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8 Insanely Beautiful Destinations for Fall Foliage in New York

It’s about that time of year again, fall is around the corner and it’s about time we start planning where we would like to enjoy fall foliage this year. Unfortunately, concrete jungles don’t offer too many lead peeping locations. Luckily for you, however, the specialists at our limo service in Long Island have done some scrounging and managed to compile a list of several locations in and around the Big Apple where you will get to enjoy the fall foliage.

However, before we share these unlikely locations, we would like to recommend contracting the services of our Bronx Car Service for all your leaf-peeping excursions this fall. Fall is a time for relaxation; a time to lay back and enjoy the company of your family/friends and take in the beauty that is this season. Our trusted chauffeurs have been trained in the art of hospitality and will go above and beyond to guarantee that your experience with us is nothing short of satisfactory. Now, let us have a look at some of the elusive leaf-peeping locations in New York.

Capital Saratoga Region

The Capital Saratoga Region is located in Saratoga Springs. Here you will get a chance to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage at the John Boyd Thacher State Park overlook, which offers amazing views of the Southern Adirondacks and the Hudson-Mohawk lowlands. Additionally, the State Park itself has hundreds of camping sites if you would like to stay awhile, so go ahead and dust off that tent this fall and head over to Saratoga Springs.

Central Park

In all truthfulness, it would not be unfair to complete this list without mentioning Central Park, don’t you agree? This is a NYC monument and it deserves some acknowledgment. This is perhaps the only location within the city where you can enjoy fall foliage to the fullest extent. We recommend starting your leaf-peeping excursion at the Conservatory Water close to 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Here you will be able to spot bright hawthorn trees. Continue your adventure and head towards the middle of the park where you will find a large Tupelo Trees at Tupelo Meadow. From here proceed towards the Ravine where you will find brightly colored oaks, red maple, and black cherry. Note, however, if you are not feeling adventurous enough to wander the park on your own, you can always book a private fall foliage tour. 

Thousand Islands Seaway

Head over to Alexandria Bay and make your way to Scenic View Park overlooking the island’s lavish neighborhood known as Millionaire’s Row. This is a perfect vantage point for viewing the famous Boldt Castle as well as beautiful foliage from an aerial view; the scenery from up here is truly magical and every New Yorker should visit at least once.

Prospect Park

Prospect Park is an Urban Park found in Brooklyn. Visit this 200-Hectare expanse and witness a myriad of trees change with the season. Most of the trees at Prospect Park are Red and Sugar Maples, which are continually changing color from orange to red. Later into the season, trees such as sour gum, elm, and sassafras will begin displaying their own bright colors, so it will be an all-season color show at Prospect Park, there is no excuse for not attending.

Greenbelt Nature Center

The Greenbelt Nature Center in Staten Island can be found along Rockland Avenue. The center consists of 2,500 acres of interconnected woodlands. Here you will get to enjoy more than 30 miles of trails through the woods. Begin your expedition at the Nature Center; pick up a map or download one online before getting to the center. You can choose to take the 7-mile Yellow Trail that passes by the Moses’ Mountain, created from debris from Robert Moses’s failed highway construction through this area. From this 250-foot hill, you get to enjoy panoramic views of colorful treetops including sweetgum, oaks, sassafras, red maple, and many more.

New York Botanical Garden

The New York Botanical Garden is located in the Southern Boulevard of the Bronx. If you want to capitalize on you leaf-peeping excursion here, we recommend that you visit the Thain Family Forest. This 250-acre garden is perhaps the city’s largest patch of trees including numerous oaks, tulip, and red maple. Keep your eyes peeled, look out for the sweet gums whose leaves turn purple and red; also look out for tannins which display shades of red and orange. Traditionally there have been Fall Forest Weekends, where visitors enjoy free fall foliage tours, so be on the lookout for these opportunities too. 

Wave Hill

You will find Wave Hill in the Bronx and as soon as you step into this cultural center you will be able to see evidence of fall foliage right from the main entrance. However, the foliage is best viewed from under the trees as the sun shines down through the gilded leaves. Trees you can expect to see here include sweet and sour, maples, tulip trees, and black birch. If this is still not enough for you, make your way to Wave Hill's eight-acre woodland and enjoy the hickory and sugar maple color show.

Shawangunk Mountains Scenic Byway

Undoubtedly, the above locations put on a great show throughout fall, but about 90 miles from the city you will find the Shawangunk Mountains Scenic Byway. The byway is an 88-mile trail that runs from New Paltz and Kerhonkson. This scenic trail offers drivers some of New York’s, and perhaps the United States, most picturesque fall views, with rusting mountains and farmlands. Leaf spotting only gets better as you ascend the Shawangunk Mountains, which go up as high as 2,000 feet above sea level. On the byway, you will go past two consecutive overlooks, each with amazing views of the Catskill Mountains and the Rondout Valley. If you get tired from driving, you can always stop by the Minnewaska State Park Preserve and stretch your legs for a while.


Posted on Jul 29 2019

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