Fall Preview: Why You Should Visit the Catskills This Fall
There are plenty of beautiful places to visit in the fall, but there is something particularly special about autumn in the Catskills.
As summer winds down, the mountains begin their annual transformation. Forests turn brilliant shades of red, orange, yellow, and gold. Crisp mornings invite you to pull on your favorite sweater and head outside, while cool evenings are made for fires, warm drinks, and cozy nights back at your vacation rental.
And the best part? You don't have to choose between an action-packed adventure and a relaxing weekend away.
In the Sullivan Catskills and nearby Hudson Valley, you can spend the morning hiking through colorful forests, the afternoon wandering through a charming small town, and the evening enjoying a farm-to-table dinner or cider flight before heading back to your cozy home away from home.
Whether you're planning a romantic weekend, a girls' trip, a family getaway, or simply need a few days away from everyday life, fall is one of the best times of year to visit the Catskills.
Here's a preview of what awaits you this autumn.
🍂 1. Come for the Fall Foliage
Let's start with the obvious: the leaves.
The Catskills are one of those places where the journey can be just as beautiful as the destination. During foliage season, winding country roads become surrounded by brilliant autumn color, mountain views open up around every turn, and even an ordinary drive to lunch can feel like a scenic excursion.
One of our favorite ways to experience the season is simply to get in the car and explore.
Take a drive along the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway
For a particularly beautiful foliage drive, head toward the Upper Delaware River and follow the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway along NY-97.
The route winds through the Upper Delaware River Valley and passes through small communities, forests, and dramatic river scenery. One of the most recognizable stops is Hawk's Nest, a famous overlook where NY-97 curves dramatically along the mountainside.
It's an especially beautiful area during autumn, making it an excellent choice for a leisurely fall drive and a few memorable photos.
Casskell tip: Don't rush the drive. Pack coffee or cider, put together a playlist, and give yourself plenty of time to stop along the way.
🥾 2. Go Leaf-Peeping on a Hike
Fall might be the perfect hiking season in the Catskills.
The temperatures are generally cooler than summer, the air feels crisp, and the changing foliage adds an entirely new dimension to familiar trails. Sullivan County offers everything from gentle walks to more challenging mountain hikes.
Tusten Mountain Trail
Located near Narrowsburg, the Tusten Mountain Trail is a great choice if you're looking for beautiful views without having to venture too far from the western Catskills.
The trail offers sweeping views toward the Delaware River and surrounding landscape—exactly the kind of vista that makes you appreciate why people come to the Catskills in autumn.
Neversink Gorge
For a more adventurous outing, explore the trails around the Neversink River Unique Area.
The gorge is known for its forested river scenery, rocky terrain, and waterfalls, including Denton Falls, Mullet Brook Falls, and High Falls. Autumn adds another layer of beauty to the wooded landscape.
Keep in mind: This is a more rugged hiking environment, so sturdy footwear and appropriate layers are a must.
Frick Pond
Looking for something a little more relaxed?
The Frick Pond area near Livingston Manor offers a peaceful way to experience the woods, wetlands, and changing foliage without committing to an all-day mountain hike. The loop is around 2.2 miles and is a popular option for a leisurely outdoor adventure.
And sometimes that's exactly what a fall getaway needs: a quiet trail, a thermos of coffee, and nowhere else you need to be.
🍎 3. Visit a Local Farm or Harvest Festival
Fall in the Catskills isn't just about the leaves. It's also harvest season, which means farms, farmers markets, pumpkin patches, seasonal food, and community events come alive.
Bethel Woods Harvest Festival
One of the region's signature fall events is the Harvest Festival at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.
In 2026, the festival runs on Sundays from August 30 through October 4, bringing together more than 100 farmers, crafters, and makers along with live music, fresh produce, food, a corn maze, wagon rides, pet adoptions, and family activities.
And the setting makes it even more special: you're experiencing the fall season on the historic grounds of the 1969 Woodstock festival.
It's an easy way to combine history, music, local food, and classic fall activities into one afternoon.
Cunningham Family Farms
For a more traditional farm experience, Cunningham Family Farms in Swan Lake has offered fall activities including pumpkin picking, a corn maze, hayrides, and family-friendly activities. Seasonal offerings can change from year to year, so check ahead before visiting.
🧺 4. Spend a Sunday Morning at the Callicoon Farmers' Market
If your idea of a perfect fall morning involves coffee, fresh baked goods, local produce, and wandering from vendor to vendor, make time for the Callicoon Farmers' Market.
The market is a year-round, producer-only market held Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with local farms, food producers, and artisans. During the outdoor season, it takes place at Callicoon Creek Park along the Delaware River.
You'll find everything from seasonal produce and baked goods to local cider, honey, maple products, specialty foods, and handmade goods.
It's also the perfect place to pick up a few things to bring back to your Casskell Stays vacation rental.
Our ideal fall morning: farmers market → coffee → exploring Main Street → scenic drive → back to your rental for an afternoon nap.
🛍️ 5. Explore the Small Towns of Sullivan County
One of the best things about a Catskills getaway is that you don't have to spend the entire weekend hiking.
Give yourself an afternoon to explore the area's small towns.
Callicoon
Spend some time walking around Callicoon's Main Street, browse local shops, grab something to eat, and then head toward the river.
Callicoon is particularly charming in autumn when the surrounding hills begin changing color.
Narrowsburg
Located along the Delaware River, Narrowsburg is another great town for an afternoon of wandering.
Explore local shops, galleries, restaurants, and the riverfront before continuing your scenic drive through the surrounding countryside.
Livingston Manor
Known for its creative community, food scene, and outdoor culture, Livingston Manor makes a great home base for exploring the western Catskills.
Stop into local shops and galleries, grab lunch, and spend some time exploring the surrounding forests and waterways.
For art lovers, Catskill Art Space on Main Street presents rotating exhibitions and multi-disciplinary arts programming, making it an easy cultural stop to add to a Livingston Manor afternoon.
🍺 6. Follow the Catskills Craft Beverage Trail
Fall and cider just seem to belong together.
The Sullivan Catskills have a growing collection of breweries, cideries, distilleries, and other craft beverage destinations, making it easy to build an afternoon—or an entire weekend—around local drinks.
Seminary Hill Cidery
In Callicoon, Seminary Hill is particularly beautiful in autumn.
The sustainable orchard and cidery produces local hard ciders, and the property itself provides a beautiful setting for enjoying the season.
Order a cider flight, take in the orchard views, and let the afternoon unfold.
You can also explore other stops throughout the Sullivan Catskills beverage trail, including breweries, distilleries, and cideries in communities such as Livingston Manor, Roscoe, Callicoon, and beyond.
Just remember: If you're visiting multiple tasting rooms, designate a driver or arrange transportation.
🎨 7. Make Time for the Arts
The Catskills aren't only an outdoor destination.
The region has a surprisingly vibrant arts and creative community, making fall a great time to explore galleries, performances, markets, and cultural events.
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Even outside of its fall festivals, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is worth adding to your itinerary.
Visit the museum to learn about the history and cultural legacy of Woodstock, explore the grounds, and check the calendar for current performances and events.
The surrounding landscape is especially beautiful in autumn.
Catskill Art Space
If you're staying near Livingston Manor, make time for Catskill Art Space.
The contemporary arts center features rotating exhibitions as well as programming that can include workshops, readings, talks, film, and performances.
It's a great reminder that a Catskills weekend doesn't have to be all hiking boots and flannel—there's plenty here for art lovers, too.
🚲 8. Explore the Catskills on Two Wheels
If hiking isn't your thing—or you simply want to see the landscape from a different perspective—consider exploring some of the area's rail trails and cycling routes.
The Sullivan O&W Rail Trail system offers relatively gentle routes through the countryside, making it a nice option for walking and biking.
Walnut Mountain Park in Liberty also offers trails for hiking and mountain biking, with the changing leaves providing a beautiful backdrop in autumn.
Fall is also a particularly nice time for cycling because temperatures are generally more comfortable than during the heat of summer.
🏔️ 9. Venture Into the Hudson Valley Catskills
If you're staying in the eastern portion of the region—or you're up for a scenic day trip—expand your Catskills adventure into the nearby Hudson Valley.
Minnewaska State Park Preserve
The Minnewaska State Park Preserve in Ulster County is one of the region's most spectacular places to experience fall.
The park sits along the Shawangunk Ridge and features dramatic cliffs, carriage roads, hiking trails, waterfalls, lakes, and expansive views across the Hudson Valley.
It's particularly beautiful in autumn, when the surrounding landscape is covered in color.
Sam's Point
For another memorable Hudson Valley adventure, head to Sam's Point, part of Minnewaska State Park Preserve.
The area is known for dramatic views, rocky landscapes, and trails through the Shawangunk Mountains. Fall foliage and sunsets can be spectacular from the overlooks.
Important: Popular fall weekends can be busy, so check current parking and reservation requirements before heading out.
Mohonk Preserve
Just a little farther east, Mohonk Preserve offers more than 8,000 acres of protected land with approximately 70 miles of carriage roads and trails through forests, cliffs, fields, and scenic overlooks.
For experienced hikers, it's an excellent addition to a longer Hudson Valley fall adventure.
🍁 10. Take the Scenic Route to Kaaterskill Falls
If you're looking for the classic Catskills experience, you can also head farther east toward the iconic Kaaterskill Falls.
The two-tier waterfall is one of the best-known natural landmarks in the Catskills, and the surrounding Kaaterskill Clove is particularly beautiful during foliage season.
The NY-23A corridor through Kaaterskill Clove is itself a scenic drive, while the waterfall can be viewed via designated trails and overlooks.
Because this is one of the region's most popular destinations, visitors should check current trail, parking, and access information before going—especially during peak foliage weekends.
🍂 11. Don't Forget the "Cozy" Part
Of course, one of the biggest reasons to visit the Catskills in autumn has nothing to do with an itinerary.
It's the opportunity to slow down.
After a day of hiking, shopping, exploring, and leaf-peeping, come back to your vacation rental and enjoy the part of the trip that doesn't require a schedule.
Make dinner together.
Open a bottle of wine.
Play a board game.
Sit outside around the fire.
Curl up under a blanket with a movie.
Wake up slowly with coffee and a view of the trees.
Fall has a way of making simple things feel special.
And that's one of our favorite things about the Catskills.
🧡 Build Your Own Perfect Fall Weekend
The beauty of staying in the Sullivan Catskills is that you can make your trip whatever you want it to be.
For the adventurous traveler:
Hike in the morning, explore a new town in the afternoon, and reward yourself with a local dinner and drinks in the evening.
For the foodie:
Start with the Callicoon Farmers' Market, spend the afternoon exploring local producers and cideries, and finish with a farm-to-table dinner.
For the romantic getaway:
Take a scenic drive, stop for cider, find a beautiful overlook, and spend the evening back at your rental with a fire and a bottle of wine.
For a girls' weekend:
Shop, eat, explore, take approximately 500 pictures of the leaves, and spend the evening catching up at your vacation home.
For the family:
Visit the Harvest Festival, explore a pumpkin patch, take an easy hike, and end the day with pizza and a movie.
For the person who just needs a break:
Book the cabin.
Bring a book.
Turn your phone off.
That's the itinerary.
🍁 Why Fall Is the Perfect Time to Visit the Catskills
Fall in the Catskills isn't just one activity.
It's the combination of everything.
It's the color of the mountains.
It's a quiet morning on the Delaware River.
It's the smell of apple cider.
It's wandering through a farmers market.
It's discovering a little shop you didn't know existed.
It's a hike followed by a warm meal.
It's a scenic drive with no particular destination.
It's coming back to your rental tired, happy, and ready to do absolutely nothing.
From Callicoon and Narrowsburg to Livingston Manor, Bethel, and the Upper Delaware River, Sullivan County offers endless ways to experience the season. And if you're ready to explore farther, the nearby Hudson Valley Catskills open the door to even more hiking, waterfalls, mountain views, farms, arts, and small towns.
The Catskills are beautiful year-round.
But there's something about fall that makes you want to stay a little longer.
🍂 Ready to plan your fall getaway?
Find your perfect home base with Casskell Stays and start planning your autumn escape to the Catskills.
Whether you're looking for a peaceful cabin in the woods, a lakeside retreat, or a cozy home close to the area's best small towns and outdoor adventures, there's a Casskell Stays property waiting for you.
Pack your sweaters. Bring your hiking boots. Leave room for cider.
We'll see you in the Catskills this fall.
