One Lake in New York Does Something No Other Lake in the Country Can Do

There is one lake in New York that can do something no other lake in the country can do.

Keuka Lake is one of the most recognizable of the Finger Lakes. All others are long and narrow. However, Keuka features a unique Y-shape.

Crooked Lake

Keuka means "canoe landing" or "lake with an elbow" in the Seneca language, and was originally called the “Crooked Lake." It changed to Keuka in 1887 when the wine industry started booming and was came to be known as the Lady of the Lakes due to its natural beauty.

Flows Two Ways

The uniquely shaped Lake in Western New York has another unique feature. It's the only one in the country that flows both north and south. But how is that even possible?

Before the glaciers created the Finger Lakes, the western and southern branches of Keuka were a single, north-to-south flowing watershed. At the time the current east branch of the lake was a major tributary to the main river.

The glaciers gouged the tributary, creating the lake’s eastern branch and reversing the flow of the drainage, which now flows south-to-north.

The western branch of Keuka Lake still flows north-to-south, but it joins the northerly flow of the rest of the lake, making it the only lake in the country, and one of the few in the world, to flow both north and south.

Who knew?

The Finger Lakes is also home to the largest craft market in New York state.