Get on a sprinter van rental in NYC and see the best fall foliage in New York state

FILED UNDER: General Bus Rentals NYC Tips and Tricks

 

 

 

There are places in New York state where you can go see the best fall foliage. You will need to venture outside of the NYC limits for this, but it will be worth it. So, get on a sprinter van rental in NYC and enjoy the splendid view of trees changing colors at any of these places:

 

 

 

1. Bear Mountain State Park & Hudson River Valley

 

Bear Mountain State Park is a huge park that is wonderful all year round but is just more breathtaking during the fall. The park gives you magnificent mountaintop views of the Hudson River Valley. Take Seven Lakes Drive up to Perkins Memorial Drive, where the winding road will lead you to Perkins Tower. You can watch the scenery unfold as you drive and you will see the forest become a sunset-colored one in the fall.

 

You can also hike up towards Anthony's Nose, the 899-foot-high peak of the Bear Mountain, where you can look straight down on Bear Mountain Bridge as well as on seemingly endless autumn views. The hike is moderate with a steep start and can last you from 1.5 hours to 2.5 hours, depending on where you start. You can go on the Camp Smith Trail, which is behind Bear Mountain Bridge Toll House.

 

Remember that peak season for the Hudson River Valley is on the third and fourth weeks of October, when the views are at their most splendid. We also suggest that you take a 2.5-hour Oktoberfest-theme cruise up the great Hudson River to Bear Mountain, which is available on weekends from Sept. 23 to Nov. 5.

 

2. Letchwork State Park in Castile, NYC

 

The 14,350-acre Letchwork State Park is called the "Grand Canyon of the East" and it has been recently named as the Best State Park in the country. It has a beautiful 17-mile gorge that flows down 600 feet to three waterfalls, and which is just doubly more gorgeous when surrounded by trees that burst in golden yellow, orange, red, burgundy, and purple during autumn.

 

You can hike along 66 miles of hiking trails, including the 7-mile Gorge Trail, and take in all the scenery. The park also offers many other amenities, including campsites, hot-air balloon rides, playgrounds, and athletic fields, as well as activities like whitewater rafting, cultural events, and performing arts programs.

 

3. Long Island

 

Long Island is a great destination not just during the summer, but in the fall, too. In fact, Long Island has state parks and preserves where you can take tons of breathtaking foliage photos that are more than Instagram-worthy!

 

You can also go to Sands Point Preserve in Port Washington and go down the marked nature trails through the lush woods, fields, and even to the beachfront along Long Island Sound.

 

You can also view the splendid fall foliage at Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, Garvies Point Preserve, Caumsett State Park, Avalon Park and Preserve, Bayard Cutting Arboretum, Laurel Lake Park and Preserve, Quoque Wildlife Refuge, Seats Bellows Suffolk County Park, and Hither Hills State Park.

 

And if you want to experience something different and do away with climbing up mountains and hiking on trails in the woods to witness the magic of autumn, you can go up New York State’s oldest lighthouse, the Montauk Point Lighthouse, to view the foliage from the oceanside.

 

4. The Catskills

 

Hop into a sprinter van rental in NYC and on a couple of hours' drive up north to the Catskills region, where you will see some of the best autumn views there are. You can head to the Catskill Forest Preserve, where various shades of fall await you. This state-owned scenic and ecological reserve is comprised of seven different mountainous areas and 300,000 acres of forests complete with lakes, meadows, springs, fire towers, cliffs, waterfalls, and wildlife.

 

You can also take a zipline adventure tour and glide through Hunter Mountain's forest canopy 600 feet above. The Hunter Mountain Zipline is North America's longest zipline ride. There's also a scenic skyride available via a six-passenger chairlift to Hunter Mountain's 3,200-foot summit. Through this, you can enjoy the magnificent views of the northern Catskills' high peaks, and you will be able to see the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts, too.

 

For leaf-rich views of the Hudson Valley, you can also hike up a steep couple of miles to Kaaterskill Falls, which is the state's tallest two-tier waterfall. This waterfall is in the eastern Catskill Mountains.

 

Other favorite venues for foliage spotters include Belleayre Mountain and Sam's Point Preserve.

 

5. Adirondacks Region

 

The Adirondacks region brings you one of the country's longest fall foliage seasons. It also has many of the most colorful spots in Upstate New York, where the leaf-peeping season starts early. Some areas in the region even hit 30-40% of their peak colors by mid-September.

 

The High Peaks Region of the Adirondacks, around Lake Placid, is one of the very first areas to show the rich colors of fall in Eastern U.S., thanks to its high elevation and northern latitude. In fact, the colors start changing as early as right after Labor Day as the days remain warm and the nights cool down.

 

The other best places to see foliage in the region include Lake George, Old Forge, Bolton Landing, Saratoga Springs, Indian Lake, Schroon Lake, Pottersville, Northville, and Queensbury.

 

Book a sprinter van rental in NYC for your fall foliage tour.