Welcome! If you are new to the FLT, this section has the basic information you need to make your first FLT hikes enjoyable. Use the links on the right to get all the information you’ll need. Once you have sampled your local section of the trail, we hope you will explore further to find out more about the trail and our organizations.
The Finger Lakes Trail is near-by, easy to find, well-connected, and FREE!
Near-by
If you live in the Finger Lakes Region, the Erie Canal corridor, or just about anywhere in the Allegheny, Genessee, Susquehannah, or Delaware River watersheds, the Finger Lakes Trail is close by. You can do a short day-hike, a weekend campout, or a multi-day backpacking trip—all within a short drive from home.
Easy to find
The Finger Lakes Trail is pretty easy to find. Our interactive map is free and we have extensive paper maps, download files, and guidebooks available for purchase at the FLT Store. You can also download GPS data for the trail through the store website. And if you get connected with your local hiking club, there are lots of hikers who can show you the way.
Well connected
We’re extremely well connected with other trail systems in the US and Canada.
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At the New York/Pennsylvania border in Allegany State Park, the FLT System connects with the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCNST). The main FLT then carries the NCNST easterly across the central part of the state to Madison County, and then north on the FLT’s Onondaga Branch Trail to the Tioughnioga WMA. The NCTA’s Central NY Chapter maintains the next section, from the Tioughnioga WMA to Rome and the Adirondack Park. Sponsored by the Adirondack Mountain Club, the NCNST will then continue across the Adirondacks to its Eastern NY terminus at Crown Point on Lake Champlain, then thence onto Vermont’s Long Trail and on to the Appalachian Trail. The NCNST is over 4,800 miles long, the longest trail in the U.S., and crosses eight states. |
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In Steuben County, the FLT’s newest branch trail, the Crystal Hills Branch Trail, carries the Great Eastern Trail (GET) from its northern terminus at the main FLT near the Moss Hill Lean-to (northeast of Bath) south to the Pennsylvania border where it connects to the Mid State Trail. When completed, the 1,800-mile GET will cross nine states and reach into Florida. |
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In Niagara Falls, the Conservation Branch Trail, a major branch trail of the FLT, connects via the Niagara Recreation Trail, with the Bruce Trail. The Bruce Trail follows the shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment on a 300 mile journey to the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula at Tobermory. |
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In the Catskill Park, the FLT connects at its former eastern terminus with the Long Path, which runs from the George Washington Bridge in New Jersey to the Albany area. The Long Path connects to the Appalachian Trail in Bear Mountain State Park. The FLT continues on the Long Path for 4.1 miles to the summit of Slide Mountain, the new (2019) official eastern terminus of the FLT. |
FREE!
The Finger Lakes Trail was built and is maintained by volunteers at no direct cost to New York taxpayers. The trail is open to the public and there is no charge for its use. We ask only that you follow a few simple rules, and that you consider becoming a member and/or a volunteer to help keep the trail free for all to use.
Check trail conditions before you go!
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This is an overview map of the Finger Lakes Trail System. It shows tracks of the main trail, branch trails, loops and spurs. The track colors represent the blaze colors for the branch trails, loops, spurs, and sections of the main FLT not blazed in white. Most of the main FLT is depicted in black & white for better visibility on various map backgrounds, but blazed in white on the ground. Trail closures (hunting, logging, etc.) and recommended bypass routes are depicted as shown at right. Hover over a track to display the name and length. Tracks colored 
This is a overview map of the Finger Lakes Trail System. It shows tracks of the main trail, branch trails, loops and spurs. The track colors represent the blaze colors for the branch trails, loops, spurs, and sections of the main FLT not blazed in white. Most of the main FLT is depicted in black & white for better visibility on various map backgrounds, but blazed in white on the ground. Trail closures (hunting, logging, etc.) and recommended bypass routes are depicted as shown at right. Hover over a track to display the name and length. Tracks colored 
Loop Maps, Guides and GPS files you can purchase from the 
Water source – TREAT BEFORE DRINKING
