Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests · New York · Trail 602

Finger Lakes

Finger Lakes Trail is a 5.3 miles trail in Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests, New York. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end42.4272, -76.8436 · Directions ↗
Other end42.4337, -76.8165 · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 47 segments.

The trail

Length5.3 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade0-5 percent, 12-20 percent, 5-8 percent, 8-10 percent, 10-12 percent, 20-30 percent, 30-40 percent
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
National designationNational Scenic or Historic Trail
Trail numbers602
ForestGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests (unit 0920)
StatesNew York
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed 05/01 to 11/30 (month/day)
Horse and pack stockAllowed
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.

Camping nearby

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Explore

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Finger Lakes Trail?

5.3 miles, the sum of the 47 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Finger Lakes Trail?

hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Finger Lakes Trail start?

The line begins at 42.4272, -76.8436 and ends at 42.4337, -76.8165. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Finger Lakes Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Finger Lakes Trail?

Blueberry Patch Campground (2.7 mi), Blueberry Patch Campground (2.7 mi) and Backbone Horse Campground (2.7 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Finger Lakes Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Finger Lakes Trail?

The typical grade is 0-5 percent on most segments and 12-20 percent or 5-8 percent or 8-10 percent or 10-12 percent or 20-30 percent or 30-40 percent on others.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Finger Lakes Trail a national trail?

Yes. The record marks it as a National Scenic or Historic Trail.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Finger Lakes Trail?

Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests, Forest Service unit 0920. The trail is in New York.

Source: Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests official page

Source

This page is built from 47 segments named FINGER LAKES in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0920. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.