: The downtown historic district in Tunkhannock (population 1,836) is bounded by Tioga, Pine and Harrison Streets and Wyoming Avenue, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Check out its cool buildings and shops, then turn left onto Route 29 (Hunter Highway).

Harveys Lake is the largest natural lake in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania’s “great lake”: Harveys Lake is the state’s largest natural body of water and served as a major tourist attraction in the early 20th century. Today, the Luzerne County borough (population 2,791) still offers boating and other outdoor activities.

Wrap it up: Enjoy a meal at Grotto Pizza (you’ve earned it), at 3445 Lakeside Drive in Harveys Lake, check out the lakeside dock out back, take another turn around the lake and then start heading north again.

[View the route in Google Maps.]

Smart stopping points

Mountainside Fruit Market (24664 State Route 267 in Friendsville, Pa.) sells not just fresh fruit and veggies but also has a creamery and a gift shop.

The 5½-story Old White Mill (off Welles Street in Meshoppen, Pa.) was built in 1852 and still has its original milling equipment. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

The Apple Wagon Antique Mall (1 Remington Road in Tunkhannock, Pa.) offers various items large and small, with a rotating inventory – so you never quite know what you’re going to find there, but it’s never dull.

Nimble Hill Winery & Brewery (3971 State Route 6 in Tunkhannock, Pa.) offers dry and semi-dry white wines as well as dessert wines, in addition to a variety of ales, stouts and porters.

Instagram spots

The roadside rest on Route 29 near Bowman Creek in Tunkhannock has picnic tables and a nice view of the surrounding countryside. You can even head down the creek and skip some stones.

Get a photo on the shore of Harveys Lake — just be careful where you stop and watch out for cars. The lake's irregular shape means that the road is a little winding.

Ricketts Glen State Park in Pennsylvania encompasses 13,050 acres in Columbia, Luzerne, and Sullivan counties.

For the kids

If the children are tired of being in the car, visit Ricketts Glen State Park (695 Route 487 in Benton) for some recreation time. 

Binghamton to Norwich

This 126-mile trip begins in Otsiningo Park in the town of Dickinson and wraps up in Norwich. Be sure to check out the route's lakes and farms along the way. 

The route: Binghamton to South Otselic and Norwich

Distance: 126 miles round trip

Driving time: 3 hours round trip

Driving directions

Here’s an easy place to start: Check out the beautiful foliage of Otsiningo Park (Town of Dickinson) and try to imagine the lives of the region's first settlers — Native Americans. In fact, the word "Otsiningo" is one of the indigenous words for the lower Chenango River valley. There's a cool playground for the kids, too.

Head north: Leave the park and jump onto Route 11 north through the Upper Front Street retail area, then keep heading north on Route 12 into Chenango County.

Get off the highway: Take a right on Route 2 just south of Greene; continue on the rural two-lane road until you cross Route 206. Just past the intersection, keep your eye out for what looks like the roofless remains of a castle tower: that's an historic ice house set back in the fields. It’s on private property so you can’t visit, but it's always a surprise when you see it.

Stay on Route 2 as you head in to Smithville Flats, a sleepy hamlet near the western border of Chenango County. Route 2 turns into Route 41, and just past the fire station, stay left as the newly paved road begins a curvy, short climb that soon leads to state forest and a chain of small lakes.

Leaf-peeping is glorious at Round Pond in Smithville Flats.

Lakes and farm sites: Long Pond State Forest comprises 3,254 acres, including the quiet 117-acre Long Pond. Signage at the pull off tells you more, and a boat ramp is available year-round. 

Among the thick spruce growing on both sides of the road, look for theTarbell Farms historical marker. This was the site of a major agricultural employer that had its origins in the late 19th century before becoming a major dairy farm that bottled about 2,800 quarts of milk daily. The Tarbell family sold 2,200 acres to New York state in 1963, and the state removed buildings to make the area recreational as part of the Long Pond State Forest. The gently twisting road often shared with no one but deer leads you past Cincinnatus Lake and Stump Pond before dropping into Willet. 

A barn blends in with the fall foliage in the Town of Willet, north of Greene.

In Willet, Route 41 turns into Route 26 north and heads toward Cincinnatus. Notice a ballfield whose stands remind visitors of another time, and a variety of roadside stands often selling home-grown pumpkins in the autumn. As you begin the long, fairly steep descent into the Village of Cincinnatus, look right for a sweeping, dramatic view of the valley and surrounding hills. It’s like a cup that holds weather and provides dramatic views almost any time of the day.

The route takes you to Taylor where Route 26 north continues after a right turn. Notice a historical marker for an Indian burial ground, as well as well-farmed fields along this valley road that occasionally crosses the Otselic River, and fishing access sites.

Head through the Pitchers (regular and North) till slipping into historic South Otselic. The Fish Hatchery is on your right, with ponds resting dry or full or water and fish, depending on the time of year. South Otselic is a National Historic District with 60 contributing buildings. It is also the birthplace of Grace Brown, a farmer’s daughter whose murder in the Adirondacks in 1905 inspired Theodore Dreiser’s novel "An American Tragedy." Grace Brown is buried in the Valley View Cemetery in the center of South Otselic.

Leaving the hamlet of South Otselic, briefly head south on Route 26 the way you came, and turn left onto the paved Route 42 (not Billy Brown Rd — if that’s where you find yourself, you’ve gone a few feet too far). Route 42 takes you up and across a section of the 4,689-acre Pharsalia Management Wildlife Area, where you will see a Finger Lakes Trail marker and you might see pheasants crossing the road. Watch for Perkins Pond, a private holding that’s part of the Perkins Pond State Forest. Look for a small pull-off across the street so you can stop and have a look. 

At the end of Route 42, turn left on 23 East where more farms and hillsides cradle the highway. After about 10 miles, turn left on to Route 44. Views are more open here, and you’ll drive past the Canasawacta Country Club. At the end of Route 44, turn right onto Route 12, which will take you all the way back to Binghamton. 

First, though, stop to visit Norwich, the city that hosts the Northeast Classic Car Museum, shops, eateries and more. Route 12 south that takes you back to Binghamton parallels the Chenango River and again reveals a corridor of fall color.

[View the route in Google Maps.]

For the kids

Show young folks what their ancestors used to drive at the Northeast Classic Car Museum (24 Rexford St, in Norwich). Open for more than 20 years, the museum has more than 170 vehicles from 1899 through the early 1980s on display in five connected buildings. Some of the cars are literally one of a kind — the only survivors from small manufacturers in New York and adjoining states.

Wolf Mountain Nature Center (562 Hopkins Crandall Road in Smyrna) offers educational programs and close-up views of gray wolves, coyotes and Arctic foxes. 

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