Autumn in New York – it’s no wonder that the season’s beauty and charm has been captured in the classic tune. Warm days and cool evenings make it perfect for enjoying everything New York City has to offer, from walking tours and public parks to museums and fantastic restaurants. What better way to spend an autumn day than sip a cup of warm coffee, stroll through the city, and enjoy the changing leaves and brisk breeze in the air? If you’re looking to get out and enjoy the fall weather, try any of these five autumn walks in New York City.
Central park
Fall is one of the most photogenic times at the park as 20,000 trees change into shades of yellow, red, and orange. With over 1.3 square miles of land to explore it’s hard to decide which path should you choose. We recommend the the Stephanie and Fred Shuman Running Trail, which circles the Jackie Onassis Reservoir. Whether you prefer to walk or jog, you’ll get amazing views of Central Park, the Manhattan skyline, and the reservoir. Looking across the water at the Upper West Side skyline is one of the most classic views in NYC, and you’ll get to experience it firsthand.
Inwood Hill Park
This park at the northernmost tip of Manhattan has tons of oak, hickory, and Tulip poplar trees, all of which will transform with stunning shades in autumn. Inwood Hill Park offers the largest stretch of natural forest left on the island. Activities include canoeing, camping and hiking, making it the perfect place to “rough it” without actually hauling up a mountain. We recommends checking out the trees along the Blue Trail, which starts near the entrance on Indian Road and runs through the center of the park.
New York Botanical Garden
The 250-acre Bronx garden has introduced a Fall Color Cam, where you can follow the changing of the leaves from the comfort of your home. The garden will also offer guided walks of the 50-acre Thain Family Forest for two weekends in November and a private 90-minute tour of the garden via golf carts called Gram the Garden Tour. From maples to oaks to beeches to unexpected surprises, you’ll see everything that’s glorious about fall.
Pelham Bay Park
The Bronx’s largest park is home to many different trees that change color in the fall. Most people don’t realize that Pelham Bay park is three times as large as Central Park. There are several hiking trails in this park as well as a 13-mile long saltwater shoreline. Measuring almost 3,000 acres in size, there is foliage of all types here. The park is also home to Hunter island and contains the largest continuous oak forest in Pelham bay Park. This includes trees such as white, red and black oak, white pines, black cherry, black locust and Norway spruce trees. Don’t forget to visit the Kazimiroff nature trail which contains some of the best foliage found in the island.
Prospect Park
Prospect park is a sprawling park in New York, and Brooklyn to be exact. The green space is not a small one and is spread out over more than 500 acres, containing hundreds of maple trees, both sugar and red maple.
These are especially prominent near the park’s lake and with the arrival of autumn these turn orange and deep red. The park is also home to beautiful Elm trees, Sour gum as well as Sassafras trees. Some great viewing points in this park are the Lake, the Long meadow, Lookout hill and Brooklyn’s last forest, the Ravine.