Sports and the Outdoors
Cayuga Lake State Park. Cayuga Lake State Park. A swimming beach, bathhouse, boat launch, playground, campground, and trails are the key attractions in this 190-acre park. You can also fish at the park, on the north end of Cayuga Lake and 2 mi from Seneca Falls. 2678 Lower Lake Rd., Seneca Falls, New York, 13148. 315/568--5163; parks.ny.gov/parks/123. $7 per car. Daily dawn–dusk.
Cayuga-Seneca Canal. Cayuga-Seneca Canal. The 12-mile-long Cayuga-Seneca Canal links the northern ends of Seneca and Cayuga lakes and connects to the Erie Canal near the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Locks enclose boats in bathtublike mechanisms that fill with water and float the boat to the next level. (Locks are in service during daylight hours from May to mid-November.) The decorative lamps along the canal near downtown Seneca Falls make this a great place for walkers, night or day. Victorian-style benches provide seating. The Ludovico Sculpture Trail stretches along the canal's south bank in Seneca Falls. 9 Seneca St., Seneca Falls, New York, 13148. 315/568--5797; www.nyscanals.com.
Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. The area between the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario was a huge wetlands until settlers began draining it more than 200 years ago. Montezuma, a 7,000-acre remnant of the giant swamp, is a major stopover for thousands of migrating birds. The numbers peak in mid-April and early October. More than 320 species of birds have been identified at the federally managed site since its establishment in 1937. Look for eagles that raise their young here. You can take a 3½-mile self-guided car tour of the refuge; start at the visitor center, where you pick up a brochure with information about the wildlife you see on the tour. The visitor center has limited winter access; call for seasonal hours. The refuge entrance is 5 mi east of Seneca Falls, at the north end of Cayuga Lake. 3395 Rte. 5/U.S. 20, Seneca Falls, New York, 13148. 315/568--5987; www.fws.gov. Free. Refuge daily dawn–dusk; visitor center Apr.–Nov., weekdays 10–3, weekends 10–4.
