What to Do in Autumn in New York: The Story Behind the Travel Photos
- Nov 9, 2025
- 11 min read
Updated: Nov 16, 2025
Leaves and Apples And Wine, Oh My!
A GUIDE TO PLANNING YOUR AUTUMN LEAF-PEEPING TRIP IN NEW YORK STATE
Click the link above for the New York State Fall Foliage Report
Central Park in Autumn Video
Note: Most state parks in New York charge a vehicle entrance fee. If you are a New York State resident, consider purchasing the Empire Pass which will allow you to park for a year in most state parks. Entering many state parks on foot or by bicycle is usually free. Some state parks have seasonal fees, some charge a fee all year long.
Being a New Yorker, I sometimes joke with West Coast folks about which region has the best opportunities for autumn. However, the actual fun part about talking about autumn is when I chat with people from other regions of the United States, particularly the South. The comments are hilarious: "You have trees in New York?" "What's apple-picking?" "Are there really farms in New York?" "Is the fall foliage really that amazing?" OK, well, that last one was me asking on behalf of people who may have never seen it, but yeah, let's dispel a few myths, shall we? Like, yes, we do have fall foliage and trees in New York City, not just in the surrounding metropolitan area.
In Northern USA, (East Coast and West Coast) autumn is a time for some Northerners to close their summer residences to snowbird in warmer climates. As they're leaving town, they pass by others who are headed north to enjoy the magnificent visual feast the leaves offer. Read on to know what to know what to do in autumn in New York before you go (and plan).
Where to go in New York State: Frankly, anywhere, yes even the City of New York, all five boroughs! Each region of the state peaks at different times, so you can enjoy fall foliage all through September, October and into November, sometimes even December. This includes upstate, Long Island, New York City and anywhere between Montauk Point and the Canadian border.
Great options are the Thousand Islands and Niagara Falls areas where, if you have a passport, you can go back and forth between New York and Canada and enjoy autumn in two countries for the price of one. Seeing the American Falls from the Canadian side can be very pretty.
In the Thousand Islands, there are boat tours on the St. Lawrence River until the end of October, meaning, you might see gorgeous foliage as you sail along, as the shore is literally littered with trees along the shore and riverbank. In fact, both countries have state parks on their respective sides of the border, adding the the fun.
In Niagara Falls, the New York side is also a state park, along with a scenic parkway, letting you tour visiting the falls and driving along Niagara River for gorgeous views.
If you're ambitious and you haven't had enough waterfalls, Letchworth State Park will help you out. You can hike the park or you can drive to the popular parts to see the falls and the foliage. One end of the park is near Portageville, the other is near Mount Morris, roughly 16-20 miles away. You can see why people hike a little, drive a little, walk a little, etc. It's a lot to take in.
Closer to home, if we can't getaway for a few days or weeks exploring, we have no trouble sticking around in our own backyard. Day trips are common during September and October, particularly on the week-ends, especially since many businesses and almost all schools are on full time in person status. Autumn fun is a great time for all combinations: families, couples, groups of adults. There's actually more to do than there is time, so we combine many of the activities in locations that have multiple fun: picking apples (and other produce), choosing pumpkins to take home, roasted corn, fresh-pressed apple cider along with baked goods such as pies and apple cider donuts, wines, ciders, beers and ales, haystacks, tractor rides, play areas for the kids and live music.
First of all, does New York really have trees? Let's start with my region: New York City. Absolutely. In fact, there are about 4 of them right now ready to shed their leaves into my backyard, prompting us to plug in the leaf blower to charge it up. ("Wait, you have a backyard??" Now, that question was legit, I was asked that on more than one occasion.) Anyway, even along the streets of Manhattan, yes, you will find trees and yes, they will start to change colors.
But of course, the best places to go and enjoy the fall colors are in New York City's parks. Plan for a full day to enjoy the atmosphere, strolling along, meeting people, petting dogs or just sitting and people watching. Along with our fall foliage, we are lucky to have temperatures that may not have cooled totally yet. Stroll along, find a one of our famous pretzel carts, maybe bring along a foldable blanket and enjoy the day.
One of the most enjoyable ways is to bicycle around a park, taking your time to stop and take photos (trust me, you will want to). Prospect Park, Central Park, Cunningham Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park and Van Cortlandt Park are all excellent options.
New York City (a few suggestions):
Queens: Alley Pond Park, Cunningham Park, Kissena Park and Flushing Meadows Corona Park are the obvious suggestions. These parks actually connect together with a rail trail, taking you over a bridges (including over the Long Island Expressway) and several lovely neighborhoods. Kissena Park has a few trails around the lake. But many neighborhood parks are lovely as well. I was strolling through Brookville Park, Springfield Park and Baisley Pond Park (Queens) enjoying the sites. The real local hidden gem is Forest Park. Straddling two boroughs, Forest Park has a trail that leads from Queens into...
Brooklyn: Highland Park is a very popular local park, full of families; behind the Brooklyn Children's Museum is Brower Park, and then there's Fort Greene Park (of Spike Lee movies' fame). But of course the premier park of Brooklyn is Prospect Park, still a hidden gem for tourists. Stroll or bicycle the drive and enjoy the foliage. You might catch lots of activities in progress, as Prospect is truly a community park with many events happening at any given time.
Staten Island: currently still one of the five boroughs (an NYC joke), nevertheless, if you look at a map, Staten Island is chock full of parks to enjoy, with many of the parks connected, one to another, linked by trails. Staten Island boasts the highest point in New York City if you want a little hike, Todt Hill. Heading to Mount Loretto State Forest will give you some easy hiking trails. Don't like hiking? Clay Pit Ponds State Park, Bloomingdale Park, Brookfield Park and one my smaller favorites, Clove Lakes Park which connects with Silver Lakes Park. Bonus: get to Staten Island from lower Manhattan for free on the Staten Island Ferry. Not so free: take one of the MTA buses or a car service to one of the parks.
The Bronx: the largest park in the City of New York is Pelham Bay, in the Bronx. Along with Van Cortlandt Park, those two parks are more than enough for you to get a lot of autumn foliage views and colors but if you need more, head over to Soundview Park, Crotona Park and Bronx Park. Parts of several Bronx Parks have rail trails that lead into Westchester County, a nice bonus. It starts in Van Cortlandt Park and will take you all the way into Elmsford, 13 miles away. Enter in the Bronx at Broadway and West 242 Street.
Manhattan: the obvious choice is Central Park, of course. Inside the park are several great spots: Hallet Sanctuary, The Ramble and The North Woods. The North Woods are best accessed from Central Park North and West 110th Street (take a look at the Frederick Sculpture before you go in). Carefully cross the drive (cyclists, joggers and scooters will be whizzing by) and go straight across. Walk along the drive and there will be several entrances to The North Woods. The Woods will eventually wind around and connect The Loch, The Ravine and several small waterfalls. If you head west, you'll end up at Glen Span Arch and The Pool. If you head east, you'll end up at the Conservatory. Many visitors don't venture past The Reservoir of Central Park, so you will not see massive crowds at the north end of the park, even during peak fall foliage times.
For an admission fee, check out the Botanical Gardens in New York City: The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, The New York Botanical Garden (in The Bronx), Queens Botanical Garden and Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden.
Head east to Long Island to the state parks (here are a few): Hempstead Lake, Belmont Lake, Bethpage, Planting Fields Arboretum, Caumsett, Cold Spring Harbor, Heckscher, Hallock Preserve, Montauk Point, Orient Beach.
Stop at the Long Island Welcome Center on the Long Island Expressway (locally known as the LIE), also called Interstate 495 (I-495). Be careful, when using your GPS and make sure you have the correct 495. The welcome center is in Dix Hills, on the expressway, eastbound, between exits 51 and 52. Pick up the brochures they will have.
~Del Vino Vineyards, Northport, Long Island: there's no picking of grapes here, but if you want great Italian food, unique wine made right from their very own vineyard and entertainment, this is the place.
~Lewin Farms in Calverton, Long Island is a huge operation. With over 1100 acres, it seems to dominate the LI scene but there are other farms. From May to October, you can pick berries, peaches, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, pumpkins and of course, apples. Because of the variety of produce, they have several locations, with the apple orchard in a different location than the farmstand. For the apples, they charge by the pound (whatever you can carry). You can bring your own bags and they sell the old fashioned wooden baskets.
~Nearby is Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard, a fun filled vineyard (check the website for live music) complete with horse rides. Combine Lewin and Baiting Hollow (with the nearby Tanger Outlets in Riverhead) and you have a day trip guaranteed to please all ages in the family.
~Other farms and vineyards in the area (and they will let you know by the homemade signs along the way) are listed on longisland.com.
For some reason, many people from other states are quite surprised to know that the majority of the land mass of New York State is actually quite rural. NYS is one of the leading dairy producers (one of the top 5 in the US) along with corn, hay, maple syrup and surprise: cabbage. We also produce grapes for wines. Major wineries are located on Long Island, and in every single region above The Bronx.
Upstate New York (these areas are called upstate to those who live in New York City and Long Island): Hudson Valley Region, Finger Lakes Region, the Catskills Region and the Thousand Islands Region will get you started leaf peeping as well as exploring the wine trails and picking apples. Feeling adventurous? Continue all the way up I-87, The New York State Thruway to near the Canadian border. Ditto for the areas near and past Niagara Falls.
Driving tours are popular for us. From NYC, take the George Washington Bridge from New York to New Jersey and follow the signs for the Palisades Interstate Parkway. Look for signs along the parkway for scenic overlooks and get ready for amazing views of New York across the Hudson River. Are you ambitious? If someone else is driving, you can actually hike along the trail along the river and have that person meet you at the next overlook. What an adventure?
As you keep driving, you will end up back across the state line into New York State. Keep driving until you reach Seven Lakes State Park, a nice winding drive that will have you pulling off into some of the parking lots to stop and take more photos.
Spooky Fall Fun: Tarrytown is so well-known from Washington Irving's description in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," that the village of North Tarrytown is now called Sleepy Hollow. You can also head to Beacon, NY, and Kingston, NY for more autumn activities.
Frequently landing on lists of places to visit in New York is New Paltz. It seems to have everything if you want just a quick visit to a small town: a local university known for the arts; a quirky, bohemian Main Street with lots of shops, boutiques, bistros and galleries; and a state park complete with a lake and a waterfall (Minnewaska State Park). A rail trail goes through town as well as several roads that lead to farms and wineries.
~Masker Orchards, in Warwick, NY, over 100 years old, seems to have perfected the quintessential day in the "country." You can picnic within the orchard. There are "parking lots" but some areas of the orchard are wide enough for cars to park within the rows of the trees themselves. They charge a flat rate per bag picked (they provide the bags). On the bag itself is a map of the orchards (it helps to know your species of apples).
In the Family Fun Area was a full scale "festival:" country store, pony rides, haunted house, apple maze, face painting, pizza, apple pies, pumpkins, and, hallelujah, rest rooms. By the way, be prepared to have your car checked for bootleg apples. They mean what they say about paying on your way out. No honor system here.
~Dubois Farms in Highland, NY (Hudson Valley area) offers more than apple picking. Get ready for juicy grapes, sweet pears, other vegetables and a pumpkin or two to fill your wagon (available for rent). Since you weigh out in the barn, there is no checking of cars as you exit. Just show your receipt at the gate to the parking lot and you will be free to go.
In between, stock up on the usual orchard fare: apple cider donuts, apple cider, barbecue snacks, even hard cider. When the kids get restless, they can romp in the play area of little houses, take a pony ride or simply run around in the field. Picking grapes, the huge variety of apples and the ample parking make this orchard a favorite.
Warwick Winery and Distillery is a fine example of a combo winery, distillery, apple orchard, farm stand, cafe, wine tasting, food truck and garden. Bring a blanket or chair and plan to stay all day. You absolutely will want to: music, places for kids to run around and enough apple orchards to last through the season.
~Further up Route 17 or I-87, depending on how fast you want to get there, are several farms in New Paltz. The benefit of these farms is the proximity to several vineyards, Minnewaska State Park and the charming town of New Paltz itself, with its funky college vibe and historical French Huguenot houses.
Apple Hill Farm and Dressel Farms are all good, they all have family fun.
Take a train ride in the Catskills (and visit Kingston, NY, while you're there)
When to go: Brilliant fall colors are dependent on various climate factors during the summer. Late August and early September give good indicators when foliage will reach peak colors and how vibrant the leaves will be. Cool summer weather might lead to less than fantastic colors. Hot wet summers, a gradual cooling September and later frosts might yield great color. A rainy windy and cold September might knock the leaves off sooner without them giving their full potential of color. Use a weather website and fall foliage maps to help you plan. Leaves change color and reach peak anytime from mid-September to late October.
What else to do: After sightseeing, enjoy the areas where the leaves are: farms, orchards, wineries, antique shops. Follow the signs for wine trails and you could stay for entire weekend. Activities at local farms include "u-pick-ur" own produce (pick your own), with hay rides, mazes, pumpkin patches, face painting, booths, homemade jam, cider and baked goods, hot corn and baked potatoes (see below). Our favorite towns: Ithaca, New Paltz, Kingston, Cooperstown, Clayton, Clinton.
NYC Traveler Tip: In every region, be prepared for the traffic. Between the outlets, vineyards, farms and every day life on the week-ends (school football games, etc), my suggestion is to be at the farm by 10AM. When you are ready to leave around 12 noon, you will see the crowd heading in and you'll be glad you got there early. If you stay later, bring your patience!
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All photos and videos created and copyrighted by Marcia Crayton, unless otherwise noted.
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