3 Best Places To See Fall Foliage Near Syracuse
In Syracuse, summer had left as fast as it came and autumn approached silently. Leaves are becoming red, orange and gold, falling on the ground, and drifting by the windows. Instead of staying indoors and waiting for autumn to give way to winter, it’s better to step outside, see fall foliage and capture the beauty of nature. Don’t hesitate! The fall foliage season waits for no man.
New York State is one of the places where we can enjoy the most beautiful autumn. Whether we want to see the foliage from a hiking trail, on a rail or up in the air, we can find a ideal place to go. Here I will introduce three most scenic fall foliage destinations in NY State:
The first place I recommend is the Catskill Mountains. The Catskill Mountain region is a mixture of public and private land with 700,000 acres which occupies parts of four counties. It’s about 3 hours drive from Syracuse University. Though kind of far, we can spend our whole weekend there instead of spending it with our homework.
According to the New York Fall Foliage Report, the leaves in the Southern Catskills (Sullivan County and Kingston County) are expected to reach 65 percent of peak color this weekend. The Western Catskills of Delaware County will see nearly complete leaf transition and the color of the leaves will be at bright brilliance. And the good color of leaves is expected to be found in the lower elevations of the Northern Catskills of Greene County.
Besides hiking, fishing, camping and biking, one special activity we can choose is to take a train! Actually, there were Fall Foliage Trains opening last week, which unfortunately are not available now. However, other trains called “Pumpkin Patch Express Trains” are opening. The trains will not only take us to enjoy the views of colored leaves, but also allow us to pick pumpkins to take home. Do remember: Open on October 28-29, the trains depart at 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm and cost $18 to adults, $16 to seniors and $12 to youth. A real time-limited trip, isn’t it?
The second place you won’t miss is the Letchworth State Park. Known as the “Grand Canyon of the East,” the park lives up to its title. It is 14,350 acres large and open all year. It is about two hours and a half hours drive from Syracuse University—which takes less time compared to the Catskill Mountains.
It is reported that southern Livingston County (where the Letchworth State Park is located) has some brilliant fall colors and predicted to be near peak to view this weekend.
For the activities in Letchworth State Park, I recommend taking a hot air balloon tour. Though the price is high ($285 per person), we will be able to enjoy the fall foliage up in the air!
The last fall foliage destination is Taughannock Falls State Park. Located in the town of Ithaca, it’s about an hour and a half drive from Syracuse University and 25 minutes from Cornell University.
The predictor from New York Fall Foliage Report said that the foliage in Ithaca will be at its peak this weekend with 95 percent color change.
Though there are no special activities that I can recommend, I highly appreciate the scenery of the waterfall. At 215 feet, it exceeds the height of Niagara Falls! You can hike on the trails to enjoy the waterfall and fall foliage at the same time. Or maybe you can also visit Cornell University, one of the best Universities—after leaving the park.
