Escape the city and head upstate for the time-honoured tradition of ‘leaf peeping’

October 26, 2022 | 06:00am

Autumn watch: where to see New York’s most beautiful fall foliage

This article is part of a guide to New York from FT Globetrotter

Autumn is perhaps the ideal time to be in New York. It’s not only a reprieve from sweltering summer weather — and a moment of mercy before the chill of winter takes hold — but for nature lovers, it’s the annual opportunity to see the trees across the state burst into colour. Such is their delight that the term “leaf peeping” has been coined to describe the activity of travelling to view and photograph autumn foliage.

This week, New York is due to reach prime leaf-peeping time, with native trees and other planted varieties starting to turn and expected to fully colour in the coming days and weeks.

Autumn highlights along the Appalachian Trail, a 2,180-mile public footpath that stretches from Georgia to Maine, include the New York hamlet of Wingdale . . .

. . . where the famed path winds through towering trees and the woods are awash with gold.

Nuclear Lake

This 55-acre pond in the Hudson Valley earned its name following a 1972 chemical explosion at a now-defunct research lab on its shores. Following extensive testing and cleaning, it was declared safe decades ago and has become a popular spot for fishing, hiking and, of course, autumn-watching.

The peaceful, secluded lake is said to be one of the prettiest bodies of water along the whole of the Appalachian Trail.

Nuclear Lake is located near Pawling, NY, a quaint village set amid colourful country vistas and bucolic farmland.

The area has a long history of maple farming . . .

. . . and some farms even host maple syrup-themed weekends for visitors keen to learn how the sticky stuff is produced

Dover Stone Church

An ancient cavern used by Native Americans as a hideout in the 17th century, Dover Stone Church can be found on foot from the town of Dover Plains. Autumn colours are pictured here through Dover Stone Church’s cathedral window.