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If you've been looking for an excuse to plan that annual upstate escape, here's one: the Adirondacks have officially claimed the title of America's top fall foliage destination for 2026.
Travel booking platform Priceline ranked New York's sprawling mountain region as the top place in the U.S. to see fall colors this year, based on hotel search data for destinations travelers are eyeing between early and late October. The Adirondacks beat out perennial autumn favorites including Oregon's Columbia River Gorge, Aspen, Colorado and Stowe, Vermont.
Covering roughly 6 million acres, the Adirondack Park is the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States, with a fall color season that can stretch from late September through the end of November. Depending on when you visit, you'll find crimson maples at higher elevations giving way to golden valleys and fiery forests across the region's lakes, mountains and small towns.
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There are also plenty of ways to soak it all in besides simply pulling over every few miles to admire the view: cyclists can take on the 34-mile Adirondack Rail Trail connecting Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake, while Revolution Rail Co. offers railbike excursions through the changing forest. If you prefer a bird's-eye perspective, you can ride the gondolas at Whiteface or Gore Mountain, soar above the trees in a hot air balloon over Lake George with SunKiss Ballooning or zipline alongside the Olympic ski jumps at the Olympic Jumping Complex.
Hikers can climb Mount Haystack or Ampersand Mountain for panoramic views, while shorter hikes up Coney Mountain or Mount Arab deliver rewarding views without an all-day commitment. If sitting back and letting someone else do the driving sounds more appealing, the Adirondack Scenic Railroad's five-hour Fall Getaway winds through some of the region's most colorful landscapes, and scenic drives along the Whiteface Mountain Veterans' Memorial Highway and Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway offer plenty of postcard-worthy overlooks.
Of course, one day is rarely enough. Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa in Lake Placid and the historic Hotel Saranac make comfortable home bases for a weekend, but if you’re looking to splurge, The Point Resort delivers one of the state's most luxurious autumn stays on the shores of Upper Saranac Lake.
If you're hoping to time your trip perfectly, keep an eye on I Love NY's weekly Fall Foliage Report, which tracks color changes across the state throughout the season. After all, the only thing better than seeing peak foliage is actually catching it at its peak.