With your busy fall schedule in full swing, sometimes you need a little nudging or an extra suggestion to know exactly where to take in the glorious autumn scenery near to NYC. We recommend all of these places, and wish there were ten more weekends within this foliage season to take all of them in. Have fun deciding where to soak in the beautiful scenery!
With a Garden Highlights Walk, a Wave Hill History Walk, an Enchanted Wave Hill Weekend, and a Harvest Weekend all coming up- why not stay right within New York City but go to an enchanted, extraordinary place overlooking the Hudson River.
West 249th Street and Independence Avenue (Front Gate)
675 West 252nd Street (mailing)
Bronx, NY 10471-2899
Phone: 718-549-3200
A truly deep and magical place tucked into the woods of Fort Tryon Park in Upper Manhattan focusing on European Medieval architecture mostly from the 12th-15th centuries- The Cloisters will offer your family the feeling of going to another land and time. And the foliage and trees surrounding it are such a major draw that you can’t miss out.
99 Margaret Corbin Drive
Fort Tryon Park
New York, NY 10040
Phone: 212-923-3700
Fort Tryon Park is really a great place to see the leaves and bask in the lovely fall air. This incredible Manhattan park offers views of the Hudson River and the Palisades, and is a welcome shift of pace energetically, for all visitors. The park is just off Margaret Corbin Circle, with the Heather Garden just inside the tall stone pillars. From the NYC Parks website, “Decades after its creation, park goers can run or walk on the park’s 8 miles of pathways, play on the lawns, and enjoy the city’s largest garden with unrestricted public access, the Heather Garden. Recently reinvigorated by public garden designers Lynden B. Miller and Ronda M. Brands, the garden boasts over 500 varieties of plants, trees and shrubs providing year round horticultural interest.”
Take the A Train to 190th Street.
Need we explain? The whole place is a total foliage-gaper’s paradise, and how convenient is it that you can stop for coffee before, during or after your jaunt through its lovely paths and rolling fields. HERE is a wonderful list of things to see and do in Central Park.
Alley Pond Environmental Center
From their website, “Just a few steps from the bustling traffic of Northern Boulevard, the Alley Pond Environmental Center (APEC) is a gem of the natural world in the middle of northeastern Queens. APEC is situated within Alley Pond Park, where over 635 acres of forests, meadows, ponds, and fresh and salt water marshes are home to more than 300 species of birds and other wildlife. Our center hugs the shore of Little Neck Bay.” They also offer children’s weekend classes
228-06 Northern Boulevard
Douglaston, NY 11362
Phone: 718-229-4000
This is a huge park, with lots of acreage on the western short of the Hudson River in Northeastern New Jersey. There are easy hikes within the park that are great for taking the kids to, and the foliage here is gorgeous.
This preserve was once a farm, and will awe anyone lucky enough to visit! The wildlife and hiking will allow for a trip worth its while. Here are some “Nature Notes” from the park.
Compared to all of the old, stately parks and properties we’ve listed thus far, the Greenbelt Nature Center is a fairly new spot that’s only opened about thirteen years ago; it’s on Staten Island. There are Greenbelt naturalists that will take you and the family out on hikes, which is very helpful. There are also lectures, environmental educational programs, parent/child workshops and yoga classes offered here!
700 Rockland Avenue (at Brielle Avenue)
Staten Island, NY 10314
Phone: 718- 351-3450
Glasco NY/ Falling Waters Preserve
This Ulster County land is absolutely breathtaking. “Falling Waters Preserve is an excellent place to explore the rugged beauty of the Hudson River, hiking atop rock ledges that slant precipitously into the water while occasionally descending to the shoreline. On your way to (or from) the mile-long trail hugging the river, you’ll pass other scenic treasures, including a meadow affording outstanding views of the Catskills and a picturesque waterfall.”
Glass House in New Canaan (for a mixture of culture and foliage)
Architecture lovers adore this place, as you may have heard. It’s an example of a Philip Johnson’s masterful approach to the glass house that he is so famous for. But it’s also for those of us who want a taste of fall foliage. The property is open for tours and is well worth the effort of going on one for!
199 Elm Street
New Canaan, CT 06840
Phone: 203-594-9884
This place has it all! “Bear Mountain State Park is situated in rugged mountains rising from the west bank of the Hudson River. The park features a large play field, shaded picnic groves, lake and river fishing access, a swimming pool, Trailside Museums and Zoo, hiking, biking and cross-country ski trails. An outdoor rink is open to ice skaters from late October through mid-March. The Perkins Memorial Tower atop Bear Mountain affords spectacular views of the park, the Hudson Highlands and Harriman State Park. Perkins Memorial Drive and Tower are open from April through late November, weather permitting.”
Palisades Parkway or Route 9W North
Bear Mountain, NY 10911
Phone: 845-786-2701
Walkway Over the Hudson Historic State Park
Just for the sheer awesomeness of this, you should go. It’s a marvel, your kids will always remember it, and the nature around it is so stunning. It’s a linear walkway spanning over the Hudson River. At 212 feet tall and 1.28 miles long, it is the longest, elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. HERE‘s some info on how to have a greater walkway experience.
Walkway West (Highland) Entrance:
87 Haviland Road
Highland, NY 12528
Walkway East (Poughkeepsie) Entrance:
61 Parker Avenue
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
This is a fun suggestion if you are looking for a lodging experience/getaway vacay. They have a lot of services for hikers, as well as just plain guests who want to relax and go to a spa. Just a fun idea for the Christmas season ahead, they have TONS of fun stuff going on for the holidays!
1000 Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz, NY 12561
Phone: 855- 883-3798
This is the perfect place to enjoy the land and relax. The farm offers really wonderful activities, and is a super special place. “Working farm, educational center, peaceful sanctuary, a place for intellectual inquiry and experience-based learning…Sprout Creek Farm is all these things.” There’s rich educational programming happening here and the farm can tailor the needs of a certain school with its offerings, as well as a market. What a lovely place to visit!
34 Lauer Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
Phone: 845-485-8438