The Finger Lakes are a beautiful sight of nature to behold, indeed. And if you’re lucky enough, you can live, stay, or work at any of the thousands of properties dotting their shorelines.

Unless it’s Hemlock Lake.

Hemlock is untouched: once a small European lumbermill settlement following the Sullivan Expedition, the Lake’s surrounding land was eventually purchased by the City of Rochester to construct a gravity fed water pipeline. Since then, the Lake has served as a major source of clean water for the Greater Rochester region — while continuing to host small crafts, fisherfolk, and hikers.

Hemlock Lake Park surveys the water from the northern end of the Lake, providing green space, a playground, and pavilions adjacent to state trailheads. On a bright fall day you can sit by the edge of the water looking south and listen to the sounds of nothing. It’s just a ten-minute drive from Conesus Lake, so click below to explore lodging options for a fall foliage weekend in October.