Hammondsport NY and Keuka Lake: a day trip from Bath

Hammondsport is a village at the southern tip of Keuka Lake, so it gives your outing a clear starting point before you head to the water. The village’s Depot Park is also the departure point for public boat tours and Pat II cruises.

From Old National Hotel, you can start your outing in Hammondsport village.

Keuka Lake State Park offers a year-round way to spend time beside the lake, with opening hours from dawn to dusk. Its facilities include hiking trails, fishing, a playground, showers, campsites and cabins, as well as a boat-launch ramp and docking space.

The park has 150 tent and trailer campsites, 53 of them with electric hookups. Pets are limited to two in campsites and day-use areas unless signs or directives prohibit them; they must be supervised and kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet, or crated.

Choose a park visit for trails and day-use facilities, or make the water itself the focus with a cruise or rental. Keuka Lake State Park is at 3560 Pepper Road in Bluff Point.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation places its boat launch off Route 54A, 9.7 miles southwest of Penn Yan; it has concrete ramps, a pumpout and parking for 50 cars and trailers. DEC boat-launch sites are free to the public, while launches run by other agencies may charge.

Public boat tours

Keuka Boat Cruise departs from Depot Park at 18 Water Street in Hammondsport. Its public tours last 90 minutes and are scheduled at noon and 2 p.m.; tickets are $50 for adults age 18 and older, and $25 for children and teens under 18, including tax and gas.

Public tours and private charters operate from April through October, seven days a week during that period.

Boat and paddle rentals

Keuka Watersports offers boat rentals at 7 Water Street from June 15 through September 30. Daily rentals have pickup at 9:30 a.m. and return at 4 p.m.; multi-day and weekly rentals have pickup at 10:30 a.m. and return at 4 p.m. on the final day.

Operators must be at least 21, and rental prices are plus tax and fuel. Its jet-ski, kayak and paddleboard rentals at Champlin Beach operate from June 15 through Labor Day.

Keuka Kayak offers a two-hour kayak or paddleboard rental at Curtiss Park for $25. It is closed Wednesdays and operates during the summer season.

Hammondsport and Keuka Lake make a day-trip pairing from Bath. If you’re driving, the park’s address is 3560 Pepper Road, Bluff Point; its boat launch is off Route 54A. The Finger Lakes Boating Museum also sends its Pat II cruises out from Depot Park in Hammondsport from June through October.

The museum is another Hammondsport stop: it is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and has six galleries with more than 100 boats. Its Pat II boat has been restored with a fully electric motor; the Finger Lakes Boating Museum is a place to learn more about the museum.

Park access lasts all year, but some services and activities run seasonally. Before setting out, check the official site before you go: New York State Parks publishes the park’s current access and fee details. The park has two pavilions for reservation from May through October; each accommodates up to 75 people, and day use costs $75.

For aviation history alongside the lake outing, Hammondsport’s Glenn H. Curtiss Museum offers another local museum visit.

Where is Hammondsport?

Hammondsport is a village at the southern end of Keuka Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes region.

Is Keuka Lake State Park open year-round?

Yes. The park is open from dawn to dusk year-round, though some facilities and activities are seasonal.

When do public boat tours operate?

Keuka Boat Cruise offers public tours from April through October, with departures at noon and 2 p.m.

Where do Pat II cruises depart?

Pat II cruises depart from Depot Park in Hammondsport from June through October.