Local Activities
Experience the Finger Lakes
Come Play
Come experience everything under the sun that the Finger Lakes region of New York State has to offer.
Hammondsport, Keuka Lake, and the Finger Lakes offer something for everyone! Come explore an area where the arts flourish, the wines are award winning, and the scenery is spectacular! Where the great outdoors awaits you, with hiking and biking trails to beautiful waterside parks. If you’re just beginning your love of wine or have a more educated palate, Finger Lakes Wine country is the place for you. For the art lover, history buff, or aviator, you’ll fall in love with Hammondsport and the Finger Lakes. Take a scenic flight, create your own glass souvenir, and walk behind a waterfall. Wander the trails, from gorges to hilltops. Travel country roads that wind past vineyards and farms to crystal clear lakes and charming villages. Marvel at world-class art collections and star-studded summer skies.
Hammondsport on Keuka Lake is at the centre of so much with the following attractions close to hand;
Watkins Glen State Park - 20 miles
Corning Museum Of Glass - 30 miles
Bristol Mountain Ski Resort - 36 miles
National Soaring Museum - 40 miles
Finger Lakes Gaming and Racecourse - 49 miles
Finger Lakes Wine & Beer
Superb Wines
Finger Lakes wines are attracting a lot of press. Maybe you’ve read about them in the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsday, USA Today, or Chicago Tribune. There are over 10,000 acres of vineyards planted in the Finger Lakes region, producing 35 million gallons of wine annually. And these wines are winning national and international awards. Why fly to California when you can enjoy world-class wine just a few hours away? There are over 100 wineries in the region.
Where does one start?
We recommend you start your Finger Lakes Wineries getaway in Hammondsport, where the first grapevines were planted in 1829. The award-winning wineries near Keuka Lake offer superb wines and great wine-tasting experiences.
Unbeatable Brews
The newly established Finger Lakes Beer Trail promotes the growing craft brewing industry in the Finger Lakes, showcasing the region’s microbreweries and brew pubs. The trail is comprised of over 35 craft brewers spanning roughly 135 miles across the central part of New York State from Rochester to Syracuse down to the Corning and Binghamton areas, resulting in a trail overflowing with natural beauty along which tourists and beer aficionados alike can enjoy an abundance of delicious locally brewed beers.
More specifically, within an hour's drive from the Black Sheep Inn, you can experience over two dozen micro-breweries and brewpubs. These establishments offer the very best in handcrafted beer that reflect the many different flavors of the Finger Lakes. You will definitely want to take some home with you, and there’s no better way to assure the freshness of your favorite brew than a 64 ounce, food-grade stainless steel, insulated growler, only available at the Black Sheep Inn. These growlers will keep your beer cold for up to 24 hours, (if it lasts that long.) Reserve yours when booking your stay at the Inn or when visiting the Beer Trail around Hammondsport or Keuka Lake.
Hot Glass
Glass abounds in Corning! There’s cut glass, stained glass, contemporary glass sculpture, antique glass, and glass architecture! Visit working glass studios where artists form original creations from molten glass. View authentic Tiffany windows in historic churches in the area as part of the Tiffany and Treasures Trail. Visit The Corning Museum of Glass, one of the most visited attractions in the state. At The Corning Museum of Glass you can bend light, bend glass, and bend your imagination! More than a museum, it’s a science and discovery center, an art and design center, a working glass studio, a contemporary art gallery, and a study in world history. It’s also a collection of tens of thousands of glass objects from around the world. In short, The Corning Museum of Glass is art, science, history, technology, and more! From an ancient glass portrait of an Egyptian pharaoh to fiber optics and flat screen technology, if it involves glass, it’s at The Corning Museum of Glass.
Arts and Culture
Art lovers across America voted Corning as “One of the Top 3 Small City Arts Destinations in the U.S.” Explore world-class museums with amazing collections. Discover studios and galleries with stunning original art from nationally known and regionally distinguished artists. You’ll find everything from paintings, sculpture, pottery and glass to jewellery and fiber arts. Take advantage of classes and workshops taught by recognized artists. Enjoy a concert, theater production, or art show.
Finger Lakes Antiques
The Finger Lakes region abounds with wonderful antiques and collectibles, with an inviting shop or barn around every corner. Whether you are interested in American primitives or European china, nostalgic local wine making contrivances or just an old pair of skates, you’ll find it all here. And at reasonable prices, too. The Hammondsport and Keuka Lake area offer numerous antique co-ops, as well as stand alone shops to offer you irresistible treasures to take home with you. And if you time your visit just right, you might get to experience the village-wide Hammondsport Yard Sale in June. It’s always the right weather to search and seek for that special piece!
Handcrafted in the Finger Lakes
There’s nothing more exciting than finding the “perfect” gift! You will find something unique and individually handcrafted to inspire you, whether for yourself or that special someone. Here in the Finger Lakes, you will find an extraordinary selection of handmade items, from functional pottery to artisan soaps. Here at the Black Sheep Inn and Spa, you will find many handcrafted items to excite you such as hand-crocheted organic cotton wash clothes and miniature oil paintings of local landscapes on wood.
You can also enjoy a relaxing shopping experience distinctly different from the mall. Stroll tree-lined streets festooned with flower boxes and American flags. Delight in old-fashioned ice cream parlors, quaint shops, and charming boutiques. Take the scenic route to explore village main streets where you’ll find wonderful shops brimming with treasures just waiting to be discovered!
Arts & Crafts
Outdoors
The Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes Region consists of 11 lakes formed by the receding glaciers of the last ice age. The lakes resemble fingers in that they are long and narrow and vary in length. The longest lake is 40 miles long, the shortest is only 3 miles long. Each lake is named with a Native American word. From west to east, the Finger Lakes are: Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice, Honeoye, Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, Cayuga, Owasco, Skaneateles, and Otisco. Of all the Finger Lakes, Keuka Lake is undoubtedly the most unique. One of the few Y-shaped lakes in the world, the water flows both north and south!
The Finger Lakes region is a popular vacation destination and Keuka Lake is known as the “gem of the Finger Lakes.” Clean and cool, the lakes offer plenty of opportunities for family fun. Whether you prefer to swim, sail, water ski, cruise, paddle, dive, or just enjoy the view, Keuka Lake is the best of the Finger Lakes!
Want to learn about the history of boatbuilding during your stay in the Finger Lakes, we encourage you to visit the Finger Lakes Boating Museum. Housed in several historic buildings, formerly built and occupied by Pleasant Valley Wine Company and Great Western Champagne, this instructive museum exhibits a wide variety of boats built here in the Finger Lakes region. You may also want to participate in one of their educational seminars where you can learn how to tie knots or build your own paddle. For the seasoned sailor, there are even classes on boat building and restoration.
The Great Outdoors
Experience beauty, serenity and breathtaking views as you hike through forests, next to waterfalls, over hills, and across valleys in the Finger Lakes region.
The Black Sheep Inn is centrally located to the Finger Lakes Trail where you can be assured of an amazing hike with over 900 miles of footpaths & trails that criss-cross the Finger Lakes and Steuben County. Or explore the miles of hiking trails in our beautiful state parks like Pinnacle State Park, which offers breathtaking vistas of the Canisteo River Valley or Watkins Glen State Park, with its many picturesque gorges and dramatic waterfalls or the many other parks dotting our lush region. We are your home base while you Hike and Bike the Finger Lakes.
Biking the Vistas to Vineyards
Whether biking along a sun drenched ridge overlooking Keuka Lake with the wind at your back, hiking through a deep-set gorge with the sound of rushing water in the air, or paddling a kayak through the crystal clear waters of the Finger Lakes, there is no better base-camp than the Black Sheep Inn and Spa. As avid outdoor enthusiasts, your Innkeepers will guide you to the best spots to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the glacially formed Finger Lakes. In the heart of the Southern Finger Lakes, Hammondsport is the ideal location as your home base while you trek about the region taking in the dramatic scenery.
Find other great hiking and biking options at Letsgohikeandbike.com.
Kayak Keuka Lake
Whether you bring your own or request a rental, Keuka Lake offers a relaxed and scenic backdrop for an afternoon of paddling around. You can explore the Keuka Lake inlet, too, which offers a serene and secluded experience.
Take the opportunity to cool off with a quick jump in the lake, grab a romantic picnic lunch, or find a shady spot under a tree with a view of the lake at one of our lakefront parks.
Relax in the Moment
It’s always exciting to travel to new places and explore new settings, but sometimes you just need a little down time for yourself. The Black Sheep Inn and Spa is the perfect backdrop for your quiet retreat, whether you choose to sleep-in before your Hot Stone massage, or spend the afternoon basking in the sunshine in our stone courtyard. Whatever makes you happy and relaxed is ok with us, and we’ll be there to bring you a cold drink, or whatever else you may need. Don’t miss the opportunity to truly take some time off and rejuvenate here at the Black Sheep Inn.
Take a Drive
We all like to explore, and there’s no better place to follow the road less traveled, than here in the Finger Lakes where scenic country drives are in every direction. Named one of the Top 15 Scenic Drives in the World by British Airways, Route 54A has long been a favorite scenic route in Steuben County. Follow it all the way around Keuka Lake, or head up the High Road in Hammondsport to visit the award-winning wineries. You may want to take along our Inn Harvest Cooler, filled with tempting local products to nibble on while you are out exploring for the day. Here at the Black Sheep Inn, we’re happy to supply maps and recommendations to point you in the right direction.
