CHAPTER III ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING AND EXISTING CONDITIONS Natural and cultural landscape features and life-style and leisure preferences guide the planning and design of new recreational resources. The following sections summarize existing demographic and landscape features located in the Finger Lakes Region that were considered in the Black Diamond Trail’s plan development. REGIONAL SETTING Location The Black Diamond Trail is located in the Finger population of 102,418 people, make up the urban Lakes State Parks Region, one of 11 state park areas within the state park region. regions within the State of New York. The Finger Lakes Region is bounded by Lake Ontario to the Each year over 2.5 million visitors enjoy the wide north and the state of Pennsylvania to the south, and variety of recreational opportunities provided by includes Wayne, Ontario, Yates, Seneca, Cayuga, the 29 Finger Lakes regional state park facilities Tompkins, Schuyler, Steuben, Chemung, and Tioga illustrated on Figure III-2 on the following page. counties. The background and ethnicity of the patrons that visit the region are as diverse as the State’s population. International travelers are also found in significant numbers visiting the Region’s park Thousand Islands Adirondack facilities. Lake Ontario Rochester Physical Characteristics of the Region Syracuse Buffalo Genesee Saratoga Niagara Finger Central Lakes The Finger Lakes geographical region is an Allegany Catskill area that was carved by ancient glaciers leaving Pennsylvania nic long, deep lakes surrounded by rolling hills and Palisades o STATE PARK REGIONS Tac striking waterfalls. The Finger Lakes landscape New York Long Island encompasses hundreds of perennial and intermittent City streams, unique species of plants and animals as well as significant wildlife refuges. The region The Finger Lakes Region is home to nearly 700,000 is scattered with hundreds of rocky gorges and residents. It is located within a one- to three-hour waterfalls, which include the striking 215-foot drive of the state’s three largest upstate cities— freefall waterfall and rock amphitheater within Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse. The cumulative Taughannock Falls State Park. Many of the gorges population of these three cities is 660,000 people. display the rock underlay formed 408 to 360 While much smaller in size, the cities of Elmira, million years ago during the Devonian period of Ithaca, Auburn and Geneva, with a cumulative geologic history. III-11 Legend i o Finger Lakes State Parks t a r L a k e O n Fair Haven Beach Recreationways and Trails 3 (by others) 104A 104 Seaway Trail SODUS Chimney Beechwood BAY 104 Bluffs W A Y N E 370 350 21 14 414 88 38 34 Barge C anal Recrea 31 tionway 31 90 ay ionw creat 90 l Re ana N ge C S E N E C ABar 90 C A Y U G A Ganondagan 5 414 20 5 20 Sonnenberg Mansion Canandaigua and Gardens Seneca Auburn Lake 5 20 Geneva Cayuga Canandaigua O Lake w 364 96 414 a s e 89 k c Skaneateles Lake o Alt a 96A 20 L O N T A R I O 90 L a 34 a u 245 k 21 C ig e a d a n y 38A a Dean's u n 36 a g 38 C Honeoye 14A Cove a S 14 L e a n 364 e Sampson k Long Point c e Fillmore a 89 54 L Glen a 90 Harriet k Y A T E S e 245 Bonavista Hollister 90 Spencer Keuka 34B 34 Lake Finger Lodi Point Lakes T O M P K I N S 15 21 Trail 96 54A 89 Taughannock 390 e 38 k a L Finger Falls 14A Lakes 13 Stony Brook a 227 k 414 u Trail Allan H. e 13 K 36 54 Treman 38 79 Robert H. Ithaca S C H U Y L E R 79 Finger Lakes Trail Treman 17 14 86 Buttermilk Falls Finger Lakes Trail 54 224 Jennings Watkins 13 Hornell Pond Glen 34 Catharine 96 Finger Lakes Trail S T E U B E N 17 Valley 96B 38 14 Trail 36 86 414 96 Mark 13 Twain 223 96 417 417 Corning C H E M U N G T I O G A Pinnacle 86 17 34 36 Elmira 17 86 Indian Hills Newtown Two 15 Battlefield Rivers 14 FIGURE III-2 FINGER LAKES STATE PARKS REGION NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF PARKS, RECREATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION - FINGER LAKES REGION BLACK DIAMOND TRAIL MASTER PLAN III-12 Access Under New York State’s Scenic Byway program, networks of designated highways provide Centrally located in the state, the Finger Lakes intermodal access to the state’s unique scenic, Region is served by several of the interstate natural, recreational, cultural, historical and highway systems that pass through New York. East- archaeological resources. Within the Finger west travel to the region is via the New York State Lakes Region, three scenic byways give visitors Thruway (I-90) in the northern part of the region opportunities to explore resources adjacent to and the Southern Tier Expressway (I-17, future Lake Ontario, Cayuga Lake and the scenic, rolling I-86) in the southern portion. North-south travel to farmlands of central New York. the region is on Interstate Route 81 from the east and Interstate Route 390 from the west. The Seaway Trail, skirting Lake Ontario’s south New York State Routes 13, 34, 79, 89, and 96 are shore through the region, is promoted as an “off- primary state highways within the Finger Lakes the-beaten-path” experience with the natural and Region that provide direct access to the Black cultural landscape of New York’s St. Lawrence Diamond Trail. River and Great Lakes communities. The trail is also designated a National Scenic Byway. Recreational Opportunities Along its 86-mile route, the Cayuga Lake Scenic The Finger Lakes Region contains numerous Byway offers visitors opportunities to learn about natural and cultural resources that offer a variety the unique geologic history of the Finger Lakes of year-round leisure-time opportunities. Outdoor- Region, experience the Cayuga Lake vineyards, and recreational activities include hiking, biking, visit historic villages and hamlets. jogging, camping, horseback riding, mountain biking, water skiing, sailing, boating, fishing, bird The New York State Route 90 Scenic Byway’s 50- watching, swimming, hunting, skiing, snowshoeing mile course passes through rolling upstate farmland and snowmobiling. Throughout the region, world- in Cayuga and Cortland Counties, Cayuga Lake class fishing is supported by freshwater lakes and waterfront communities and central New York’s streams. magnificent Montezuma Wetlands Complex. Miles of hiking and biking trails provide access The Finger Lakes Region can also be experienced to stunning vistas of lakes, gorges and sculptured from its wealth of water resources. Most notable hills. The Finger Lakes Region contains miles of is the New York State Canalway System. Within snowmobile, cross-county ski and snowshoe trails the Finger Lakes Region the canalway includes a that traverse the snow-covered countryside. The portion of the Erie Canal and the Cayuga-Seneca year-round trail opportunities make the region a Canal. In addition to the recreational boating popular vacation destination. opportunity afforded by the canal, visitors can get a unique historical perspective of the communities Culturally-based trails are also an integral part of that sprouted up along the canal to take advantage the recreational opportunities in of the expanded trade route created by the boating the Region. The Canandaigua, waterway. Cayuga, Keuka and Seneca Wine Trails offer a plethora Statewide Trail and Greenway Systems of opportunity to learn about viticulture (grape growing) Interest to establish networks of hiking and biking and wine making in the Finger trail systems across the state has been growing for Lakes Region. The scenic over 30 years. Major trail corridors have developed drives associated with exploring the wine country through the northern and southern portions of the appeal to visitors from around the world. Finger Lakes Region. III-13 TAUGHANNOCK FALLS TRUMANSBURG STATE PARK FALLS RD. GORGE RD. CREEK RD. TAUGHANNOCK BLVD. WILLOW TAUGHANNOCK PARK BLACK DIAMOND RD. TRAIL N W E STUDY AREA AGARD RD. S ROUTE 89 BOUNDARY KRAFT RD. RD. DUBOIS RD. COLEGROVE CAYUGA ROUTE RD. 96 LAKE GARRETT RD. PERRY RD. TOMPKINS COUNTY STUDY 89 AREA CAYUGA LAKE N KRUM CORNERS CORNERS KRUM Groton WILKINS RD. LANSING GROTON Trumansburg ALLAN H. TREMAN Freeville STATE Dryden ULYSSES MARINE PARK Lansing Cayuga Heights ITHACA DRYDEN ENFIELD Ithaca ITHACA CLIFF ST. CAROLINE MECKLENBURG RD. NEWFIELD DANBY ELM ST. MEADOW ST. MEADOW FLORALAVE. N BOSTWICK 13A STATE OF NEW YORK RD. ELMIRA RD. TOMPKINS ROUTE COUNTY LAKE ONTARIO ROUTE 13 ENFIELD VERMONT FALLS RD. LAKE ERIE MASS. ROBERT H. TREMAN BUTTERMILK STATE PARK FALLS PENNSYLVANIA STATE PARK BLACK DIAMOND CONNECTICUT LONG TRAIL NEW JERSEY ISLAND SCALE: 1" = 8,000' FIGURE III-3 PROPOSED BLACK DIAMOND TRAIL Map Elements Prepared by: STUDY AREA LOCATION MAP LARSEN ENGINEERS NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF PARKS, RECREATION 700 WEST METRO PARK, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK 14623-2678 AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION - FINGER LAKES REGION (585)272-7310 FAX (585)272-0159 BLACK DIAMOND TRAIL MASTER PLAN III-14 Through the north, paralleling the State Canalway Land Use System, is the Canalway Trail. Of the 348 miles of multi-use trail to be developed, approximately The existing land uses within the Black Diamond 230 miles are now available for hiking and biking. Trail corridor are diverse, ranging from agriculture When completed the trail will be the longest to a developed urban center. In the immediate multiple-use trail in the United States. The Erie vicinity of the proposed trail route in the northern Canal trail system has also been designated a portion of the corridor, primary land uses include National Heritage Corridor, elevating the significant agriculture, abandoned agriculture, and rural and part it played in the nation’s history.