15 Best Spots to See Fall Foliage in New York City
New York City is famous for its skyscrapers and crowded streets, as well during autumn it becomes a riot of color.
You are here because you want to learn the best sites in the city to view the autumn colours.
This post will take you through the best spots to enjoy beautiful fall colors right in New York City.
Whether local or simply visiting NYC, these places are ideal for a relaxing walk or getting a perfect Instagram snapshot.
As a city person, fall is distinctive among them all.
The change of leaf transfers to the entire city its gentle hues,
I wrote this article to highlight some of the prettiest places to get a strong shot of autumn beauty, whether you’re just thinking about leisure and relaxation or this week during your lunch.
Just read on to see a full guide of places offering New York City’s high-class display of autumn foliage, where the natural beauty deserves its own museums.
1. Central Park
It is the crown jewel of New York City in the autumn season for looking at the colored leaves.
Within the park grounds stretch some 800 acres of trees that turn red, orange or yellow in the fall.
The Mall is the classic stroll-through venue in Central Park.
A big block of elms stands around you and your kid heading down this tarmacked avenue for a better view.
Perhaps the most iconic vantage point in Central Park and certainly photogenic at its best with the skyline appearing up through vibrant leaves.
The Bow Bridge in Central Park has rustic elegance at its best, with simpler bridge designs.
2. Prospect Park
Prospect Park in Brooklyn is one of my favorite places to catch the fall foliage in New York City. It feels like a hidden retreat right in the middle of the city.
When autumn rolls in, the park transforms into a canvas of vibrant reds, oranges, and golden yellows. The Long Meadow, with its wide open space framed by trees, offers a stunning view of the seasonal change.
I love walking through the Ravine—it’s Brooklyn’s only forest and feels almost magical with the leaves crunching beneath your boots.
If you’re into photography, the lake area is a perfect backdrop, especially early in the morning when the light hits just right.
It’s never as crowded as Central Park, which makes it even better for a relaxed fall stroll or a quiet picnic.
Whether you’re a local or visiting, Prospect Park is a must-see during peak foliage season in NYC.
3. Fort Tryon Park
Fort Tryon Park in Upper Manhattan has breathtaking views of the Hudson River and the Palisades in the fall.
From the Long Meadow you have all the open space to get in a few picnic meals, while in the Ravine, a wooded trail is a happy place surrounded by trees dappled with fall color.
At Lookout Hill, you get a chance to see the skyline of downtown Manhattan in the background framed by myriad flaming leaf colors.
4. High Line
Built upon a disused freight train line raised up above the city, the High Line is not your everyday leaf-peeping spot.
At an elevation of 262 feet, Hill has sweeping views, making it a perfect and less crowded place to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
The Hill Park on the High Line is more than just a garden of trees and flowers; this elevated park built on a historic freight rail line has been called New York’s “most exciting” new park because it is also a walkway over the Hudson River with three overlooks.
5. Brooklyn’s Botanic Garden
At the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, such views have never been seen.
The Cherry Esplanade leads to a reflecting pool flanked by cherry trees. More famous for its blossoms in spring, it too makes a beautiful show as it puts on its fall coat of flaming reds and yellows.
6. Wave Hill
This public garden, which covers 28 acres in the Bronx and is both serene and wild at the same time, features some of the most breathtaking views of both the Hudson River and the Palisades.
The leaves of this tree—maples, oaks, and ginkgoes—create a wonderful mid-autumn color panel.
The colourful plantings and peaceful setting make this a delightful spot for a few hours on a fall afternoon and a welcome escape from the city.
7. Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery might not spring immediately to mind when the idea of seeing a backdrop of colorful leaves puts you in mind of Brooklyn, but the rolling hills and rustic trees on its 478 acres put on a spectacular autumn show.
Gothic architecture and serene ponds only help to heighten the atmosphere, making it a wonderful spot for gorgeous, transcendant walks this fall.
8. Riverside Park
Running along the Hudson River from 72nd to 158th Street, Riverside Park is one of New York City’s lesser-known places to experience fall foliage.
The avenues of trees running through the park offer beautiful views of the river, as the falling leaves add just the finishing touches to this postcard-perfect setting.
One part of Riverside Park–around Grant’s Tomb–is especially a highlight in fall, with big trees overhanging every walkway.
9. Pelham Bay Park
New York City’s biggest park, Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, affords a wide-open space for autumn walking.
The leafy foliage of the park’s forests and meadows turns into a riot of colours, the autumn leaves reflected on the still waters of Orchard Beach Lagoon.
The natural beauty and quietness of the park offer an escape from the city and a celebration of the change of season.
10. Inwood Hill Park
Inwood Hill Park is at the top of Manhattan, where it forms an oasis with New York’s last old-growth forest.
11. Bronx River Parkway
The Bronx River Parkway is more than just a road, it is a scenic drive that provides some of the finest fall foliage views anywhere in NYC.
As you drive on the parkway, trees will crowd you on either side, and the Bronx River will run through the landscape.
The drive is especially beautiful in the morning, when golden light shines through the branches.
Vegetable gardens are tended year-round, and animals are raised on several farms located on the property.
12. Queens Botanical Garden
The Queens Botanical Garden provides a peaceful spot to soak up fall foliage in the middle of the city.
The garden’s also diverse collection of trees — oaks, maples and birches, in addition to the pretty ornamental trees — puts on brilliant displays of red, orange and yellow in the fall.
The Fragrance Walk, with its mix of colorful trees and aromatic plants, is a sensory delight in the autumn months
13. Alley Pond Park
Alley Pond Park in Queens is one of the city’s best-kept secrets for fall foliage.
The park’s varied ecosystem, which features wetlands, forests, and meadows, provides a unique combination of changing hues.
The park’s trails snake through the landscape, offering several opportunities to experience the beauty of the season up close.
The park’s idyllic setting makes it ideal for a quiet walk in the woods.
14. Battery Park
In the heart of New York’s financial district, Battery Park is the perfect vantage point from which to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
The park has a wide selection of native and foreign trees, providing a stark contrast with the city, which offers excellent natural habitat for watching autumn foliage change color as you take in some well-known views over New York City.
15. Governors Island
This may be a story, file it in the fall foliage on Manhattan category.
The island’s wide promenade and historic districts exemplify an exquisite setting for autumn colors, within sight of both the Manhattan skyline and Lady Liberty, almost close enough to touch.
As tree-canopied trails and grassy meadows turn to red, yellow, and orange, it is a New York getaway that requires minimal travel.
Conclusion: The 15 Best Places to See Fall Foliage in NYC
One might think that New York City is an urban desert, but our parks and green spaces are some of the best places to find colorful autumn leaves.
Whether you stop by Central Park or visit more overlooked spots like Inwood Hills Park, there are tons of places in New York where you can enjoy the hue and chroma that comes with a colorful fall leaf.
We hope that this book will lead you to an enchanted experience in New York City…
Happy leaf-peeping!
