Great places to see fall leaves in NYC

Where to find beautiful foliage in the five boroughs.

By Michelle Hainer and Allison Williams Tue Sep 7 2010

In the city
Outside the city
Leaf guide

Bear Mountain
This state park (nysparks.com) may be known more for its toys, like the ice-skating rink and merry-go-round, but it's also the site of one of the best leafy vistas this side of the Catskills. The Short Line bus (coachusa.com) has a $27 round-trip ticket ($13 for children under 12), for a trip under two hours. And of course, you can always ride that carousel.
How long you need: All day

Cold Spring
The hour-long Metro-North trip up the Hudson is a scenic one—Empire State Development's "chief leaf peeper," Eric Scheffel, recommends sitting on the left (west) side of the train on the way up (coldspringny.gov).
How long you need: All day or overnight

Indian Ladder Farms
A half-hour drive west of Albany, this mountainous farm (indianladderfarms.com) sits under the Helderberg Escarpment, a rocky cliff that complements the acres of trees around it. You can pick your own apples—Fuji and Rome hit their peak at the end of October—and an on-site caf gives you something to do after taking in the scenery.
How long you need: Overnight