The Best Spots to Check out Hudson’s Valley Fall Foliage


Getty Images

The Best Spots to Check out Hudson Valley’s Fall Foliage

Fall is here, which means time to soak in all the charms that Autumn brings with it, including gorgeous fall foliage. The first spot to hit for New Yorkers is the Hudson Valley area, just starting to show autumnal hues. So start planning your trip now!

Tip: Want to keep track of the leaves so you can plan your trips? Check out the ILOVENY Fall Foliage report and check out the best places to go for leaf-peeping Hudson Valley Fall Foliage.

Click on your region to jump to spots near you!

Fall Foliage in Rockland County

Bear Mountain State Park

Route 9W North, Bear Mountain

845-786-2701

Hours: daily, dawn to dusk, open year-round

Price: $10 per vehicle on weekends and holidays, 8am-5pm

Bear Mountain fall foliage is considered a “must-see” in autumn, especially the Perkins Memorial Tower. You can drive up to the 40-foot tall stone look-out tower and climb the steps to the observation windows, or, if you’re feeling ambitious, you can hike from a lower point to the top. Drive to the tower for a less strenuous walk and follow the Bear Mountain Summit Loop hike. Then, once you’re done, head over to the Bear Mountain Zoo to visit the animals.

Rockland Lake State Park

299 Rockland Lake Road, Valley Cottage 

845-268-3020

Hours: daily, daylight to dusk

Price: $10 per vehicle Saturday-Sunday and holidays, 8am-5pm

The park offers hiking trails with breathtaking views of the Hudson Valley and various activities like tennis, golf, grilling, playgrounds, and water features.

Haverstraw Bay Park

21 Gagan Road, West Haverstraw

845-364-2670

Hours: Park opened 8am to dusk , weather permitting

Hike, participate in one of the many activities, or view many of the beautiful wildlife creatures like the Belted Kingfisher, Mallard, Canada Goose, Great Blue Heron, Northern Cardinal, American Crow, Blue Jay, Song Sparrow, Great Black-Backed Gull, and the Northern Mockingbird.

The Bronx has amazing fall foliage

Fall Foliage in Bronx

Van Cortlandt Park

Van Cortlandt Park South between Broadway and Jerome Avenue, Bronx

Hours: daily, 6am-10pm

Located close to the Bronx/Westchester County line, The Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, the Putnam Trail, the Muir Trail, and the John Kieran Trail provide beautiful native hardwoods to walk through and enjoy the changing fall colors.

Bronx River Greenway

1490 Sheridan Blvd., Bronx

Hours: daily, 6am-10pm

London planes, oaks, sassafras, red maples, tulip poplars, sycamores, and beeches line the greenway connecting many NYC parks. The Bronx River Forest is one of the oldest hardwood forests in the city.

Pelham Bay Park

Hutchinson River, Long Island Sound between Bronx County Line and Middletown Road, Watt Avenue

Hours: daily, 6am-10pm

Pelham Bay Park is the City’s largest park property (yup, bigger than Central Park!). Take the Kazimiroff Trail through 189 acres of Hunter Island by the tall Norway spruces and white pines, which provide a habitat for great horned owls.

Teatown Lake Reservation

1600 Spring Valley Road, Ossining

914-762-2912

Hours: Trails: daily, dawn to dusk; Visitor Center: daily, 9am-5pm

This 1,000-acre preserve is home to 15 miles of scenic hiking trails open to the public year-round. Teatown maintains 14 trails across diverse terrain and habitats, including fields, mixed hardwood forests, laurel groves, lakes, streams, swamps, and farmland—giving visitors a unique view of the biological diversity of the lower Hudson Valley. 

Rockefeller State Park Preserve

125 Phelps Way, Pleasantville

914-631-1470

Hours: daily, dawn to dusk

Price: $6.00 per vehicle collected daily, year-round. 8:00am – 4:30pm

Primarily a hardwood forest, the Rockefeller State Park Preserve is home to oak, tulip poplar, maple, and beech trees. Some of the trees here are more than 150-200 years old! Plus, hemlocks can be found along the 13 Bridges and Witches Spring trails.

Fall Foliage in Orange County

Storm King Art Center

1 Museum Road, New Windsor

845-534-3115

Hours: Wednesday-Monday, 10am-5:30pm, closed Tuesdays

Price: $23-$152, depending on the number of people in the vehicle and day you visit. Tickets are released in two-week blocks and are available on Wednesdays starting at noon; we strongly recommend visiting the site to get your tickets now if you want to visit Storm King to leaf peep.

This 500-acre outdoor museum offers stunning views of hills, meadows, and forests, and the surrounding landscape. The peak fall season runs from September 16 through November 12.

Bellvale Farms Creamery

1390 Route 17A, Warwick

845-988-1818

Hours: Through Oct. 30: Monday-Wednesday, 12-8pm; Thursday-Sunday, 12-9pm.

This iconic ice cream creamery has stunning views of Warwick Valley and Greenwood Lake to enjoy while you eat your ice cream.

Trophy Point

United States Military Academy, West Point

845-938-4011

Hours: daily, dawn to dusk

One of the most visited places at the United States Military Academy, this scenic overlook of the Hudson River Valley has been the subject of many works of art. 

Psst…Check out Best Apple Picking Orchards for Families Near NYC

Winding Hills Park

Old Route 17K, Montgomery

845-457-4918

Hours: Park: daily, dawn to dusk

Price: Vary by activity. See website.

A picturesque landscape offers a variety of amenities for anyone that enjoys what nature and the outdoors have to offer, including campsites, a 40-acre Diamond Lake, 4-acre pond, fishing, boating (car-top boats only), playgrounds, horseshoe pits, volleyball court, picnic shelter, picnic tables, nature trails, grills, ice-skating, ice fishing, and snowmobile trails.

Fort Montgomery State Historic Site

690 Route 9W, Fort Montgomery

845-446-2134

Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 9am-5pm and Sunday 1pm to 5pm. 

Price: See website

Montgomery was the scene of a fierce Revolutionary War battle for control of the Hudson River. Visitors today can tour the remains of the 14-acre fortification, perched on a cliff overlooking the magnificent Hudson

Fall is the perfect time to explore nature and leaf peep

Fall Foliage in Dutchess County

Vanderbilt Mansion

81 Vanderbilt Park Road, Hyde Park

845-229-7770

Hours: Through October: daily, 7am-6pm

Price: Standard pass $15, annual pass $45

Explore the grounds of the Vanderbilt Mansion high above the Hudson River with amazing views of the Catskills.

Staatsburgh State Historic Site

75 Mills Mansion Drive, Road #1, Staatsburgh

845-889-8851

Hours: check website

Price: $10 adults, $8 students and seniors, free for children ages 12 and younger

The property of the elegant country home of Ogden Mills and his wife Ruth Livingston Mills overlooks the Hudson River and the Catskills.

Tivoli Bays Wildlife Management Area and Research Preserve

Cruger Island Road, Tivoli

845-256-3000

Hours: daily, dawn to dusk

Price: Free

Hike along the Hudson River with stunning views of the Catskills.

Ferncliff Forest

68 Mt. Rutsen Road, Rhinebeck

Hours: Park open year-round; tower open daily, dawn to dusk

Ferncliff Forest Game Refuge and Forest Preserve is a 200-acre forest known as the second-best old-growth forest in the Hudson Valley. The forest is available for hiking, camping, mountain biking, skiing, fishing, and picnics at no charge. Plus, there’s a tower you can climb for amazing views of the area.

Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park

23 Long Dock Road, Beacon

845-473-4440

Hours: daily, 6am-8pm

Kayak, picnic, stroll through wetlands, or simply enjoy the river.

Fall Foliage in Ulster County

Walkway Over the Hudson

87 Haviland Road, Highland

845-834-2867

Hours: daily, 7am to sunset

This steel cantilever bridge spans the Hudson River between Highland on the west bank and Poughkeepsie on the east. 

Fall Foliage Cruises on the Hudson

Hudson River Adventures – Pride of the Hudson

4 Washington St., Newburgh

845-220-2120

Hours: See website for cruise schedule

Price: $35; $32 seniors ages 65 and older; $22 children ages 4-11; free for children ages 3 and younger.

Drive to Newburgh to hop aboard the Pride of the Hudson. This two-hour narrated cruise will take you past Washington’s Headquarters, Mount Beacon, Bannerman Island, Breakneck Mountain, Cold Spring, World’s End, Constitution Island, and West Point. 

Hudson River Recreation

914-682-5135

Hours: depends on which tour you select

Price: $79-$158

If you prefer to take the river at a slower pace, Hudson River Recreation can put you in charge of your own boat. Your own really small boat, that is. It offers kayak tours on the Hudson departing from Sleepy Hollow, Croton-on-Hudson, and Rye. The tours generally run from mid-May to late September or early October, depending on the weather. Call for the current schedule. 



Source link