Crisp air. Crunchy leaves. Fall is a magical season. Temperatures are just right for hiking, biking and outdoor adventure. There’s vibrant color everywhere and honking geese overhead. It’s the season of apple cider donuts, pumpkin spice, and of course, Halloween! Maybe that’s why fall has eclipsed summer as the busiest time of year at our parks and historic sites? For your consideration and enjoyment, our seasonal outdoor fun experts have returned to help you squeeze every last drop out of this delightful season!
Leaf Peeping: A Towering Experience
Leaf peeping is right up there with pumpkin spice lattes and cozy wool sweaters as a quintessential fall activity. When the temperature starts dropping and autumn begins to show its true colors, many New Yorkers converge on their local state parks for the chance to see beautiful yellow, orange, and red vistas up close and personal. Whether you’re an avid hiker or a weekend trail walker, fall is the perfect season to get outside and enjoy the 2000+ miles of state park trails.
Unlike in the height of summer, you’re far less likely to be breaking a sweat in autumn thanks to the cooler temperatures and fall breezes – perfect if you plan on climbing a fire tower. At Grafton Lakes State Park, the Dickinson Hill Fire Tower allows you to get high up above the tree line for a panoramic view of the park and surrounding mountain ranges. From this vantage point, you can see parts of the Adirondack, Catskill and Taconic Mountains on a clear day.
Another option for those looking to get high above the trees is Allegany State Park. Comprised of more than 65,000 acres, this park is a fall foliage paradise! With three fire towers, covered bridges, and a spider’s web of trails scattering the park, there are so many opportunities to frolic, pedal, and even gallop through a technicolor forest of leaves.
Other state parks popular for their flashy foliage include Chittenango Falls State Park in Cazenovia with its winding wooded paths leading to the falls, Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie offering sky-high views of the Hudson River, and Stony Brook State Park in Dansville with trails that take you through and around a rugged gorge.
Share your leaf peeping adventures with us on our Share Your Story submission page and be sure to tag @NYStateParks in your fall photos on social media.
– Written by Jennifer Robilotto, Public Affairs Assistant
Get Off Your Feet: All You Can Handle [bar]
Go for a spin this fall and discover the scenic biking trails at New York State Parks. Biking is a great, low-impact exercise to enjoy with family and friends and a picturesque way to experience fall foliage in New York State. With so many trails to choose from, here are a few destinations from around the state worth exploring this fall.
Starting in Western New York at that state’s largest state park, Allegany State Park boasts year-round adventure, and biking is no exception. The 5.2-mile bike path at Allegany’s Quaker Run Area runs through woodlands, across streams and other natural features, connecting with trailheads, cabin and cottage trails, and other park amenities along the way to the popular Quaker Lake.
Heading towards Niagara Falls, the West River Shoreline Trail on Grand Island begins at Buckhorn Island State Park and stretches 8 miles alongside West River Road with expansive views of the Niagara River until Beaver Island State Park. Both parks are also listed on the NYS Birding Trail, so pack some binoculars and keep your eyes open!
Just across the river, the 4-mile Niagara Scenic Parkway Trail begins in downtown Niagara Falls and heads north, winding along the Niagara River through DeVeaux Woods State Park, Whirlpool State Park and Devil’s Hole State Park. The parks offer scenic overlooks of the gorge, picnic area, and access to the Niagara Gorge hiking trail system if you’re looking to add on to your excursion.
For those looking for a longer adventure, the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park is a 90-mile open space corridor that follows the route of old Canalway and railway beds from Rochester down to Hinsdale. The Greenway passes through woodlands, wetlands, river and stream valleys, rolling farmlands and steep gorges – an ideal backdrop for a fall adventure! Historic features along the trail include locks, old railway bridges and bridge abutments and historic villages with interpretive signage provided along the trail at key locations.
In the Finger Lakes, the Black Diamond Trail in Ithaca travels along the western slope of Cayuga Lake. The converted 8.4-mile railroad bed has a stone dust surface and tree-lined trail, making it a pleasure to ride and connect to some amazing waterfalls and gorges including Taughannock Falls State Park.
If you’re in the Syracuse/Rome area, Old Erie Canal State Park is a 36-mile stretch of the 363-mile Old Erie Canal, which has been designated a National Recreational Trail by the National Parks Service. The terrain is woodland and wetland and includes several areas with footbridges that aid access to the canal towpath where visitors can view the remnants of stone aqueducts. The park also passes through Green Lakes State Park and the Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum.
Further north, the Black River Trail in Watertown offers a 4.5-mile paved trail with scenic views along the Black River. A former railbed, the majority of the path is a gentle grade and is a great path for beginner cyclists.
The newly completed expansion of the North-South Road Multi-use Path at Saratoga Spa State Park in the Capital Region creates a roughly 3.2-mile loop. The trail connects the Roosevelt Drive Corridor and scenic Avenue of the Pines with the East-West Road and access to the greater City of Saratoga.
A 90-minute drive from New York City in the Shawangunk Mountain ridge, Minnewaska State Park Preserve offers over 35 miles of carriage roads to explore. The park features numerous waterfalls, three crystalline sky lakes, hardwood forests and beautiful views of the surrounding valley.
Traveling further south into the Hudson Valley, the Nyack Beach Bikeway at Hook Mountain is a flat, scenic trail that runs right along the Hudson River at sea level. The trail provides for great views of the Hudson River and Palisades Cliffs rock formations. Parking is available at Nyack Beach State Park and there is also a paved connection to Rockland Lake State Park. The northern section, known as the Haverstraw River Trail, is hillier and narrower and is recommended for more experienced cyclists.
The Hubbard-Perkins loop in Fahnestock State Park is a 9.5-mile multi-use trail that offers picturesque mountain biking with the trail weaving through old stone property walls and roads. Fun fact: four of the trail bridges were designed and constructed through a partnership with cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point as part of a civil engineering course.
Shirley Chisholm State Park in Brooklyn offers 10 miles of paths with amazing vistas of the New York City skyline and surrounding Jamaica Bay. The park has its own free bike loan program available Thursdays through Sundays. The bike loan program ends for the year on October 27.
Long Island’s Belmont Lake State Park includes a 4.2-mile path for both biking and hiking that follows Carll’s Creek south to the Great South Bay.
Do you know about our Centennial Challenge? To celebrate the New York State Parks Centennial, we’ve come up with a list of 100 activities to give you a chance to get outdoors and discover our state parks and historic sites. Complete 24 activities and you’ll earn a commemorative Centennial prize, as well as an entry into a random drawing for one of 24 three-year Empire Passes and a Centennial swag bag.
–Written by Tyler Wilcox, Community Relations Representative
Apples, Spice and Everything Fright
From harvest festivals to haunted happenings, our state parks and historic sites are full of autumnal magic, offering trick-or-treating, ghost stories, seasonal crafts, and walks and hikes through the wonders of fall. Explore all of our fall activities from the start of the season to Thanksgiving, or go straight to the spooky stuff.
The Fall Bird Migration Takes Wing
As we enjoy the fall colors, one of nature’s most epic dramas plays out in the skies. Billions of birds fly south for the winter, and thousands of bird watchers flock to our parks and historic sites to watch them go! We’ll also be welcoming a smaller number of birds like the tundra swan – hearty northerners who are wintering in the (relatively) balmy climes of New York.
If you’re new to birding and want to see what everyone’s chirping about, or if you prefer to go in a gaggle, check out one of the birding events at a park or historic site. But you can also participate in the joy and excitement of the fall migration on the fly. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology produces a daily map to let you know when it’s busiest in your area. Download Cornell’s free Merlin app and identify the birds you observe by sight and sound. Mark your calendars for October 12 and take part in annual “Big Day” or “Big Sit” observation events. The premise of both types of events is to record every bird you see while you’re taking part and submit your observations to Cornell’s eBird citizen science project. During “Big Day” events, birders walk around an assigned area. “Big Sit” participants perch in one spot as they scan the skies and trees. Big Sit events often turn into a birding tailgating party, with birders sharing snacks and swapping stories.
Bird populations are facing a disturbing decline, with an estimated 2.9 billion fewer birds today than in 1970. If you want to help, there are seven simple steps you can take. It’s especially important to help their migration this time of year. Dim your exterior lights at night to help birds navigate. Applying decals to large windows at your home or office to prevent bird strikes, which kill countless numbers of birds annually.
The annual fall migration has inspired a sense of wonder and awe for millennia. Take a moment to look up this fall!
Fall for New York State History
Fall is a great time to connect with the rich history of New York. October 12-14 is the annual I Love NY Path Through History weekend, with tours, festivals, performances, exhibits and other special events at historic sites statewide. But all season long, our 37 historic sites are presenting activities, exhibits, programs and events to help you explore, appreciate, and connect with four centuries of state history through the eyes of all those who lived it.
Here are just a few ways to experience New York’s history this fall:
- Get in the “spirit” at Hyde Hall State Historic Site in Cooperstown with “Hyde & Shriek! Candlelight Ghost Tours” in October
- Take a tasty tour of Bennington Battlefield in Walloomsac with their Cider and Donuts Tour.
- Explore the authentic 1887 schoolhouse, try out traditional games and activities, and explore the grounds of Lorenzo State Historic Site in Cazenovia on Sensory Saturdays.
- Hike through history, make new friends, and complete the 41 Mile Challenge at Old Croton Aqueduct in the Hudson Valley.
- Get a new perspective on favorite sites through the new visitor’s center at Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River on Long Island and new interpretive signs at Herkimer Home State Historic Site in Little Falls.
- Go on a quest to help quell the ghosts of Clermont State Historic Site in Germantown.
- Attend the annual commemoration of the 1794 Canandaigua Treaty between the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and the new United States. The nearby Ganondagan State Historic Site in Victor participates in the commemoration and is open year-round.
–Written by Kate Jenkins, Digital Content Specialist
Capture The Fall Feeling
Though the temperature is starting to drop, our parks are as beautiful as ever! Folks come from far and wide to get snapshots of fall foliage, scenic landscapes, and flora and fauna amongst the colorful leaves. State parks and historic sites are the perfect spots to capture some memories with family and friends. We have a variety of properties that make the perfect backgrounds for your next shoot. We’ll ‘leave’ you with some inspiration for your own photos.
– Written by Jewel Slade, Marketing Specialist
New York State Parks and Historic Sites Blog 