Letchworth, Seneca Falls and the northern Finger Lakes
From Buffalo to the Grand Canyon of the East at Letchworth, then along the north end of the Finger Lakes to Seneca Falls, Taughannock Falls and Ithaca.
- Distance
- 310 km (192 mi)
- Driving
- 3 h 26 min
- Suggested days
- 3
- Stops
- 8
- States
- NY
- Updated
- April 25, 2026
At a glance: 3-day road trip of about 310 km (192 mi) with 8 stops, from Buffalo to Ithaca. About 3 h 26 min of driving in total.
More road trips in New York
Route description
Leave Buffalo on NY-400 and US-20A through farm country to Letchworth State Park, about 1.5 hours. The park road runs 17 miles along the west rim of the Genesee gorge; stop at Inspiration Point, the Upper and Middle Falls below the railroad bridge and the Glen Iris area. The park has cabins and a large campground, and autumn color usually peaks in mid-October.
Drive east via Geneseo on US-20A and US-20 to Canandaigua, about 1.5 hours, at the north tip of the lake of the same name, with the Victorian gardens of Sonnenberg and a lakefront park. US-20 continues through Geneva, a college town on Seneca Lake with wineries all around, to Seneca Falls on the canal between Seneca and Cayuga lakes.
Seneca Falls claims to be the model for Bedford Falls in the film It’s a Wonderful Life, and it is where the women’s rights convention of 1848 met. The national historical park visitor center stands next to the Wesleyan Chapel on Fall Street; the Stanton house is a short drive away. Five minutes east, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge has a wildlife drive through the marshes, best at dawn in spring and autumn.
From Seneca Falls take NY-89 south along the west shore of Cayuga Lake, a quiet road through vineyards and farms with many wineries. Stop at Taughannock Falls State Park, where the gorge trail is flat and easy and the rim overlook is off Taughannock Park Road. Ithaca, with its own gorges and Cornell University, is 20 minutes further. The route is about 340 km, and all of it suits RVs.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Buffalo
NY - 291 km
Letchworth State Park
NatureCastile, NYThe Genesee River cuts a gorge up to about 550 feet deep with three large waterfalls, seen from overlooks along a 17-mile park road. Vehicle fee; Inspiration Point and the Middle Falls area are the busiest spots.
- 386 km
Canandaigua
NY - 448 km
Seneca Falls
NY - 50 km
Women’s Rights National Historical Park
HistorySeneca Falls, NYWhere the first women’s rights convention met in July 1848, with the Wesleyan Chapel, the Elizabeth Cady Stanton house and a visitor center on Fall Street. Free; street parking downtown.
- 69 km
Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
NatureSeneca Falls, NYMarshes at the north end of Cayuga Lake with a 3.5-mile wildlife drive, observation towers and large flocks of geese and ducks in spring and autumn migration. Free; start at the visitor center off NY-5/US-20.
- 759 km
Taughannock Falls State Park
NatureTrumansburg, NYA 215-foot plunge waterfall, taller than Niagara, at the end of a flat gorge trail of under a mile, plus a rim overlook off Taughannock Park Road. Parking fee in season; swimming at the Cayuga Lake end.
- 816 km
Ithaca
NY
FAQs
How long is Letchworth, Seneca Falls and the northern Finger Lakes?
3-day road trip of about 310 km (192 mi) with 8 stops, from Buffalo to Ithaca. About 3 h 26 min of driving in total.
How many days do you need for Letchworth, Seneca Falls and the northern Finger Lakes?
We suggest 3 days: about 3 h 26 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.
Where does Letchworth, Seneca Falls and the northern Finger Lakes start and end?
It starts in Buffalo and ends in Ithaca.
Which states does Letchworth, Seneca Falls and the northern Finger Lakes pass through?
New York.
