The Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Upstate New York This Fall
Sip on blueberry beer by a fire pit, blow your own glass, and watch for rare birds.
Is there anything dreamier than being able to say “I’m heading Upstate”? The results are in and the answer is a resounding no. Upstate New York is the stunning region that lies north and northwest of New York City. Replete with picturesque apple picking and leaf peeping in the fall, alongside cozy lodgings and exciting things to do year round, it’s a seemingly endless bucket list of getaway destinations, no matter the season. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the area is painfully gorgeous. From a blueberry farm equipped with its own treehouse to a sculpture garden and nature preserves, here are the most beautiful places to visit in Upstate New York.
West Falls
As evidenced by its TikTok popularity, Blueberry Treehouse Farm is the picturesque fall getaway city dwellers crave. Once a private blueberry farm for 35 years, owners Jyl and Rico Rivera opened the farm and cafe up to the public in 2015. In addition to picking berries (the season is from June to September), guests can hang out in the stunning treehouse space, walk along string light-lined pathways, cozy up by fire pits, play cornhole, and sip on seasonal drinks—many of which incorporate the surrounding fruit. Only open on the weekends during the fall, check out the events calendar for live music on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 to 8 pm. Even better, there’s no admission fee for the rest of the year, reservations aren’t required, and the entire property is dog-friendly.
Corning
The glass collections at this offbeat museum are intriguing, but it’s the striking 100,000-square-foot Contemporary Art and Design Wing that has visitors planning a trip to the Finger Lakes. Live glass-blowing demos are available daily, exhibitions on artwork like that from the most recent season of Blown Away, artist lectures, farmers markets, and the world’s most comprehensive collection of glass (55,000 objects from the last 35 centuries). A favorite of visitors? The make-your-own-glass experiences, which span from 15 minutes to an hour.
Falling Waters Preserve
Glasco
A two-hour car ride from NYC, Falling Waters Preserve in Ulster County is a small and lesser-known nature preserve devoid of the usual crowds that frequent popular trails. When here, expect to soak in the verdant environment and truly forest bathe in its expanse of trees as far as the eye can see. When hiking the Father Charles Jorn trail, you’ll stumble across a waterfall cascading down rock ledges before walking a bit further to the coastline for a mini beach and foliage views across the Hudson River. The preserve has fishing available and there are historical signposts on the trail detailing the remnants of an icehouse, which once stored ice blocks harvested off the Hudson for pre-refrigerator era shipment to NYC. Once you’ve had your fill, drive 10 minutes to the Village of Saugerties, a charming and walkable locale, for food and drink, independent shops, and a historic lighthouse.
Fishkill Creek
Beacon
Fishkill Creek is a tributary of the Hudson River and flows to a small estuary south of Beacon. The name comes from the Dutch translation for fish creek because of the abundance of alewife, white perch, and other fish species in its waters. At the far end of Main Street, with uniquely independent businesses like Hudson Valley Marshmallow Company and Beacon Bath and Bubble, your ears will know you’re near the river first before your vision comes upon a rush of water and a short cascading waterfall accessible across abandoned rail tracks. Enjoy views that open up to a truly beautiful landscape of trees, rocks, and foliage-covered mountains across the creek. It’s free and open year-round, so get nature pictures for the ‘gram with all of your seasonal outfits.
Derby
In the tiny, Lake Erie-based hamlet of Derby, travelers will find the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Graycliff, an estate designed for the architect’s benefactors the Martin family. Built between 1926 and 1931, the restored estate sits at the edge of the lake where the 70-foot limestone cliffs served as inspiration for Wright’s work. Go on a landscape tour of the property highlighting its gardens, pond, and the first floor of the main house. The property is open year-round, so book tours in advance for a lovely experience.
East Otto
In the 1960s, artist Larry Griffis got the idea to create what would become the first sculpture park in the US, while watching his children romp through the ruins of an emperor’s villa in Italy. Today, at Griffis Sculpture Park visitors can bike 10 miles of trails, cruising around woods, fields, ponds, and more than 250 sculptures arranged by themes like animals, figures, and castles. The sculpture park hosts annual events with art, food, drum circles, light installations, and more. Rent a bike from Tom’s Pro Bike in Buffalo to work up a sweat.
Ruth Reynolds Glunt Nature Preserve
Saugerties
Located on a sandbar in the Hudson River, this nature preserve in the Village of Saugerties is small but teeming with biodiversity: nesting bald eagles, ducks, and invasive species like the Eurasian water chestnut. With a spanning marshland and fairly deep sandy trail, bask in the serenity of the area with only the chirps of birds and the buzzing of insects to accompany you. Ten minutes away is the piece de resistance of the preserve, Saugerties Lighthouse, which is a structure atypical of conventional lighthouses that also doubles as a tiny accommodation for weekend stays. From the river deck, take in views of boaters and kayakers navigating the Hudson River and in the right season, gorgeous fall foliage is visible across the river.
The Secret Sidewalk
Rochester
A mile west of Ontario Beach Park in the little hamlet of Charlotte is the most idyllic street you’ve ever seen. Though it’s technically Rochester, it feels like you’ve landed in Monet’s Garden at Sainte-Adresse in northwestern France. The Secret Sidewalk is a public walkway, but the residents who live in the expansive lakefront homes from the early-20th century would rather prefer their slice of paradise remain off the tourist checklist. So, keep your cool, don’t take selfies, and just enjoy your Abbott’s Frozen Custard with the rest of the locals.
Amenia
Follow in the footsteps of Hemingway, Hughes, Thoreau, and Emerson, by visiting the Troutbeck—a timeless cool kids club for creatives, forest bathers, and those who appreciate laid-back luxury. Since 1765, the property has served as a country inn, a tavern, and the site of two meetings that would lead to the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In a new era of digital nomadism and workcations, it’s not the mountains that are calling, but this romantic 250-acre historic estate. The myriad book nooks are intoxicating; the farm-to-table restaurant alone merits the two-hour train ride; the wellness facility is like a shot of serotonin, and the activities are top-notch in any season—think tennis, swimming and riverside hammocks in summer, and ax throwing, falconry excursions, and après-ski in winter. Out of office or not, don’t be surprised to find yourself dabbling with a pen, pouring out pent-up thoughts onto paper, and sipping an Old Fashioned like it’s your job.
Fort Edward
Fly the coop to this 13,000-acre bird sanctuary near the historic Hudson River town of Fort Edward. The Washington Country Grasslands Important Bird Area (IBA) is a year-round birder’s paradise amidst picturesque farmland and rolling hills, and the critical grassland habitat is a riveting experience for expert and amateur ornithologists to view grassland birds. Among the more than 100 species that breed here are snowy owls, red-tailed hawks, Northern Harriers, and the state-endangered short-eared owl. Furthermore, the IBA does a great job of protecting grassland, biodiversity, and mitigating climate change by not releasing carbon during grassland fires. Walk the half-mile trail and take in 360-degree views from the observation deck and if you’re a keen ornithologist, there is a public access Alfred Z. Solomon Grassland Bird Viewing Area with acres of grassland habitat to spot threatened species. If you prefer, there are guided bird walks and tours available for reservation depending on the season.
Tupper Lake
Head to this 81-acre playground for nature lovers teeming with white pines and biodiversity. Nestled 45 feet up in the Adirondack forest at the Wild Center (the first LEED-certified museum in New York), this permanent High Line-inspired Wild Walk exhibit is open for reservations and is the only elevated tree-top trail in the state. Tower above ground from the special human-sized nest that gives a literal bird’s eye view of the forest canopy, take in the spectacular panorama from atop a four-story white pine (the tallest trees in the Adirondacks) while on the lookout for bald eagles or make like a superhero and suspend yourself on a web from the treetops. Don’t forget to spy the Snags—towering remnants of white pines struck and snapped off by lightning—that are home to biodiversity of the area.