The Catskills are the closest real foliage to Albany — forty-five minutes to the Thruway exit — and they peak later than the Adirondacks, usually around mid-October. That combination makes them the reliable backup when you’ve missed the color up north, and a legitimate destination in their own right.
They’re also where American landscape painting started. The Hudson River School painters set up on the escarpment above North-South Lake in the 1830s specifically because of this view in this season. You can stand where they stood.
When it peaks
Mid-October at higher elevations, drifting to late October down near the river. The mountaintop towns — Hunter, Windham, Haines Falls — turn a week before the valley.
The drive
Route 23A through Kaaterskill Clove is the one. From the village of Catskill, the road climbs a gorge with waterfalls running beside it and rock walls above. There are pull-offs, and Bastion Falls is right at the roadside.
It’s steep and it winds. Do it in daylight, and if you’re prone to carsickness, take the front seat.
Where to actually stop
North-South Lake. The best single destination in the Catskills for a family foliage day. Two connected lakes, a beach, easy trails, and short walks to the escarpment ledges where the painters worked. You can see five states from up there on a clear day. Mostly flat walking.
Kaaterskill Falls. New York’s tallest cascading waterfall, 260 feet over two tiers. The trail from the lower parking area is steep, rocky, and slippery — people are injured here every year. There is a much easier viewing platform reached from Laurel House Road. With small children, take the platform.
Hunter Mountain skyride. A chairlift to the summit in foliage season, no hiking.
Ashokan Rail Trail. Flat, stroller-friendly, running along the Ashokan Reservoir with the high peaks reflected in the water. This is the underrated one — genuinely beautiful, genuinely easy, and it never appears on foliage lists.
Overlook Mountain, Woodstock. Steeper and longer — about two and a half miles up an old road — but there’s a fire tower and a ruined hotel at the summit. Nine and up.
With kids
Pair the views with something they’ll care about:
- The Catskill cats — painted sculptures scattered through Catskill village. A free scavenger hunt that works for four to ten. the cats of Catskill
- Percy Jackson locations — parts of the story are set here, and if your kids know the books the drive becomes a hunt. the Lightning Thief trail
- Zoom Flume closes for the season, but the apple orchards don’t.
Parking, honestly
Kaaterskill Falls and North-South Lake are full by 10am on October weekends. This is the single most common complaint about a Catskills foliage trip. Arrive before nine, or come after three and stay for the light — which is better anyway.
Route 23A pull-offs fill too, and stopping on the shoulder in the Clove is genuinely dangerous.
Where to stay
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FAQ
When do the Catskills peak? Typically mid-October at elevation, late October in the valley.
What’s the best Catskills foliage drive? Route 23A through Kaaterskill Clove, from Catskill village up to Hunter.
Is Kaaterskill Falls safe with young kids? Use the Laurel House Road viewing platform, not the lower trail. The lower trail is steep and slippery and produces injuries every season.
How far are the Catskills from Albany? Forty-five minutes to an hour, depending on where you’re headed.