This is the perfect tour for a long weekend. It starts in Geneva, visits Trumansburg, Ithaca, Aurora, Auburn, Skaneateles and Seneca Falls. You also see four of the lakes, several beautiful waterfalls, beautiful rolling country and some great coffee shops. We ended up doing 300 km with side trips and tours around the towns in the evening, but the basic route is about 250 km.

The map on the right is a high level overview. Click on it to see the more detailed map of the route.

The tour starts and ends in Geneva. If you stay at a hotel the night before you start riding, ask if you can leave your car there while you tour. There are long stretches in this tour without any stores or restaurants, so make sure you carry plenty of water and food to get you through. We carried two large water bottles each.

Day 1

90 km of moderate cycling over rolling terrain.

• 0 km – Ride east out of Geneva on highway 5/20
• 4.5 km – Take the ramp for highway 96A.
• 7.0 km – Turn right onto East Lake Rd.
• 18.5 km – Turn left on Kennedy Rd
• 20.5 km – Turn right back
• onto highway 96A. You will pass Sampson State Park.
• 28.5 km – At the turn in the highway, exit and follow the signs for Willard, but take 131/132 south past the correctional facility.
• 35.8 km – Turn left onto 136 towards Lodi.
• 37.7 km – In Lodi, turn right onto 414. Follow it out of town. There was a restaurant in Lodi, but we didn’t stop there.
• 45.1 km – Along 414, there are several wineries that you may want to stop at for lunch with a great view of the lake. Just past Caywood, turn left onto 137. It goes South then turns East.
• 48.9 km – At the stop sign, turn right onto Lodi Center Road. You will have a few kilometers of gravel.
• 50.6 km – At the T junction, turn left onto Seneca Road.
• 51.2 km – Turn right onto Wardner Corners Road.
• 52.8 km -At the stop sign, turn left onto Searsburg Road 1. You are back on the pavement and will climb up over the height of land between the two lakes and have a fun ride down into Trumansburg.
• 63.0 km – When you hit 227, turn left.
• 63.7 km -Turn right onto highway 96. There are a couple of cafes and restaurants in Trumansburg.
• 65.3 km – Turn left onto Cemetery Road, then right onto Falls Road..
• 68.1 km – Turn left into Taughannock Falls State Park. If you cross the bridge, you have gone too far. Enjoy the decent, you will pay for it later. Make sure you pull off at the parking area on your right about half way down. From here you can see Taughannock Falls, the highest waterfall East of the Mississippi.
• 69.8 km – At the bottom of the hill, turn right onto highway 89.
• 85 km – You will come to Ithaca. Find your way to your hotel.

We stayed at a hotel on the highway Southwest of Ithica. By the time we rode into and around Ithica for the evening, then back out to our hotel, we were at 110km. For dinner, I would highly suggest the famous Moosewood Restaurant in the Dewitt Mall on Cayuga Street. You may also want to visit Buttermilk Falls on Hwy 13 just South of Ithica.

Day 2

70 km starting with a long moderate climb, then a few hills and fun descents.

• 0 km – Start in downtown Ithica, follow the signs for Hwy 13 and 34 out of town. As you leave town, the hike into Ithica Falls is worth it.
• 3.2 km – Head left on 34 and begin the long easy climb out of town.
• 11.8 km – At the T-junction of 34B, turn left. Just before the intersection on the right, there is a great little cafe. This is a great place to stop for a morning coffee.
• 24.3 km – Just into Lake Ridge, keep your eye out for Lake Ridge Road on your left. Turn onto it.
• 30.0 km – At the intersection with Highway 90, follow it to the left.
• 42 km -The town of Aurora is a good place to stop for lunch.
• 53.4 km – Just past Union Springs, turn right onto 326.
• 64 km – Follow 326 as it winds its way up to Half Acre. Turn right onto West Genesee St.
• 69 km – Follow W Genesee into Auburn and find your hotel for the night.

We stayed at the Days Inn behind the Steward House. A fun place to eat is the diner a little further along Genesee St.

Day 3

90 km of rolling terrain. There aren’t many stores along parts of this route, so make sure you have plenty of water.

• 0 km – Start in downtown Auburn, follow Highway 38A out of town.
• 15.7 km – A few kilometers past Owasco, you will come to an intersection where 38A turns right. Carry on straight through on Heifer Road.
• 17.9 km – Turn left onto 41A. Follow this along the shore of Skaneateles Lake.
• 27.8 km – At the T-junction with Highway 20 in Skaneateles, turn right into town. There are several restaurants and stores here. There is also a great cafe on Jordan Street that serves donoughts straight out of the fryer. How can you resist?
• 29.4 km – Turn left onto Jordan St.
• 35.8 km -After the small town of Skaneateles Falls, keep your eye out for Irish Road on the left. Turn here.
• 39. 4 km – Follow Irish Road to Taylor Road, then left onto Baker Road and out to the T-Junction of Depot Road. Turn right onto Depot Road.
• 56.6 km – Depot Road becomes Turnpike Road and goes all the way to Highway 5/20. At 5/20, take a right, then a quick left back onto Turnpike Road.
• 59.2 km – Cross over Highway 90 towards the lock and follow the road to the North.
• 61.4 km -Turn left onto the busy Highway 5/20.
• 64.9 km – Watch yourself at the intersections here, take the first left onto 89.
• 66.7 km – Turn right onto Hyatt Road.
• 67.8 km – Turn back left onto Highway 5/20.
• 71.7 km – Seneca Falls is a good place for a late lunch. Cross to the South side of the Canal and turn right onto 119 River Road.
• 84.1 km – Turn right onto Highway 96A, then take the West exit onto Highway 5/20 into Geneva.
• 89.6 km – Finish your ride back in Geneva.

Recommended Reading

• Finger Lakes Region Map by Mapworks.
• Backroad Bicycling In The Finger Lakes Region.