Fall Foliage: The Season We Wait All Year For

There's a reason we count down to autumn. For a few short weeks each year, fall foliage across the Catskills and Adirondacks turns the color people drive hours to stand in, and all three of our properties sit right in the middle of it. Here's the thing worth knowing while you plan, though: the color doesn't arrive everywhere at once. It starts in the north, usually around mid- September up in the Adirondack High Peaks, and works its way south into the Catskills through mid-October. Which means you can chase it, or catch it twice.

Fall Arrives First in the Adirondacks

Up at Eastwind Lake Placid, the season shows its hand a week or two before the Catskills do, with the High Peaks typically turning in the last days of September while the valleys down south are still green. If you want the first look of the year, this is where to take it.

Ride the Whiteface Mountain gondola to the summit and the whole range opens up beneath you, the color running as far as you can see. For something with a little more speed in it, the Cliffside Coaster at Mt Van Hoevenberg is an alpine ride that winds through the mountain landscape. And a scenic drive away in Tupper Lake, The Wild Center walks you out onto elevated forest walkways and through interactive exhibits, a fresh way to experience the Adirondacks up among the trees.

Mornings ask very little of you. Bluesberry Bakery is five minute drive for a fresh pastry on the way out, and Origin Coffee in Lake Placid is the local call for a seasonal cup of coffee. When the day winds down, the wood barrel sauna and the private stairs to the Chubb River are right where you left them.

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Then it Reaches Windham,

Best Seen From a Saddle

A week or so later, the color reaches the Catskills, and Eastwind Windham meets it in the most fitting way we know. Ten minutes from the hotel, Mountain Brook Farm runs guided horseback rides through the hills, which might be the finest way there is to take in turning leaves: slow, unhurried, close enough to touch. Closer still, about five minutes out, Vidbel Mountain Homestead Animal Farm offers a leisurely goat walk.

Windham holds a MICHELIN Guide One Key distinction for a very special stay, and autumn is when it earns the title twice over. Come evening, dinner is handled at DANDIES. The short rib and the smoked chicken are made for this weather, and better than anything you'd manage over your own stove on a cold night. Then take the outdoor sauna, step out into the mountain air, and let it finish the job.

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And Settles Into Oliverea Valley,

For Cider Weather

Last to turn, and worth the wait for it. Fall in this corner of the Catskills is built for the scenic drive, where the winding back roads matter as much as wherever you think you're going. Point the car about thirty minutes toward Andes and give the afternoon to Wayside Cider, letting the route there do half the work. Save another day for the drive to Westwind Orchard in Accord, just under an hour out, where the wood-fired pizzas justify the trip on their own. We always order the Prosciutto and Funghi.

Closer to home, the Lexington Farmers Market runs through October, good for fresh produce and the kind of local finds you didn't know you needed. Then come back with the evening wide open. The communal fire pit and the heated pool have the rest covered.

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Plan Now, Thank Yourself in October

Chase the color north to south, or plant yourself in one valley and let it come to you. Either way, the foliage window is short and no secret, which is why autumn weekends across all three properties book up long before the leaves turn. The color keeps its own schedule. The rooms do not.

Leaf-Peeping Notes

When do the Catskills and Adirondacks hit peak fall foliage?

The Adirondacks usually peak a week or two before the Catskills, so Eastwind Lake Placid tends to see color first, followed by Eastwind Windham and Eastwind Oliverea Valley in the Catskills. The window is short in both ranges, so early booking helps.

What is there to do near Eastwind in the fall?

Near Lake Placid, ride the Whiteface Mountain gondola, take the Cliffside Coaster at Mt Van Hoevenberg, or visit The Wild Center in Tupper Lake. Around Windham, take a guided horseback ride or a goat walk in the hills. Near Oliverea Valley, autumn is for cider drives to Andes and Accord and the Lexington Farmers Market through October.

Which Eastwind property is best for fall color?

All three are in the thick of it. Lake Placid gets the earliest color and the High Peaks views, Windham pairs foliage with horseback rides and a MICHELIN One Key stay, and Oliverea Valley leans into scenic cider-country drives. The best one depends on the kind of fall day you want.

How far ahead should I book a fall foliage weekend?

As early as you can. The foliage season is brief, and autumn weekends across all three Eastwind properties tend to sell out well before the leaves turn.

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