Uncork the Finger Lakes

Uncork the Finger Lakes: A Keuka Lake Wine Trail Guide from Hickory Hill

The Finger Lakes is one of the great wine regions in the country, and Keuka Lake is right at the heart of it. The steep, Y-shaped lake, sometimes called the Crooked Lake, has a knack for growing exceptional cool-climate grapes, and its shoreline is dotted with tasting rooms that pair award-winning wine with some of the best views in New York.

The best part for our guests: from your campsite at Hickory Hill in Bath, you are only about twenty minutes from the Keuka Lake Wine Trail. Spend the day tasting your way around the lake, then come home to a campfire. Here is how to do it.

What is the Keuka Lake Wine Trail?

The Keuka Lake Wine Trail is a collection of wineries circling the lake between Penn Yan, Branchport, and Hammondsport. The region made its name on Riesling and other cool-climate whites, but you will also find dry reds, sparkling wines, and sweet sippers along the way. Because the vineyards climb the hillsides right down to the water, the drive between stops is half the fun.

Harvest season, roughly September into October, is the liveliest time to visit. The vines are heavy, the tasting rooms are buzzing, and the fall color is coming in over the lake. It also happens to be a beautiful time to be camping.

Wineries to visit near Hickory Hill

There are more than a dozen wineries on the trail. If you only have a day, these standouts near the south and west sides of the lake are an easy drive from the resort:

● Dr. Konstantin Frank. A pioneering name in Finger Lakes wine, credited with proving that European vinifera grapes like Riesling could thrive here. Hilltop tasting room with sweeping lake views and a serious reputation for its whites.

● Heron Hill Winery. Producing award-winning wine since 1977, with a hilltop tasting room that Travel + Leisure once named among the most spectacular in the world. The view alone is worth the stop.

● Bully Hill Vineyards. A longtime destination winery with a restaurant, outdoor seating, and lake views, plus a fun, unpretentious personality. A good pick if you want lunch with your tasting.

● Keuka Lake Vineyards. A smaller, estate-focused stop near Hammondsport known for terroir-driven wines. A nice change of pace from the bigger rooms.

● Weis Vineyards. German-style wines from a winemaker who trained in Germany's Mosel region. Worth seeking out if Riesling is your thing.

Tasting-room hours, fees, and reservation policies vary by season and by winery, and some smaller rooms keep shorter fall and winter hours. Check each winery's website before you go so you are not caught out.

How to do the wine trail from your campsite

A relaxed day beats a rushed one. A few tips to make it easy:

● Pick two or three wineries, not ten. Tastings add up quickly, and the drives between them are part of the experience. Leave room to linger.

● Have a plan for driving. Choose a designated driver, or book a local wine-tour shuttle so everyone can relax. The roads around the lake are hilly and worth your full attention.

● Bring a cooler. Pick up a few bottles to enjoy back at your site. A Finger Lakes Riesling by the campfire is a hard combination to beat.

● Pair it with Hammondsport. The village at the foot of the lake is full of shops and cafes.

Our guide to a Keuka Lake and Hammondsport day trip maps out a full day if you want to build the wineries into a bigger outing. And if the weather turns, our rainy-day ideas near Hickory Hill have you covered.

Bring the wine weekend back to the resort

Love the wine-country vibe? So do we. Keep an eye on our themed-weekend calendar for our grown-up S'More Wine Please weekend, when we bring a little of that Finger Lakes wine spirit right to the campground with tastings and cozy evenings. It is the perfect bookend to a day on the trail.

Where to stay: Hickory Hill

A day of wine tasting is even better when you do not have to drive far to a comfortable bed. Hickory Hill offers everything from full-hookup RV sites to cabins and cottages that are ideal for a couples' getaway. Compare every way to stay and make the resort your Finger Lakes wine-country home base.

Book Now | Explore the resort

Chasing Color

Chasing Color: A Finger Lakes Fall Foliage Guide from Hickory Hill

There is a stretch of the year when the Finger Lakes quietly become one of the most beautiful places in the Northeast. The hillsides above the lakes turn gold, rust, and deep red, the vineyards glow, and the air finally has that first cool bite to it. If you time it right, a fall trip here is every bit as memorable as a summer one, and a lot quieter.

Hickory Hill Camping Resort in Bath, New York sits right in the middle of it. From your campsite you are a short drive from some of the best Finger Lakes fall foliage in the region, which makes the resort an easy, comfortable base camp for a weekend of leaf peeping.

When does fall foliage peak in the Finger Lakes?

The short version: aim for the middle of October. The first color usually shows up on the ridge tops in late September, then works its way down the slopes toward the water through the first two weeks of October. The second and third weeks of the month are typically the best window, when whole hillsides light up at once.

Like anything with the weather, it shifts a week or so in either direction each year, so it is worth checking a foliage report before you lock in dates. The Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance and local tourism sites post weekly color updates through the season, and they are the most reliable way to catch the peak.

The best leaf-peeping drives near Hickory Hill

You do not have to go far to find a view. A few favorites, all within easy reach of the resort:

● The Keuka Lake loop. Keuka is the crooked, Y-shaped lake just north of Bath, and the west side is the showstopper, where vineyard slopes run right down to the water and the road hugs the shoreline. Circle the lake on Routes 54A and 54 for one gorgeous overlook after another.

● Keuka Lake State Park & Bluff Point. Head out toward Bluff Point in the middle of the lake for panoramic views of color on both arms of Keuka at once. It is one of the best photo stops in the whole region.

● Hammondsport and the south end. The village at the foot of Keuka is worth a slow morning, and the drive down through the hills into town is lined with color and vineyards.

● The route toward Naples and Italy Valley. West of the resort, the back roads toward Naples wind through some of the most dramatic fall scenery around, with gorges and creeks tucked into the hills.

Many of these drives run right past the region's wineries, and harvest season is in full swing while the leaves turn, so it is easy to make a day of both. (More on that in our guide to the Keuka Lake Wine Trail.)

More than a drive: fall things to do

Foliage is the headliner, but fall in the Finger Lakes comes with a full supporting cast: apple orchards and harvest stands, winery tastings, and gorge trails that look incredible with color overhead (see our guide to Finger Lakes waterfalls and gorge trails). Back at the resort, our October themed weekends and Halloween fun give the kids plenty to do while the grown-ups soak up the season.

Why fall is the best-kept secret for camping here

Summer gets all the attention, but a lot of longtime campers will tell you fall is their favorite time at Hickory Hill. The crowds thin out, the nights are made for campfires, and the whole place feels a little more peaceful. Trade the pool for a hot cocoa and a hoodie, and you have got the kind of weekend that is hard to beat.

If tent camping in the cool nights is not your thing, this is the perfect time to book one of our cabins, cottages, or lodges. Many can be heated, so you get the crisp-morning views without the chilly wake-up. It is also a great season for a fall family reunion or group getaway, with the Activity Hall as a warm home base.

Make Hickory Hill your fall base camp

Peak color comes and goes fast, so the trick is to have your spot booked before the leaves turn. Pick your dates, choose a site or a cozy cabin, and let Hickory Hill be your home base for a Finger Lakes fall you will want to repeat. Browse every way to stay and reserve early, because fall weekends fill up quickly.

Book Now | Explore the resort

October Camping

October Camping at Hickory Hill: Fall Weekends, Halloween Fun and One Last Campfire

October changes the feeling of a camping trip.

The air gets cooler. Sweatshirts come out after dinner. Campfires feel a little more important. Kids start talking about costumes, pumpkins and trick-or-treating. Adults start noticing how good a quiet morning outside can feel when summer has finally slowed down.

At Hickory Hill Camping Resort, October brings a full stretch of fall and Halloween themed weekends before the season closes on October 31. It is a great time for families who want one more trip, one more campfire and one more chance to make the kind of memories that feel especially good in the fall.

October is made for campground memories

Summer camping has pools, long days and that barefoot vacation feeling. October camping has its own kind of charm.

The pace is a little softer. The evenings invite everyone back to the fire. The campground feels cozy in a way that only fall can. Families bring costumes, decorate their sites, sip something warm, and settle into the kind of weekend that does not need to be rushed.

For kids, October is all anticipation. For parents and grandparents, it is a chance to enjoy the season without building a whole fall festival day from scratch. You arrive, unpack once and let the weekend take shape around the campground.

Pumpkin Patch Pals: welcome the season

Pumpkin Patch Pals is listed for September 28 through October 4, 2026. It is the gentle start to Hickory Hill’s fall stretch, with games, crafts and friendly fall festivities built around the cozy charm of autumn.

This is a good fit for families who like fall but may not want the full Halloween energy yet. Think pumpkins, simple activities, comfortable layers and that first real feeling that the season has turned. It is also a nice choice for younger kids, grandparents and anyone who loves fall without needing too many frights.

Pack sweatshirts, easy campfire meals, sturdy shoes and a camera. The best photos of the season often happen when nobody is posing too hard: a kid carrying a pumpkin, a grandparent laughing by the fire, a campsite that looks just festive enough.

Monster Mash: costumes, dancing and not-too-scary fun

Monster Mash is listed for October 5 through October 12, 2026, and it brings a bigger Halloween spirit to the campground. The event page lists planned activities including brunch, a wagon ride, a craft, a pumpkin painting contest, chili cookoff, craft fair, Ray’s Mobile Food Truck, dirt cups, Sip N Paint, a dance party with Stereo Dave, trick-or-treating, a site decorating contest and a corn maze.

This is the weekend for families who want the campground to feel fully in on the fun. Kids can dress up, dance, trick-or-treat and take part in the kind of activities that turn a normal weekend into a story they tell on the ride home.

Adults get their own kind of fun too. A chili cookoff, craft fair, food truck, Sip N Paint and decorated sites give the weekend a little more texture than a standard camping trip. It is playful without needing to feel overwhelming.

Frightening Halloween: classic October campground fun

Frightening Halloween is listed for October 13 through October 18, 2026. The current event page includes costume bingo, a spooky corn maze, Sip N Paint, a site decorating contest, pumpkin painting, cider and donuts, live music from The Neighbors, trick-or-treating and Keuka Trails Food Truck.

This is the weekend for families who really want the Halloween chapter of fall camping. Costumes belong in the packing list. Decorations are part of the fun. Kids get the excitement of trick-or-treating in a campground setting, which has a very different feeling than rushing down a sidewalk at home.

For parents, this kind of weekend takes a lot of pressure off. You do not have to create the whole Halloween experience yourself. You just bring the costumes, plan for cooler weather and let the campground provide the setting.

End Of Season: one last quiet goodbye

End Of Season is listed for October 19 through October 31, 2026. Compared with the bigger Halloween weekends, this one feels quieter. The current listing includes bingo, a wagon ride and a craft, along with a simple invitation to relax, connect and toast to memories made as the season comes to a close.

That quieter feeling is part of its appeal. Not every fall trip has to be full of costumes and activity. Some families want one more weekend outside, one more breakfast at the site, one more walk through the resort and one more night by the fire before the camping season ends.

If your family likes slower travel, this may be the October stay that fits best. It gives everyone space to enjoy the end of the season without trying to squeeze too much into the calendar.

What to pack for October camping

October camping is all about layers. Pack warm clothes for mornings and evenings, but be ready for afternoons that may still feel comfortable. Closed-toe shoes, extra socks, flashlights, blankets, rain gear and easy fire-friendly meals are all useful.

If you are staying in a cabin, cottage or lodge, remember that linens, pillows and towels are not provided. Bring bedding, towels and a few cozy extras from home so the rental feels easy after a cool fall day.

For Halloween weekends, add costumes that can handle outdoor weather. A sweatshirt under a costume is not a failure. It is good campground planning.

Choose the October weekend that fits your family

The best October weekend is not the same for every camper.

Choose Pumpkin Patch Pals if you want a softer fall start. Choose Monster Mash if your family loves costumes, dancing and a busy activity mix. Choose Frightening Halloween if trick-or-treating, decorated sites and classic Halloween fun are the main event. Choose End Of Season if what you really want is one last calm weekend before the gates close for the year.

Whichever weekend you choose, check the current schedule during your stay. Activities and times may change with weather, staffing and the season, and the schedule you receive at the resort is the best guide for your trip.

Ready for one more fall getaway?

Hickory Hill is open May 1 through October 31, and October is a beautiful time to come back for one more campground memory.

Check availability, view the site map and pick your October weekend.