13 Top Places To Visit In New York This Fall
New York State, home to one of the world’s most elegant cities, New York City, is also a prime destination for everything autumn. When fall peaks between late October and mid-November, this state becomes a haven of mesmerizing colors. From the peaks of the Adirondacks to Central Park and Castle Rock, there are many places to soak in the charms of autumn in New York state. Beyond scenery and nature, the state hosts over a dozen fall festivals and has many family-fun destinations for thrilling fall activities. Uncover the top 13 places to visit in The Empire State this fall.
Hudson River
The Hudson River is one of the most famous and scenic rivers in New York State and is worth visiting year-round. In fall, however, the scenery is particularly enchanting as the forest of trees along its banks put up a color show, reflecting their pink, crimson, and yellow leaves in the glistening waters. Tourists can enjoy picnics on the river banks or hike around the river to soak in the foliage's beauty.
However, the Oktoberfest Floating Cruise along the river is a more thrilling and visually appealing way to enjoy the views. The 40-mile, 4-hour cruise along the Hudson River with New York’s Floating Oktoberfest takes place between October 19th and 20th only, featuring live music, German food and drinks, and mesmerizing foliage views.
Mount Utsayantha, Stamford
Mount Utsayantha is one of the finest viewpoints from which to take in the magnificent foliage beauty of the Catskill Mountains in New York. Tourists can climb to the mountain’s summit at 3,200 feet by hiking the two-mile trail from the base. There are also picnic tables at the summit where leaf peepers can relax and enjoy the alluring views of foliage colors carpeting the Catskills and surrounding hills and valleys. Be sure to hit the prime foliage dates from the end of September through to the first two weeks of October for the most spectacular views.
Queens County Farm Museum, Queens
The 47-acre Queens County Farm Museum is a working farm and museum in the Floral Park and Glen Oaks neighborhoods of Queens, New York. It is also the oldest running farm in New York, having been working since 1697. For fall travelers, the Farmhouse is home to a variety of family-fun activities like pumpkin picking, hayriding, and animal feeding and petting. Additionally, the farm hosts the Amazing Maize Maze for visitors to explore and get lost. This 3-acre maze labyrinth is as intricate as its name and is the only corn maze in New York City.
Great Pumpkin Farm Fall Festival, Clarence
The Great Pumpkin Farm Fall Festival is one of the foremost autumn events in New York that is worth experiencing. This festival attracts over 35,000 attendees and runs from September 14th to October 31st. The event features an array of fun-filled attractions and activities, from pumpkin picking to amusement rides, apple cannons, pie-eating contests, haunted houses, and a 5-acre corn maze, among others.
Family-fun attractions during weekends of the festival include tractor-drawn hayrides, Boo Barn entry, cow train rides, a petting zoo, and magic shows. Meanwhile, apple-inspired foods are abundant at the festival for attendees to indulge in.
Adirondack Scenic Railroad, Utica to Old Forge
Embark on a fascinating fall drive on the Adirondack Scenic Railroad as it courses through dense forests, magnificent rivers, rolling hills, a waterfall, streams, and bridges. This ride promises to be exciting and serves as a better alternative to scenic road trips since it is more relaxing and includes the company of other leaf peepers. Board the train at the Utica Station and enjoy the trip ride to Old Forge for about 5 hours while watching the elegant colors of leafage that line up the route.
Along the ride, visit the café car and enjoy lighthearted meals while savoring the views. The train typically runs from Friday to Sunday between late September and late November.
The Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze, Croton-on-Hudson
The Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze is one of the biggest fall festivals in New York, attracting around 150,000 tourists. The festival is held in the historical riverside Van Cortlandt Manor and runs on select dates from mid-September to mid-November, featuring a spectacular display of 7,000 illuminated hand-carved pumpkins, known as Jack O’ Lanterns. The pumpkin sculptures are the highlight of the festival, especially when they glow in picturesque colors at sunset.
Guests can also walk through lighted tunnels made of pumpkins, watch enthralling synchronized light shows with an original soundtrack, and be thrilled by life-sized dinosaurs. There is also a giant spider web to navigate, a Pumpkin Planetarium for stargazing, a shop for souvenirs, a working carousel, and fall-themed snacks and sweets to enjoy.
Palisades Interstate Parkway
Scenic fall drives are always fascinating and inspiring, and the 42-mile Palisades Parkway is one of the premier drives to bask in the beauty of foliage on four wheels. But this drive is not a regular one as it mostly involves driving on cliffs, albeit with panoramic views. The parkway begins just across the George Washington Bridge on its southern end in Fort Lee, New Jersey, to Bear Mountain Bridge over the Hudson River in New York. It runs along the imposing cliffs of the Hudson River for the most part and enchants drivers, but there are better ways to enjoy the views.
Stop at the three overlooks, State Line (520 feet), Rockefeller (400 feet), and Alpine (430 feet), to drink in the views of colorful leafage surrounding the Hudson River and the Palisades.
Ferncliff Forest, Rhinebeck
Ferncliff Forest is a 200-acre park drenched with an old-growth forest of hemlock and deciduous trees in the town of Rhinebeck. With such natural endowments, this forest is a prime destination to immerse in the magic of fall foliage. This trail is home to around 12 miles of hiking trails. However, the 0.6-mile trail from the parking lot to the Fire Tower is the most popular. In the fall, the trail is carpeted by rustling yellow leaves and covered by a canopy of trees blazing with foliage.
Visitors can stop by a pond on the trail to relax before proceeding to the tower. Once at the tower, climb up and be enchanted by the colorful foliage below and the striking beauty of the Hudson River, Catskills, and the Kingston-Rhinecliff bridge.
Taughannock Falls State Park, Trumansburg
The 750-acre Taughannock Falls State Park is notable for hosting New York’s tallest waterfall, Taughannock Falls, standing at 215 feet against the backdrop of a rocky cliff. Enjoy the magnificence of this cascading beauty with colorful foliage by hiking the several trails leading to the falls.
The 0.95-mile Gorge Trail is a great starting point as it follows Taughannock Creek down to the base of the falls, spoiling hikers with foliage colors all the way. The South Rim Trail (1.60 miles) and North Rim Trail (1.44 miles) are also great options but are only open from April to October, while the Gorge Trail is open year-round.
Letchworth State Park
Letchworth State Park is one of the most scenic natural endowments on the US East Coast, famed as the Grand Canyon of the East. At approximately 14,000 acres, this New York State Park is a massive paradise of astonishing scenery. The park’s highlight is the deep gorge cut by the Genesee River, stretching for 17 miles and featuring around 50 different waterfalls.
In the fall, tourists can hike the 7-mile Gorge Trail to savor breathtaking views of the gorge, waterfalls, and the teeming foliage surrounding it. Along the hike, capture views of the park’s three main waterfalls, Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls. For the adventurous visitor, embark on a whitewater rafting trip along the Genesee River as it courses through the heart of the gorge blanketed by dazzling foliage.
New York Botanical Gardens, Bronx
The New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx, New York City, is a preserve for plants across its 250-acre landscape. While it is worth visiting year-round, the garden is a hot spot for leaf peeping in the fall. Tourists can explore the park to see an army of beech, maple, and oak trees as they flaunt the spectacular colors of autumn. In addition to the colors, birds such as raptors, hummingbirds, songbirds, and sparrows can be seen in the gardens at this time.
Visitors are also invited to the special fall foliage tour at the garden on October 26th at 2:30 pm and October 31st at 12:30 pm. This special foliage tour is included in the All-garden Pass, and leaf-peepers will meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Levy Visitor Center.
Bear Mountain State Park
Fall is not just a great time to enjoy the sights of foliage but an opportunity to engage in many exciting outdoor activities under conducive weather before winter kicks in. In Bear Mountain State Park, there is so much to do during this season, from hiking and biking to swimming and fishing.
Covering a 5,000-acre area and located on the Hudson River, this park features more than 235 miles of trails, four museums, a zoo, picnic spots, grills, and a scenic drive leading to the Perkins Memorial Tower at the Bear Mountain summit, offering 360-degree views of the river and its surroundings. In the fall, the park’s incredible features are even more exciting to explore as there are vibrant sights of red, yellow, and orange at every turn.
Central Park, Manhattan
Central Park is one of New York City’s largest parks at 843 acres and receives the most visitors of any urban park in the US, with a whopping 42 million visits every year. This beautiful park stands as an oasis of nature and recreation in the heart of the bustling city. With approximately 18,000 trees, autumn here means only one thing, a kaleidoscope of charming colors. From mature maples and oaks to beech and cypress trees, the trees in this park transform into brilliant shades of red, orange, yellow, and gold come fall.
While the park is almost a city in itself, there are some hot spots for leaf peeping, scenic strolls, and picnicking. Check out The Conservatory Garden, North Meadow, The Loch, The Ramble and Lake, Oak Bridge, The Reservoir, Bow Bridge, and North Woods. Fall foliage in this park peaks around the first and second week of November.
Step into these destinations in New York this fall and witness the leaves change from green to stunning shades of yellow, red, orange, and gold. Visit from late October to early November to soak in these colors and engage in outdoor adventures or partake in a festival to get in the fall spirit. Come along with the family or make it a solo adventure, but keep an open mind to be enchanted. From scenic drives to farms, be prepared to witness autumn like never before in these incredible destinations in one of America's most beautiful and popular states.
