Small towns, big road tripping adventures

No, your eyes haven’t deceived you, pops of color are already appearing all over the Adirondacks! Fall is upon us, and for Hamilton County, we’re in for a season full of scenic hikes, cozy restaurants, and days packed with crisp adventures and sweet sweet fall festivals. Hamilton County is an oasis that transforms each fall into the quintessential, foliage-filled getaway of your dreams. See what’s in store!

Scenic car rides and motorcycle fun

First thing’s first, you’re going to take the scenic route through the region. Hamilton County boasts some of the most photogenic roads in the country, featuring wide open landscapes, mountain ranges, and vantage points overlooking quaint towns hugged by the seasons colors. If you prefer to take on your adventures by motorcycle with your buds, we’ve taken the opportunity to map out some stellar routes with bikers in mind. Find the best lodging, restaurants, and convenient gas stations along your route without the hassle of mapping them out yourself! A fan favorite this time of year are our breweries, making the perfect cozy fall pit stop during your travels. 

Hiking 

Looking for the perfect photo op on top of a mountain? You’ve come to the right place. Hamilton County is largely publicly-owned, meaning there are miles and miles of trails open to you and ready to be explored! There's also variety — trips ranging in length from under an hour to several days can all be found here. We have short walks in the woods (many to waterfalls) as well as more challenging terrain for those who are ready to tackle the bigger mountains and trips.

Looking for a challenge? Our friendly giants local to the region are also home to fire towers, once lookouts to watch for forest fires. Now, a number are still intact and offer great views for eager hikers, think of it as an extra boost to catch more views while you’re already on a mountain top! These hikes are a sight to behold in fall. 

Celebrating its 100th year, the Northville-Placid Trail (NPT) is a wild route that carves through the terrain and takes adventurers deep into the backcountry. Completed in 1924, the trail extends 138 miles through the Adirondack Park. The footpath connects hikers to the wild character of the Adirondack Park, as well as the communities that the trail crosses. This trail is perfect for overnight hikes, with camping sites, remote lakes, waterfalls, and scenic viewpoints that boast rare sights of the season you won’t find anywhere else. 

Fall birding

The region is a birder’s paradise, and this couldn’t be more true than in fall. Paired with stunning colors as their backdrop, your favorite species pop among the landscape. Catch the opportunity to spot fan favorites like red-shouldered hawks, bald eagles, boreal birds like woodpeckers, Canada Jays, chickadees, Great Blue Herons, robins, and more. For the best results, head to Sacandaga Pathway in Speculator, the William C. Whitney Area Trail System, or Ferd's Bog Trail. For a spectacular scene and possibly the best photos you’ll get on your trip, head out on the water to get up close. Visit the waters of Cedar River Flow and Big West Lake in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness for incredible pics. 

Lean-to camping

Don’t put the camping gear away just yet! While the temperatures may be dropping, there’s still some time left to get in some solid weekends of roasting marshmallows by the campfire, snuggling up in your sleeping bag and reading a good book, but now surrounded by stunning, fiery colors. If you haven’t heard of lean-to camping, let us introduce you. Lean-to camping is a rustic style of camping that involves sleeping in a small, open wooden shelter with three solid walls and a pitched roof. Lean-tos are similar to campsites, but they don't require a tent and are often made from rough logs or unfinished wood. 

Think of these structures as an elevated version of camping in the Adirondacks. The best part? Lean-tos can be found everywhere across the region, and they’re completely free to use (on a first come-first served basis). Check out the sites at Moose River Plains Wild Forest, Cedar Lakes, Long Lake, and Blue Mountain Lake. 

Fishing

For a calm fishing trip full of peaceful waters, scenic paddles, and great casting, Hamilton County is primed with fishing opportunities that will have you reeling (I’m sorry, I had to). Landlocked salmon is stocked across the region, in lakes like Blue Mountain Lake, Piseco Lake, and Seventh Lake. You’ll find a plethora of species, including lake, brown, brook, and rainbow trout, large and smallmouth bass, perch, walleye, northern pike, and pickerel. Not sure where to start? We’re also stocked with plenty of local fishing guides, at the ready to give tours and tips for the ins and outs of fishing here. In town, you’ll find boat rentals and shops filled with gear. 

Craft fairs and festivals

For a break from all that adventuring, head into town throughout the season for festivals and fairs to ring in the colors. The Adirondack Moose Festival, held yearly in Indian Lake, is a multi-day festival of jam-packed special events, including a moose calling contest, old-fashioned turkey shoot, and kid-friendly activities. Stroll town and check out local crafts, goodies, or discover antiques that hold Adirondack history!

Peruse amazing crafts and artisan wares including photographs, fudge, pottery, tee-shirts, canoe paddles, unique textile art, jewelry, special novelties, and more at the Long Lake Harvest Craft Fair. At the Inlet Fall Festival, vendors will offer a multitude of products in Fern Park. Rustic furniture, clothing, jams, candles, photography, stoneware, jewelry, and much more! Check out our events calendar for the full lineup of festivals happening from town to town. 

Great Camp Sagamore 

The Gilded Age is alive and well in the Adirondacks, and the camps of that time are incredibly framed by the foliage of the wilderness and lakes around them during the fall season. Discover Great Camp Sagamore, an asset of the Vanderbilt family, now maintained as a historic and educational site. Take the two-hour guided tour of 27 buildings, including the caretaker's village, the famous Main Lodge and a one-of-a-kind open-air bowling alley. Tours are at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. daily in summer, and 1:30 p.m. in fall.

Biking

There are few experiences like biking in the Adirondacks, especially when surrounded by its colorful transition period! Ride through the region’s vibrant foliage road bike enthusiasts will find no shortage of quiet roads throughout Hamilton County. Any of the state roads make for excellent riding with plenty of opportunities to see mountain-scapes blanketed in reds and golds. The scenery as riders parallel Indian Lake on Route 30 and then tour up to Blue Mountain Lake on Route 28 is beyond compare.

P.S. The best way to see fall foliage? From the sky!

Float plane rides may be one of the most unique attractions of the region, and offer a once in a lifetime experience as the cherry on top to your trip. With a propeller at the nose and pontoons instead of wheels, you’ll take off and land right from the waters of the lake. From the air, get a bird’s-eye view of the High Peaks, hidden lakes, fall foliage, and incredible photo ops. 

See you this fall!

No matter where you land, you’ll be surrounded by incredible views, charming small towns, and miles and miles of foliage blanketing the local peaks and valleys that populate Hamilton County. Book your stay soon! Waiting on the leaves? Check out our foliage report, updated weekly by spotters bringing the most up to date status of foliage across the region.