The Northeast charms visitors in every season, although autumn ranks as its best due to the fiery foliage colors that adorn treelines everywhere. While Vermont remains the most-trafficked state for leaf-peeping, there’s plenty of fabulous foliage to be seen in the peak month of October (and lasting through November) all over the Northeast, even close to its biggest cities. For the best foliage-filled adventures within reach of Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia hotels, check out the following urban parks and day-trips by rental car. For up-to-date leaf color-changing reports, consult this handy foliage map of the Northeast.
On Your Boston Vacation
There are several beautiful foliage spots near the city. The lush area of Jamaica Plain, located six miles from Downtown Boston, is home to the Harvard-maintained Arnold Arboretum, where autumn colors come alive on more than 14,000 varieties of trees. Further afield of Boston, Concord–only a half hour’s drive northwest of the city–is a great starting point for several leaf-peeping excursions. You can paddle the Concrord River north through the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, hike the scenic tree-lined trails that inspired Thoreau at Walden Pond State Reservation, or drive east towards Lexington (take State road 2A) or south towards Sudbury (take Sudbury Road/Concord Road) for sublime foliage routes and historic sites. Also north of Boston are several beautiful waterfront locales with dazzling foliage displays. Check out the Cape Ann area (along State Roads 127, 128, 133, and 1A), especially Halibut Point State Park on the Atlantic coast and Maudslay State Park on the shores of the Merrimack River, both of which offer lovely paths for walking, cycling, and in the case of Maudsley, horseback riding.
For a slightly more extended road trip, head to Rhode Island. The tiny state to the south of Massachusetts boasts wonderful foliage that can be seen on a one-day trip from Boston. Several areas of natural interest include Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge for bird watching and leaf-peeping, Burlingame State Park for brilliant canopies of oak and maple above myriad walking trails, Great Swamp Wildlife Management Area for wetlands dotted with dazzling red maples, and Blackstone River State Park for hiking, biking, canoeing in countryside dripping in oaks, maples, aspens, and birch. For foliage with a side of coastal charm, head to posh Newport, where fall colors enliven lavish mansions, as well as quaint Jamestown, whose location on Conanicut Island provides breathtaking views of Narragansett Bay in all its autumn glory. The Rhode Island Coastal Wine Trail is also a great bet if sampling local varietals is your thing. Starting in Westerley, the 170-mile trail includes eight wineries with free tours, affordable tastings, and amazing views of ambers, rubies, and golds throughout the landscape.
On Your New York City Vacation
For proof that even the densest concrete jungle has some of the best leaf-peeping spots, head to one of the city’s beautiful, expansive parks. In Manhattan, Central Park’s 25,000 trees turn to dazzling russets, reds, oranges, and yellows in fall. The top of Belvedere Castle, the medieval fortress-style weather station overlooking the Great Lawn, is a great vantage point; a stroll around the reservoir is an iconic New York experience, or for a more secluded jaunt, walk around the park’s northern half starting around 100th Street toward Harlem Meer. Brooklyn’s Prospect Park is ideal for picnicking beneath the colorful oaks, tulip trees, sweet gums, or the iconic camperdown elm beside the Japanese Pagoda. The trees lining the walking, cycling, and horseback riding paths in Queens’ serene Forest Park are also ablaze in autumn hues.
The Hudson River Valley and Catskill Mountains lie within a couple hours’ drive north of the city and provide even more beautiful spots for viewing fall colors up close–and offer many harvest festivals, apple-picking orchards and cider mills, historic mansions, and charming towns, to boot. Along the river, the Kykuit Rockefeller Estate, Vanderbilt Mansion, Home of FDR National Historic Site, Lyndhurst estate, and Boscobel mansion offer jaw-dropping architecture, gardens, and forested grounds. River Road (a.k.a. Country Road 103), from Rhinebeck to Annandale-on-Hudson, is a foliage-filled driving and bike route connecting two of the area’s quaintest towns. For great hiking with tons of leaf-peeping opportunities, head to Harriman State Park and the adjacent Bear Mountain State Park. The recently-profiled Storm King Art Center is also a fantastic bet, as the spectacular fall landscape serves as the perfect backdrop for its outdoor sculptures specifically designed to capture seasonal shifts in light and color. For a relaxing voyage along the river with breathtaking foliage views, board the Pride of the Hudson at Newburgh Landing for a two-hour tour of Hudson Valley’s famed scenery. Further north, in the Catskills, travel Route 28 from Kingston to Cooperstown, stroll in Sam’s Point Dwarf Pine Ridge Preserve in Ellenville, take in the majestic Kaaterskill Falls, hike to the summit of Hunter Mountain, and circle the Ashokan Reservoir for the most picturesque foliage spots.
On Your Philadelphia Vacation
In the city itself, Fairmount Park’s bike paths and wilderness trails are the perfect places for leaf-peeping. The park contains many acres of native forest, with the most scenic areas along the Schuylkill River (for city skyline and foliage vistas) and around the Wissahickon Creek Gorge further north. West of the city lies Pennsylvania Dutch Country (a.k.a. Amish Country), a pastoral paradise with a rich cultural tradition and beautiful fall foliage; read up on the region’s best sites in my recent profile of the area. Within an hour north of Philadelphia, Bucks County is a foliage-filled wonderland of covered bridges, historic towns, and wooded hillsides. A drive along River Road (Route 32) from Washington Crossing to New Hope is a great day-trip from the city. Along the way, you’ll enjoy gorgeous countryside and views of the colorful Delaware River shoreline before exploring the shops and eateries of artists’ colony New Hope. Also in Bucks County, outdoor lovers thrill to Nockamixon State Park’s lakeside trails and Delaware Canal State Park 60-mile hiking and biking path along the river.
Also close to Philly is Montgomery County, home to Valley Forge National Historical Park, where George Washington’s army famously spent the winter of 1777-78. The park’s 3,600 acres of lush woods, hiking trails, and bike paths provide an idyllic venue to take in colorful canopies. A bit further from the city (but doable as a day trip) is the resort-rich Poconos, whose low-lying mountains offer plenty of outdoor adventures and exceptional foliage. The region’s parks–especially the Delaware Gap National Recreation Area, Lehigh River Gorge State Park, and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary–boast excellent hiking, cycling, rafting, and wildlife viewing opportunities. Scranton, situated n the heart of the region, serves as a jumping-off point for several foliage driving routes, particularly State Road 191 heading east from Scranton, as well as State Road 309 and Highway 6 heading west from town.
Image credits from Flickr Creative Commons: rainbow hues by Ben McLeod; Walden Pond by karrie_amelia; Rhode Island foliage by *mvh; Central Park by maartyn; Storm King landscape by goldfish memory; Bucks County scene by thewriterbee; Valley Forge woods by Thiophene_Guy.
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