Maine, New England,
and Long Island Fall Foliage
Fall foliage trips are
very popular in Maine and in New England, as well as in the Long Island, New
York area. Of course Maine has the prettiest and brightest leaf-viewing
available, however, everyone may not be able to get as far North as Maine to
view the fall leaves.
Therefore, I will try to
expand your horizons so to speak by updating the very popular September, 2012
blog on Maine foliage only.
Maine
Foliage
For specific zones and forecasts
for leaf change in Maine, go to:
(There is an inferior
hyphen after the word fall.)
This site has a wealth of information that
will help you immensely in planning your Maine fall trip. Subjects covered
include: The Weekly Foliage Report; trip ideas; Maine scenic byways; fall
foliage hikes; and the best locations in their respective zones to view the best
colors.
In the 2012 blog it was
suggested by Gordon Page that the Maine Eastern Railroad in either direction is
a great way to see the foliage you won’t see from Route 1. Check out their
schedule. I believe it runs from Rockland to Brunswick. www.maineeasternrailroad.com.
This map from Yankee magazine gives you the New
England picture as far as leaf change goes. As you can see, the leaves are
still green. Keep this website:
in mind, however, to
keep up on the progression of leaf change so that you may plan your fall
foliage trip. This site also gives you an analysis of leaf change as well as
the foliage forecast in case you’re interested in the scientific end of things.
Three
Fall Foliage Destinations near Long Island, New York
If you are from out-of-state
and can’t make it up to Maine this year, perhaps you could plan a trip to one
of these great destinations which are all within easy driving distance to Long
Island, New York.
From www.newsday.com
For
Fall foliage trips near Long Island, you might consider these choices from
www.newsday.com
THE POCONOS
While the Poconos of northeast
Pennsylvania are the lowest-lying of the three areas, they still offer plenty
of fall scenery, most of it readily accessible from I-80. Where the Poconos
score highest, however, is in recreational opportunities, with an abundance of
activities such as golf, fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking and
white-water rafting that just isn't possible on steeper slopes and in narrower
valleys. And that's not to mention seasonal fairs, festivals and ongoing
entertainment options.
Upwardly mobile
Towering 1,000 feet over the
dramatic Delaware Water Gap on the Pennsylvania side is Mount Minsi. The 2-mile
(each way) trail, part of the Appalachian Trail, begins in the Lake Lenape
parking lot.
Walk in the woods
There are 8.5 miles of easy to
moderate hiking trails in Big Pocono State Park (570-894-8336, dcnr.state.pa.us), located atop 2,133-foot Camelback Mountain in
Tannersville (free).
Ride the rails
Hourlong rides on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic
Railway (570-325-8485, lgsry.com) cost $12 for adults, $9 for ages 3-12.
Info
From the Throgs Neck Bridge to
Camelback in the Poconos, about 2 hours.
_____
THE CATSKILLS
With nearly 100 peaks over 3,000
feet, the Catskills are true mountains. Just about everywhere you go in the
sparsely populated four-county area -- especially the 287,500-acre Catskill
Forest Preserve -- yields a collage of yellows, oranges and reds.
Upwardly mobile
For continuous scenic views, it's
hard to beat the moderate exertion, 7-mile round-trip to Giant Ledge and
Panther Mountain. Trailhead on Rte. 47 south of Big Indian.
Hunter Mountain's Skyride
(518-263-4223, huntermtn.com) is open weekends through Columbus Day. $11 adults, $7 ages
7-12. Hike another two miles to the fire tower.
Walk in the woods
It's an easy ¼-mile from the parking
lot in North-South Lake State Park in Haines Falls (nwsdy.li/ns, entrance fee
$10 per car) to the site of the original Catskill Mountain House (1824) with
its five-state view.
Ride the rails
Catskill Mountain Railroad's
(845-688-7400, catskillmtrailroad.com) 45-minute Fall Foliage trains leave from Mount Tremper
station Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, Sept. 26-Oct. 26; $14 adults, $8 ages
7-12.
Get adventurous
Bike the Catskills Scenic Trail (catskillscenictrail.org), a 26-mile rails-to-trail project in the Delaware River
Valley. Rentals and shuttle service available at Plattekill Bike Park in
Roxbury (607-326-3500, plattekill.com).
Info
From the Throgs Neck Bridge to
Woodstock in the Catskills, about 2 hours.
_____
THE BERKSHIRES
Smaller and less dramatic than their
first cousins west of the Hudson, the Berkshires of western Massachusetts offer
something both the Catskills and Poconos can't: authentic New England charm in
the form of picturesque colonial-era towns, complete with graceful churches and
expansive village greens; bucolic, centuries-old farms and orchards; and dozens
of art and history museums, literary sites and grand, historic homes. They also
feature more of the true stars of any premier fall fashion show: maples. Not
surprisingly, therefore, the Berkshires can get quite crowded during the height
of the fall foliage season and two-lane Route 7, the main north-south artery,
downright congested.
Upwardly mobile
Massachusetts' highest peak,
4,391-foot Mount Greylock, affords magnificent 60-90 mile views in all
directions. The 8-mile access road can be picked up off Route 7 in Lanesborough
or off Route 2 in North Adams ($3 summit parking). You can also spend the night
there at Bascom Lodge (413-743-1591, bascomlodge.net),
built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
Jiminy Peak's Berkshire Express
scenic chair lift in Hancock (413-738-5500, jiminypeak.com) operates weekends though Columbus Day. $12 over 54 inches
tall, $6, 38-53 inches)
Walk in the woods
Named by Pittsfield resident Herman
Melville for its spectacular fall colors, October Mountain (413-243-1778, mass.gov)
in Lee is the largest state forest and offers miles of hiking.
Get adventurous
Take a 20-minute scenic flight with
Teamflys (413-862-9359, teamflys.com) out of Harrison-West Airport in North Adams. $30-$69 per
person.
Info
From the Whitestone Bridge to
Stockbridge in the Berkshires, about 21/2 hours.
Plan Your Trip Now
Wherever you plan to travel on your
fall foliage trip, start planning now while the leaves are still green. Once
they start to turn you may or may not have a chance to see this seasonal
phenomenon before they are all gone.
Some people view the fall as a sad
time of year because of what follows when all the leaves have fallen and the
trees are bare and exposed. I believe each season has its beauty. We should
enjoy all of the seasons and what better place to do that than in New England,
and especially in my beloved State of Maine.
Have a nice trip and thanks for
listening.
From Bill Pease, via Village Soup: Wow! Very timely and informative. Wish we were still in Maine, but we're back home in Pennsylvania where the color of the tree leaf change is nowhere near what I remember growing up in Rockland. Thanks for a very fine article, and for the memories. Bill Pease, Lancaster, PA
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