Where To See Fall Colors

Where to see Fall Colors

If you are anything like us you are always looking for somewhere to go and something to do that will afford you some breathtaking views of fall colors in the mid-Hudson Valley. Here’s a few we like.

Sal J. Prezioso Mountain Lakes Park: This 1082 acre park in North Salem features five lakes, miles of trails through rugged landscape and hardwood forests. It also offers Bailey Mountain, Westchester’s highest point at 982 feet above sea level. But you will get your best view for fall colors at Look Out Point just a short climb of about a third of a mile above the parking area across from Camp Morty’s infirmary.  Look Out Point is 740 feet above sea level and it offers panoramic views of Westchester County in all directions.

Rockefeller State Park: Rockefeller State Park offers 25 miles of carriage paths winding through 1400 acres of this historic preserve in Pleasantville. Originally designed as carriage trails for the Rockefeller’s, the trails wind through forested hills and valleys and a pastoral landscape of meadows in the Pocantico River watershed. From the parking lot, head down Old Sleepy Hollow Road Trail to connect to a network of trails along the Pocantico River. There you will find Eagle Hill Trail a .87 mile climb to the park’s summit. At the top is the inland park’s best scenic views of the river and Kykuit, the Rockefeller Mansion. Or travel to the end of Rt. 117 to park for The Rockwood Trail that overlooks the Hudson and offers panoramic fall vistas. You can find more information here.

North County Trailway: The New Croton Reservoir Bridge on the North County Railway in Yorktown offers panoramic views of the tree line surrounding the 2,182 acre watershed with a 36 mile shoreline. If you just want to take in the vista, this old railway bridge is a short walk from trailside parking on the north side of Rt. 118 – less than a mile west of Rt. 100 in Croton Heights. We recommend parking on the shoulder of Route 134 at the trail underpass in Kitchawan – just west of Rt. 100. It’s about a mile and a quarter walk from there to the bridge along the paved bike trail through spectacular forests and rock outcroppings. Along the way you will see bikers, walkers, dog-walkers and even kids in strollers.

Croton Gorge Park:  A thirty minute drive from Armonk, this 97-acre property at the base of the Croton Dam is a popular spot for fishing, picnicking and hiking. A short trek up to the bridge offers some great autumnal vistas. First, head over to the dam to get a spray of water on your face. Then it’s all about getting to the bridge that spans the Croton River for the best views. Head across the field and past the playground to the wooded trail. After a short stroll into the woods the trail will split into a River Trail and an Aqueduct Access Trail. A leisurely 15 minute hike will put you on the bridge for dam views on one side, reservoir views on the other, and fall colors all around. A perfect outing with kids or if you are a more ambitious hiker, take the river trail after your descent. GPS Croton Gorge Park or try 152 Yorktown Rd., Croton-On-Hudson.

Walkway Over the Hudson: If you need a bigger bridge, a bigger river, and a bigger vista – head up to Poughkeepsie to the Walkway Over the Hudson. Built in 1889 as the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge, it was decommissioned in 1974 after a fire destroyed the tracks. It was rebuilt and reopened in 2009 as a 1.28 mile linear park for walkers and cyclists. The Walkway Over the Hudson delivers panoramic views of the Catskills to the north and the Hudson Highlands to the south. Grab a bite after your walk at Lola’s Cafe, a casual sandwich shop directly under the stairs of the walkway. Or The Artist’s Palette, a swanky New-American with locally sourced dishes nearby. We have featured the Walkway in our Fourth of July Fireworks Guide in past years. Their Starry Starry Night event is their version of a food festival held in a clear-top tent, followed by fireworks over the river.

Storm King Art Center: One of the world’s leading sculpture parks, Storm King is set on 500 acres of fields, hills and woodlands. It showcases over 100 sculptures from the world’s finest artists carefully sited against scenic backdrops. Think the Pepsico Sculpture Gardens on steroids. Their permanent collection includes works by Alexander Calder, Roy Lichtenstein, Maya Lin, Henry Moore, Isamo Naguchi, Louise Nevelson, Claes Oldenburg, George Rickey, Richard Serra and many more. Our Bucket List article on Storm King is the most read, single page post on our site. There you can find sculpture shots and food options to work into your trip. Woodbury Commons is less than 10 miles away.

The Essex Steam Train and Riverboat: Take a 2 1/2-hour, 12-mile, narrated round-trip through the unspoiled Connecticut River Valley – a place the Nature Conservancy called “one of the last great places on earth..” You will board at  Essex Station and travel in vintage coaches through undeveloped Selden Neck State Park, past tidal wetlands (natural habitats for swans, blue heron and egrets) and on to the quintessential New England town of Deep River. There you hop over to the Becky Thatcher riverboat for a 75-minute cruise along the Connecticut River. Passing historic sites Gillette Castle, Goodspeed Opera House and the Haddam Swing Bridge with long vistas of the valley’s fall colors on full display. Or book a booth on The Essex Clipper Dinner Train for a 2 1/2 hour, 4-course meal in a 1920’s Pullman Diner.

Thain Forest @ The New York Botanical Garden: Just when you think fall colors have peaked you have one last chance to take in the flame of autumn leaves at the New York Botanical Garden’s Thain Forest – our southern most stop for the season.  Here you will walk along Native American hunting trails, see marks left by glaciers, and pass under tress dating back to the American Revolution. The beauty and ecological importance of Thain, the largest uncut expanse of New York City’s original wooded landscape, are one of the reasons why NYBG’s founders selected this site for The New York Botanical Garden in 1895. From May through the end of October, the Bronx River Alliance leads canoe trips along all 8 miles of the river in the Bronx.

Lake Minnewaska State Park: Originally part of the Mohonk Mountain House property owned by Albert and Alfred Smiley, and home to the former Minnewaska Mountain House, Minnewaska State Park is a mid-Hudson hiker’s favorite. The Minnewaska Mountain House burned to the ground in 1978. New York State bought the property in 1987 and opened this 22,275-acre preserved on the Shawangunk Ridge in 1993. The Park features scenic overlooks of the Catskill Mountains and contains three lakes. Most notably Lake Minnewaska that offers a relaxing mile plus walk around its perimeter that is lined with cascading lake cliffs. From there it’s a short hike to Awosting Falls. For a longer hike there’s the Lake Awosting trail.

Pride of the Hudson River Tours: If you want to take in the full glory of the Hudson River in peak fall colors check out The Pride of the Hudson. This sightseeing tour boat snakes through the Hudson Highlands from Newburgh to West Point from Mid-May to the end of October. On this narrated tour you will pass Washington’s Headquarters, Mount Beacon (the highest point between the Catskills and the Atlantic Ocean) Bannerman Island noted for its warehouse fashioned after a Scottish Castle, Breakneck Mountain, World’s End, Constitution Island and West Point.  On your return to Newburgh, make some time for some waterfront dining at Blu Pointe for it’s impressive raw bar, Billy Joe’s Ribworks  or Pamela’s on the Hudson a little further north at the Hidden Waterfront under the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.