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Trail Mix

HIKING IN THE FINGER LAKES REGION

WEST-CENTRAL NEW YORK

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Winding around the long lakes that give the region its name, the Finger Lakes Trail travels across 580 miles of upstate New York from Allegany State Park to the top of Slide Mountain in the Catskills.

e region’s annual grape harvest attracts many visitors to the area during the fall months, and countless hiking adventures under the colorful bursts of autumnal forest foliage keep them coming back.

Start the journey by downloading one of three passport booklets courtesy of the Finger Lakes Trail Conference to nd a variety of short, family-friendly hikes. ese include a walk through the Grand Canyon of the East in Letchworth State Park. Take the rim trail beneath the bright orange and yellow trees lining the top of the gorge. e stone walls sweep hundreds of feet down towards the Genesee River, which crashes over three major waterfalls.

For the more experienced hiker, many trails take visitors over adventurous terrain. e Tompkins County e return trip takes hikers downhill towards downtown Watkins Glen, where the Queen Catherine Marsh Loop o ers spots for bird-watching as ocks migrate for the winter. For more information about the Finger Lakes Trail Conference passports, visit ngerlakestrail.org.

Abbott Loop trail covers an 8-mile trek over hilly woods and a valley overlook before circling back to the parking area. (Southern Tier Balloon Tours o ers the option of getting an aerial view of the autumn forest.)

At the south end of Seneca Lake, take the Gorge Trail, a 2-mile-round-trip hike in Watkins Glen State Park. e goldenorange hues of falling leaves and the mossy stone walls of the gorge enclose hikers as they climb over 800 stone steps along Glen Creek. Some of the 19 waterfalls dotting the trail trickle over the gorge walls. For those who want to stay overnight, branching trails connect with places to camp.

Jenna Nahhas

Snowy Season

INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL PARK IN WINTER PORTER, INDIANA e best way to explore the park during the winter is on crosscountry skis or snowshoes. Free snowshoe rentals are available at the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education, located within the park.

Situated on a 15-mile stretch along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, Indiana Dunes holds the title of the United States’ 61st national park, following its redesignation in 2019. With oak savannas, swamps, bogs, marshes, prairies, rivers and forests, plus 1,100 owering plant species and ferns, it is one of the most biodiverse national parks in the country.

Over 11,000 years ago, the Wisconsin glacier, the last glacier to cover this region during the Ice Age, began the slow process of melting. is gave rise to the park’s four signi cant dunes — landforms made up of wind- or water-driven sand — and formed Lake Michigan. In the wintertime, the park’s more than 15,000 acres are typically blanketed with snow. Over 50 miles of hiking trails that are perfect for all skill levels meander among the covered dunes, the icy lakefront and through the forests, where evergreens add a touch of holiday magic.

Begin the journey at the Dorothy Buell Visitor Center to purchase a Park Entrance Pass, pick up maps and chat with a ranger.

Indiana Dunes National Park is known for its bird-watching year-round, with more than 350 types of birds spotted within the park. Some species, like the dark-eyed junco and snowy owl, migrate from the north to enjoy a milder winter on the northern

Indiana shore. Spot other animals on the ground such as wood frogs, which can survive in the wintry bogs because of the natural antifreeze in their bodies.

Be on the lookout for fresh animal tracks too. More than 37 animal species call this beautiful park home, including the white-tailed deer and red fox. Dorothy Buell Visitor Center: 1215 N. Indiana 49, Porter, Indiana 46304, 219/395-1882, nps.gov/indu

Amy Bizzarri