The Finger Lakes Trail is Right at your Doorstep…

…literally. Walk up the driveway onto Comfort Road and you’re on it!

One of the best-kept secrets of staying with us is that you don't even need to drive to start hiking — the Finger Lakes Trail crosses Comfort Road practically at our doorstep as it runs through Danby State Forest. Lace up your boots on the porch, and you're on one of the great long-distance trails of the Northeast within a couple of minutes. Head South to find the FLT trail head on the left side of Comfort road and you'll wind through a mixed hardwood forest of hemlock, beech, and sugar maple (gorgeous for fall color) before reaching the rustic Chestnut Lean-to tucked into the state forest — a perfect goal for a short morning walk, a picnic lunch, or just a quiet spot to sit and listen to the woods. Keep an eye out for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and the occasional porcupine, plus a chorus of songbirds like veeries, wood thrushes, and pileated woodpeckers drumming away overhead.

Download a Trail Map

If you're up for a bigger adventure, turn north instead. This stretch of trail climbs and rolls through second-growth forest and old farm fields slowly returning to woods, with ferns and wildflowers like trillium and trout lily carpeting the understory in spring. It's a longer, more ambitious hike, but it eventually delivers you to the dramatic gorges and cascading waterfalls of Buttermilk Falls State Park — one of the most photogenic spots in the whole Finger Lakes region. Bring plenty of water and give yourself most of a day if you're going all the way, since the terrain has some real ups and downs and the payoff at the falls is worth savoring rather than rushing.

Stunning cascading falls in Thayer Preserve

Enjoy one of hundreds of water falls on the Finger Lakes many trails

Whichever direction you choose, this is genuinely wild country — black bear sightings aren't unheard of, so basic food storage sense applies, and you may also spot red-tailed hawks circling overhead or garter snakes sunning on the trail. Trail conditions and side loops can change season to season, so before you head out we'd recommend pulling up the interactive maps at fingerlakestrail.org to plan your route and check current conditions. Whether it's a quick stroll to the lean-to or a full day out to Buttermilk Falls, having the Finger Lakes Trail right out back is one of our favorite reasons to slow down and explore during your stay.