đ Foliage Is PUMPING in the Catskills
There are a few weeks every year when the Catskills basically say:
Okay. Everybody look at me.
This is one of them.
The latest I LOVE NY foliage report has the Catskills mostly at peak, and right here at Belleayre Mountain in Highmount, color is at peak to just past peak: vibrant yellows and oranges around 2,000 feet, with reds and purples higher up.
Translation? The foliage is pumping.
If youâve been waiting for someone to officially declare itâs time to come to the Catskills, consider this your declaration.
đ Grab a midweek date before the leaves do
The Festivals Are Over. The Mountains Arenât.
The fall festivals at Belleayre have wrapped, the scenic gondola finished its autumn run on October 11, and the mountain is already gearing up for ski season.
Hereâs the secret: this is one of the nicest times to visit.
No festival schedule. No lines. No requirement to hold a beer stein longer than the person next to you.
Just get outside. Belleayreâs hiking and trail network is open to explore, and this week the color is doing most of the entertaining.
Chase a Waterfall. Itâs October.
Kaaterskill Falls drops roughly 260 feet over two tiers, and framed in October color itâs about as Catskills as the Catskills get.
My advice: go midweek. Fewer people, easier parking, more mountain.
Funny how much prettier nature gets when 400 other people arenât taking the exact same picture.
Phoenicia Still Has Something Cooking
Head down Route 28 to Phoenicia and make an afternoon of it: coffee, lunch, shops, a walk, and absolutely no reason to rush.
Sunday, October 25: the Phoenicia Outdoor Farmers Market is at Parish Field, 10 AMâ1 PM.
Anytime: pedal through the fall color on a rail bike with Rail Explorers: Catskills Division. Itâs a pretty spectacular way to see the mountains.
Woodstock After the Film Festival
The film festival wrapped, but Woodstock didnât. Live music is still going at Colony:
Friday: Big Yellow Taxi, the music of Joni Mitchell
Monday: Colonyâs world-famous open mic
And honestly? Woodstock on an October weekday might beat Woodstock during a festival.
You can actually park. Thatâs practically a Catskills luxury experience.
Weekends Get the Attention. Weekdays Get the Catskills.
October weekends are wonderful. Theyâre also packed.
Midweek is different. Wake up without an alarm. Grab coffee. Drive Route 28 while the mountains glow. Take a hike. Find lunch. Sit outside. Build a fire.
Peak foliage doesnât know itâs Tuesday. Neither does a waterfall.
Alpine Four Season Lodge sits right in Highmount by Belleayre, an easy home base for hiking, waterfalls, Phoenicia, Woodstock and doing absolutely nothing for a few hours.
Which, occasionally, is the best Catskills activity of all.
đ The Show Wonât Wait. Neither Should You.
Fall doesnât send a calendar invite before the leaves come down. Next week, these hillsides start turning bare.
This is the week. The color is here, the air is crisp, and the crowds are light midweek.
We still have select midweek dates, and theyâre going fast.
đ Book direct at alpinefourseasonlodge.com for our best available rate, with no third-party booking fees.
Come for the foliage. Stay for the exhale.
See you on the mountain,
Daniel & The Crew
Alpine Four Season Lodge
32 Galli Curci Road, Highmount, NY 12441
#CatskillsFallFoliage #BelleayreMountain #CatskillsGetaway #HighmountNY #AlpineFourSeasonLodge
