Fall has officially arrived, as today, September 22nd, marks the first day of the season! Fall means crisp air, apple picking, carving pumpkins, and beautiful changing leaves all around. Driving around to view and photograph the colorful bundles of trees is a favorite past time for many Capital Region residents. We have gathered a few of our favorite spots and created a local guide to fall foliage views near Saratoga County.
The Albany Pine Bush Reserve is located less than 40 miles from Saratoga County, just outside of downtown Albany. The reserve attracts visitors all year round with free admission and several outdoor activities including hiking, birdwatching, biking, and leaf peeping. Explore one of the reserve’s family-friendly trails, experience new plants and animals, and see plenty of changing leaves along the way. In past years, they have offered fall foliage hikes for groups to sign up, so be on the lookout for similar events this year.
You don’t have to travel far from Saratoga County for this one. Congress Park is another great Capital region spot to view fall foliage. You can take a walk on the path and see the Spirit of Life Memorial or explore one of the trails around the park. After taking a stroll to see the beautiful changing leaves, you can even take a ride on the carousel, which is a popular landmark among local Saratogians.
Grafton Lakes State Park located in the town of Grafton, NY offers incredible fall foliage views near Saratoga County. When visiting the park, you can either sit, relax, and enjoy the changing leaves across the lake or hike along one of the trails and see them along the way. They have trails ranging from .5 mile to 3 miles long designated for various levels of experience. In the past they have held group hikes to the fire tower to see the beautiful autumn leaves, so be sure to stay on the lookout for future events.
Moreau Lake State Park is in Gansevoort, which is just 20 minutes away from Saratoga, NY. The Park has over 30 miles of hiking trails for various experience levels and covers over 5,300 acres. The Western Ridge Trail is a local favorite, spanning 5.93 miles. The hike leads to many scenic overlooks to stop and take in the foliage.
Peebles Island State Park is another great spot for fall foliage views near Saratoga County. The park is well known in the Capital region for having incredible views of both the Hudson and Mohawk River. When Autumn arrives, it’s the perfect spot to watch the leaves surrounding the rivers change from one vibrant color to the next. If you feel like being active, you can choose from the miles of paths in the park that offer observation areas along the way.
Prospect Mountain and Lake George
Prospect Mountain lies around 40 miles outside of Saratoga, NY. It is another favorite spot of the locals for fall foliage views near Saratoga County. You can hike up the summits to see the marvelous views of colorful tree clusters, or if you don’t want to hike you can drive instead. Take a drive on the Veterans Memorial Highway to see the views from your car window instead!
Thacher State Park has more than 2,000 acres of land which features over 12 miles of hiking trails for hikers of all experience levels to enjoy. The park is open all year long but attracts quite a bit of attention during the fall season. Known for their fall foliage views, visitors come to take a scenic drive to enjoy the changing colors. Or you can also take one of the many hikes that bring you to waterfalls, cliffs, and more. Many of the hikes offer lookouts to see the view even better and even snap some photos.
The Catskills is another great spot for fall foliage views near Saratoga County. The Catskills has so many different spots to view the color changing leaves, it’s hard to just pick one. The foliage typically peaks around early to mid-October. Whether you want to take a scenic drive to capture some photos, or you’re feeling adventurous and want to go for a hike, there is a leaf peeping spot for everyone.