Best New York Campgrounds for Fall Color

Clarence Fahnestock State Park

The large, sandy beach at Canopus Lake and the magnificent trail system are the jewels of Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park. Located in the highlands of Putnam County, the park offers access to the Appalachian Trail as well as breathtaking vistas from the peaks of Mt. Beacon and Breakneck Ridge. — SOURCE: ReserveAmerica campground guide.

Fish Creek Pond Campground

Fish Creek Pond Campground offers a natural shoreline and provides campers with pristine rivers and ponds. Visitors will find miles of hiking and biking trails meandering through a canopy of colors at this beautiful Adirondack campground. — SOURCE: ReserveAmerica campground guide.

Letchworth State Park

Renowned as the "Grand Canyon of the East," Letchworth State Park was named Best State Park in the nNation by USA Today. The Genesee River roars through the gorge, over three major waterfalls and between cliffs as high as 600 feet. Surrounded by lush forests, the park's trees turn a brilliant gold, red, orange and yellow in fall. Letchworth offers a full array of recreational opportunities, perfect for all seasons. — SOURCE: ReserveAmerica campground guide.

Moreau Lake State Park

Located in the beautiful foothills of the Adirondacks, Moreau Lake State Park offers more than 27 miles of hiking and biking trails. Access to the waterfront Lake Shore Cottage and the cozy Campground Cottage provides visitors with two great options for camping in comfort.

Nicks Lake Campground

Located in the Black River Wild Forest, this campground gives offers visitors a peaceful sense of remoteness and tranquility. Take in the sites on more than five miles of hiking trails, go fishing for lunker bass or brown trout, or simply relax and enjoy the cool weather in the picnic areas or playgrounds. — SOURCE: ReserveAmerica campground guide.

North South Lake Campground

North South Lake is the largest and most popular state campground in the Catskill Forest Preserve, offering extraordinary, scenic views. There are also wonderful historical sites such as Alligator Rock, Kaaterskill Falls, and the former site of the Catskill Mountain House where, on a clear day, five states can be seen from the 2,250-foot escarpment. — SOURCE: ReserveAmerica campground guide.

Woodland Valley Campground

Nestled at the foot of Slide Mountain, the tallest peak in the Catskills, Woodland Valley Campground serves as the trailhead for many of the area's most scenic trails. Get a different perspective by riding the train on the nearby Catskill Mountain Railroad.

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Grand Teton National Park, located a couple hours drive south of Yellowstone in northwestern Wyoming, features stunning mountain scenery and a diverse array of wildlife. Rising more than 7,000 feet above the valley of Jackson Hole, the Teton Range dominates the park's skyline. 

Environmentalist philosopher John Muir could have been describing this wondrous place over a century ago when he wrote, "Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life."
 
To paraphrase Muir, a visit to Grand Teton National Park is not so much about "fountains of life" as it is about "mountains of life." What a visitor notices, first and foremost, are the iconic snowcapped peaks, which form the quintessential mountain range in North America. The diversity offered in this magnificent valley, with its abundance of wildlife and wildflowers, puts Grand Teton in a class of its own. So, what are the best places to see?