2024's Towns In New York That Come Alive in Fall
The Empire State is a dreamy place to visit in the fall, without the scorching sun or the nipping cold and not too many crowds, particularly through its smaller towns. Hosting vibrant festivals, Bethel is presenting the enchanting “Peace, Love & Pumpkins” walkthrough, with an epic transformation of a walkaway into a bedazzling pumpkin wonderland. With the leaves at their prime through October before the winter cold settles in the evening, B&Bs and spas like the Dutchess Inn & Spa in Beacon welcome crowds of leaf peepers after chasing the foliage.
Drop by the family-friendly Robibero Family Vineyards in New Paltz for an afternoon among gold vines to relax in close company and taste local flavors. Nearby, Minnewaska State Park features over 50 miles of hike-able trails with bright foliage, while Bear Mountain State Park in the first town overlooks the Hudson Highlands. Hudson is a rustic town in the valley, while Lake Placid hosts the Flaming Leaves Festival in Adirondacks, October 12-13. With fall just around the corner in the next new town, these nine share their seasonal beauty, from prime spots for leaf peeping to apple picking.
Beacon
Beacon, a worthy town to visit anytime with a vibrant art scene, turns into an ultimate foliage utopia. The scenic Long Dock Park is perfect for a morning stroll or an easy hike along the Hudson River reflecting fall colors. For a weekend of autumnal fun under two hours from the Big Apple, explore the Main Street treasures in the crisp fall air after immersing in nature of the Hudson Valley. The foothills, shimmering beneath Mt. Beacon, come alive, and a challenging hike to the summit rewards with breathtaking views of the Hudson River and the surrounding area in aurumnal splendor. Nearby, the Ruins of the Mount Beacon Incline Railway was once the world's steepest passenger funicular.
Beacon's Sloop Club Pumpkin Festival is a beloved celebration with its family-friendly feel, pumpkins, freshly baked pumpkin pie, plus live along the river shores. Home to the renowned DIA Beacon, a contemporary art museum in a former printing factory, it features designated galleries and works by famous artists like Richard Serra and Donald Judd. And nothing beats a cozy inn on a pampering retreat in the fall at the Dutchess Inn & Spa, offering relaxing spa treatments near all the hottest attractions. The boutique Roundhouse hotel is located at the east end of Main Street, at the foot of Beacon Falls, overlooking the waterfall.
Bear Mountain
Truly a town like no other, claiming the namesake peak, Bear Mountain is criminally overlooked despite easy access from NYC via scenic foliage cruise. Just 50 miles north of the Big Apple, escape into a real bear hug along the nature-ridden, colorful trails, with seasonal festivities up its sleeve. For three weekends until October 13th, you can still enjoy the traditional activities of every Oktoberfest, including German food, live music, and family events. Whether you're in with your family for a weekend of leaf peeping or on a friends road trip to discover a new town, Overlook Lodge is a popular, no frills, yet beautiful place to unwind that keeps hikers and honeymooners coming back times again.
Enjoy the vibrant autumn colors on various trails within Bear Mountain State Park, including those to summit Bear Mountain and hiking paths that offer spectacular overlooks of the Hudson Highlands. Right within the park, the Trailside Museums and Zoo host local wildlife and natural history exhibits. Perkins Memorial Tower can be a simple drive or a fun trek up to the tower for panoramic views of the surrounding area. Spot your next destination: travels through Harriman State Park or a sunset stroll along the Hudson River shore. And finally, the rustic charm of Bear Mountain Inn is hard to beat at the base of Bear Mountain with views of the lovely Hessian Lake from your room.
Bethel
Home to Bethel Woods, Bethel offers to embrace the season in a nature wrap through art and enchanting festivities as the crisp autumn air settles and the vibrant leaves begin to fall. Bethel Woods Center presents a fantastic lineup of events and performances with something for the whole family to feel the magic, falling in love with charming Bethel along the way. From cozy nature outings to electrifying concerts, get inspired and delighted during the Harvest Festival, a family tradition. Highlighting the season for an entire month of autumn on Sundays through the first week of October 6th, this year, it featured Rosehaven Alpacas at the grand opening, with interactions and learning about the alpacas.
See what the Harvest Festival brings to the table next year—pie-eating contests, rescue ponies and pet adoptions, paint and sips, live music, food trucks, and more. From October 11th to October 27th, Bethel Woods will present the enchanting “Peace, Love & Pumpkins” walkthrough, when the grounds transform into a celebration of a dazzling pumpkin wonderland, alight, with some of the most unique carvings you've ever seen. Epic yet serene, it is a visually stunning entertainment option for the evening over a peaceful stroll for a young family or a friends night on the town. Explore pumpkin pathways, artistic displays, interactive experiences, and seasonal treats over one or several memorable evenings.
Canandaigua
Canandaigua, "The Chosen Spot," according to Seneca translation, sets the expectations high for the natural beauty that drew natives to settle the northern shore of the eponymous lake. As a favorite family escape for summertime lakeside fun, the many village greens take on an autumnal allure to relax mind, body, and soul. Start on a high note over breakfast at the popular Simply Crepes Craft Kitchen or grab a coffee to go for a stroll through the scenic Canandaigua Lake State Marine Park. Casa Italiana has the essentials for an inspired picnic at the landscaped Kershaw Park with a beach area, walkways, a public dock, picnic pavilions, and an open-air gazebo. Next to the popular Nolan's on Canandaigua Lake, a steak house, take in the sunset from the city pier.
The manicured Sonnenberg Gardens are a perfectionists dream at Mansion State Historic Park, with exotic flora in formal gardens and arboretum, plus tours of the stately 1887 Queen Anne mansion along the 50-acre grounds. Just 14 miles south, the Bristol Mountain Sky Ride offers a chair life up to the summit to spy on the foliage of the surrounding Finger Lakes region. South along the shore, Heron Hill’s Tasting Room welcomes wine fans and their families on October 13th for the Ingle Vineyard Harvest Celebration by the Heron Hill Winery. Canandaigua Festival brings the town alive in November, with the winter nip in the air and activities like pumpkin decorating, a kids Halloween costume parade, horse and wagon rides, and a local farmers market.
Cold Spring
No doubt, one of the Empire's most beautiful small towns, Cold Spring, with that cute village vibe you can’t get enough of, turns epic come fall. Under two hours from NYC via Metro-North, the walkable village offers all the feels, sights, and pursuits of an ideal escape to chase away any blues. Next to the train station, West Point Foundry Preserve is a spectacular outdoor museum along the watery inlet, Foundry Cove, for a self-guided walk through the past of the old ironworks ruins. Don't miss the lonely Constitution Island this time of year, overlooking the Hudson River. The historic Hudson House River Inn is steps from the pier along the waterfront and quick access to downtown attractions.
From antique shopping to independent shops, browse the picturesque Main Street, lined with boutiques and cafes under the foliage. Bundle up for a peaceful afternoon at the riverside park over a picnic, perhaps until the sunset. Pig Hill Inn is an adorable bed and breakfast for an overnight or two. Little Stony Point is a scenic hiking area to the north, while the popular Breakneck Ridge, one of the most popular hikes in the Hudson Valley, offers challenging terrain with rewarding views anytime, plus incomparable aerial foliage views for the leaf peepers. Minutes south, Boscobel House and Garden is a 19th-century Georgian mansion with gardens, orchards, and striking views, plus cultural events.
Croton-on-Hudson
Croton-on-Hudson, home to the 97-acre Croton Gorge Park at the base of the Croton Dam, is a must-visit in NY, with impressive views of the dam and spillway, plus fishing, hiking, and other seasonal recreation. In autumn, the waterfront Croton Point Park with a nature center transforms under vibrant foliage along the Hudson River. Across the highway, Van Cortlandt Manor, a historical place and museum with guides in period dress and gardens, hosts the premier fall event, presenting 7,000 intricately carved pumpkins lit up by night. Celebrated September 13 to November 17 this year, the epic Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is produced by Historic Hudson Valley, with tickets starting at $24 and up to $52 before Halloween.
See the towering “Pumpkin Planetarium"—last year's Best Pumpkin Sculpture—among new creations up for a $5,000 prize. Attracting some 150,000 annual attendees, the illuminated tunnels of pumpkins, each one a work of art, lend a romantic setting for a date. The synchronized light shows and the life-sized dinosaurs carved from gourds dazzle the little guests, plus spooky stories by the Hudson Valley’s famed storyteller. Shake off the blues to live music from local folk band The Moonshiners and then escape the crowds to Silver Lake Park & Beach Croton, feeling undisturbed. Nearby, Sleepy Hollow offers cemetery tours and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow performance at the Old Dutch Church. Return for sunset views from Senasqua Park or the Half Moon Bay Marina.
Hudson
Some two and a half hours from the Big Apple, the small, riverside town of Hudson is a premier destination in the fall leaf peeping season. Many enjoy the rustic charm of nature within the Hudson Valley, which matches the historic downtown with an eclectic array of shops along the Warren Street that add a modern vibe. From antique shops to galleries and boutiques offering vintage treasures, eye candy, gifts, and real sweets, plus modern art through galleries, Hudson is one of the coolest escapes in NY anytime. Browse in the fresh, cool breeze, then duck into a cafe to watch the falling leaves. Rivertown Lodge is right on the shopping thoroughfare with a minimalist, hip, and relaxed feel that attracts friends on a getaway with access to everything.
Greeting you with brilliant foliage, there's a variety of landmarks to check out in the outdoors. 10 minutes south, tour the Olana State Historic Site where Frederic Edwin Church, an acclaimed painter, lived and hosted the leading Hudson River School with inspiring valley views. Henry Hudson Riverfront Park is a must to soak in the scenery on a stroll, a picnic, or to watch the boats in the fauna-reflecting waters and return to at sunset. Under 10 miles northeast, the outdoor Art Omi Sculpture Park is a real vision with its large-scale sculptures wrapped in nature along the trails. Unwind at the iconic Amelia, a boutique option for couples, families, and history lovers, exuding elegance as a restored former Queen Anne-style private residence.
Lake Placid
Having recently become a hip escape with an up-and-coming social scene, the multifaceted town of Lake Placid is equally renowned among the rugged summertime campers and winter sports afficianados. Despite being a further town from the Big Apple, this Adirondacks town attracts families and hoards of leaf peepers, with its serene natural beauty alight in spectacular foliage. The historic Lake Placid Downtown takes on an autumnal hue under the old canopies along the walkways lined by food trucks, hard drink vendors, live music, family activities, and booths during the Flaming Leaves Festival. Taking place October 12-13, this most popular fall event is replete with family activities and amenities, perfect to browse handcrafted artisan works.
Having hosted two Winter Olympic Games through its colorful history, the iconic Lake Placid Olympic Museum, on Mirror Lake, centers around the winter Olympic events like hockey, skating, and curling. Next door, the lakefront Smoke Signals is a favorite BBQ joint in a brick-lined space with a patio, beers on tap, and live music. Under 10 miles away, experience autumn via the Whiteface Cloudsplitter Gondola over the small town and surrounding area. A memorable ride to the summit of Whiteface Mountain, the one-of-a-kind panorama across the Adirondacks in waves of luminous fall colors feels ethereal. Meanwhile, Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society is open with local history exhibits along the snaking lake through the heart of town.
New Paltz
New Paltz, a highly popular getaway, may not be a secret in the fall but stays quaint thanks to history between shiny attractions wrapped in foliage. See what catches your eye just two hours from NYC for a daytrip of leaf peeping or a weekend to explore historic sites between nature ventures and a memorable stay at one of the many options. Next to the Ulster County Dog Park, Jenkins-Lueken Orchards offers apple picking with over 500 apple trees, plus a pumpkin patch to get yours for Halloween. The prominent Historic Huguenot Street takes you back in time on a stroll along stone houses built by the Huguenots. In October, this 10-acre historic site hosts candlelit ghost tours with spooky tales after a daytime sroll across the river along the pet-friendly River-to-Ridge Trail.
Enjoy a stay at Mohonk Mountain House—one of the best fall resorts—overlooking the jaw-dropping Shawangunk Ridge, with its world-class spa, golf course, and fine dining. Minutes northwest, the pet-friendly Mohonk Preserve Testimonial Gateway blends history with nature, while Mountain Meadows Bed & Breakfast flaunts scenic grounds for a stroll. Just west, Minnewaska State Park features 50 miles of hike-able trails with bright foliage and stunning views to picnic, set up a photo shoot, or whizz on a bike past plenty of cool spots like secret waterfalls, lakes, and climbable cliffs. Drop by the family-friendly Robibero Family Vineyards for an afternoon among vines having just thrown off their harvest to relax in close company and taste local flavors.
We know when you want an escape, you want it now, so finish sipping your pumpkin spice latte while soaking in the stunning fall foliage in Central Park and head to Bear Mountain, an overlooked town for the last days of Oktoberfest through October 13. Huguenot Street in New Paltz offers candlelit ghost tours through October next to the pet-friendly River-to-Ridge Trail.
Experience autumn over Lake Placid via the Whiteface Cloudsplitter Gondola to the summit of Whiteface Mountain for a one-of-a-kind panorama of the Adirondacks. There's still plenty of time to see the towering “Pumpkin Planetarium” in Croton-on-Hudson, among new creations of 7,000 intricately carved pumpkins lit up by night at Van Cortlandt Manor, a historical place and museum.
