Fall Foliage: A Walk Through New York City Streets

You may not consider the city to be the best place to see the beautiful changing of the seasons, but there are plenty of places that make fall foliage in NYC extra special.

 

Central Park

The Conservatory Water, near the entrance at Fifth Avenue, is lined with hawthorn trees covered in red berries. From here, you can make your way towards the middle of the park, where you’ll find a large tupelo tree in an area known as Tupelo Meadow, covered in various changing leaves of red, yellow, orange, and even purple. Don’t miss the North Woods, lined with bubbling brooks, oaks, elms, red maples and black cherry trees. A walk in the park never looked better.

 

Fort Tryon Park

Heather Garden at Fort Tryon Park hosts a stunning display of perennials leading up to the Cloisters. A short hike will take you to Linden Terrace, one of the highest points in Manhattan, for a chance at some stunning views surrounded by swaying trees full of autumn hues. On a clear day, you can look out across the water at the Hudson River Palisades, boasting 20 miles of cliffs full of fall foliage to be enjoyed.

 

New York Botanical Garden

The botanical garden’s Thain Family Forest may be the best place in the city to enjoy a vast array of fall foliage. This 250-acre area is the city’s largest and oldest forest, with some trees dating back to the 19th century. Many of these are old, solid oaks, red maples and tulip trees. The garden’s sweet gums will dazzle you with star-shaped leaves that turn from red to purple. Two times a year you can visit the gardens for Fall Forest Weekends, which include guided foliage tours and other autumn activities.