A Fall Foliage Guide to the Hudson Valley

This fall, we’re pulling out all the stops for our fellow leaf peepers!

In a special episode of Cidiot, we talked to Amy Zanne, chief scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, about the science behind why leaves turn—and why the Hudson Valley puts on such a show.

To make this bigger than ever, we teamed up with our friends at Kaatscast, the Catskills podcast, to release foliage episodes at the same time. Kaatscast is covering the west side of the Hudson; we’ve got the east. 

• Tune into Kaatscast here: Fall Foliage in the Catskills: Leaf Peeping with the Locals

Plus, James Cave of The Jiffy has his annual Leaf Watch Season underway, complete with a live-stream camera of a lucky leaf. Check out his coverage here or sign up for his award-winning newsletter and listen to his podcast all season long. 

When to Go

• I LOVE NY Fall Foliage Report (iloveny.com/foliage) - The go-to interactive map for tracking when things are turning (and where) across the state
• Fall Foliage Prediction Map - Originally built by David Angotti, this second well-regarded resource is now at explorefall.com. There’s also a great companion blog.
  
  

Where To Go

Since Kaatscast has the Catskills covered, here's where to get your foliage fix on the east side of the river.

• Article: Across the valley: “20 Breathtaking Fall Hikes to Take in the Hudson Valley” (Hudson Valley Magazine)

Putnam County

• Ninham Fire Tower (Carmel) — 82.5-ft tower, 360° views, easy climb, popular with hikers/bikers/horseback riders too

• Wonder Lake State Park (Patterson) — secluded lake with technicolor reflections

• Hudson Highlands State Park (Cold Spring) — 8,000+ acres, sweeping Hudson River views, Breakneck Ridge nearby

• Putnam County Trailway — bike the rail trail along Mahopac's waterfront

• Bonus oddball stop: Chuang Yen Monastery (Kent) — Buddhist temple grounds shrouded in fall color, weekend vegetarian lunch open to visitors

Dutchess County

• Stissing Mountain (Pine Plains) — 1,400-ft standalone peak with a fire tower, huge views

• Whaley Lake (Pawling), along the Maybrook/East-of-Hudson rail trail — great for a bike-and-photo stop, pair with lunch in Pawling

• Walkway Over the Hudson (Poughkeepsie) — the pedestrian bridge spanning the river, connects to Ulster

• Staatsburgh State Historic Site and Ferncliff Forest (Rhinebeck area) — historic-house-plus-foliage combo

Columbia County

• The Albany–Hudson Electric Trail— rolling hills between Kinderhook, Nassau, Hudson, with views into the Catskills and the Hudson Valley; passes Rossman, Stuyvesant, and Valatie Falls

• Olana State Historic Site (Hudson) — Frederic Church's home, arguably the single most iconic Hudson Valley foliage-plus-river view in the region — this feels like a must for the episode

• Samascott Orchards (Kinderhook) — good "combine with apple picking" stop near the AHET

• Klocke Estate (Claverack) — Restaurant and distillery with killer views in all directions around

However, and wherever, you spend your fall, I hope you'll tune into the episode, tag Cidiot in your leaf-peeping photos, and let us know your favorite spots. 

Photo credit: The Cary Institute