This virtual cache was inspired by other "Walkin' on Water" caches on Owasco, Cayuga and Seneca Lakes. This cache highlights the beauty and function of Skaneateles Lake.
The name Skaneateles means "long lake" in one of the local Iroquoian languages. The lake is sometimes referred to as the "roof garden of the finger lakes" because its altitude (863.27) is higher than all of the other finger lakes, with the exception of Otisco Lake.
Skaneateles lake is 16 miles long, (or 17 miles if you include the boggy area at the south end), and avergages .75 miles wide and a surface area of 13.6 sq mi. with a maximum depth of 315 ft. At this size, it is the 5th largest of the Finger Lakes. The lake drains via Skaneateles Creek, which flows into the Seneca River.
Considered the cleanest lake in New York, water from Skaneateles Lake is distributed throughout the city of Syracuse and other communities unfiltered. The City of Syracuse spends approximately $2.3 million year to protect lake quality, inspecting each of the 2600 properties in the watershed.
From this vista, you can see Roosevelt Hall, a Greek Revival home, that looks like the White House, which was at one time owned by Samuel Roosevelt, cousine to President Theodore Roosevelt. The Skaneateles Country Club is alto situated to the right, along the west side of Skaneateles lake. During the summer months, you will also likely see the Judge Ben Wiles nearby, which provides scenic and dining cruises throughout the day. Finally, on clear days, at about 45 degrees to the right off the end of the pier, you can see the remains of "The City of Syracuse", a steamboat that sunk in the lake in the early 1900s. For more information of this interesting bit of Skaneateles history, visit: https://www.syracuse.com/living/2023/10/go-underwater-and-inside-skaneateles-lakes-most-prominent-shipwreck-video.html
To claim this virtual cache, simply post a picture of yourself and/or your gps at the posted coordinates in your log. The end of the pier may be off limits during the winter months. If you visit at this time, you can still claim the cache by posting a picture of youself and/or gps at the pier's entry point.
I hope you enjoyed your visit to Skaneateles Lake!
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.