Mountains of New York State

Hudson Valley

The Hudson Valley has beautiful scenery, historic mansions, farm markets, award-winning wineries, craft-breweries and food festivals, and wonderful mountains to visit any time of the year. Bear Mountain State Park is a 5,205 acre park located on the west side of the Hudson River. It is a great area to hike and bike in. It also has a large playfield, swimming pool, picnic area, and a zoo and museum nearby. In addition, there is a lake and a river, for fishing. Lake Minnewaska State Park is located in the Shawangunk Mountains, and has beautiful views of the foilage in the Fall. It is a nice place to rent a romantic cabin nearby or take your family to. You can walk on the trails and see the rich forests and some animals in nature. In the winter, both Bear Mountain and the Lake Minnewaska State Park have trails for cross-country skiing.

Catskills

The Catskill Mountains lie in southeastern New York State and contain the Catskill Forest Preserve, which has lots of wildlife and hiking trails. The mountains there are Hunter Mountain and Belleayre Mountain. These mountains have ski resorts in the winter. They also have rich cultural festivals in the summer and fall, such as the East Durham Irish festival and the Oktoberfest for 4 weekends at Hunter Mountain, and the Belleayre music festival in the summer. The Catskills used to be the home of many resorts that offered great meals and activities for families, and entertainment. When I was young, my parents took my sister and me there for a vacation every summer. Those are my favorite memories!

Finger Lakes

The Finger Lakes is another picturesque destination you must see. The region boasts many award-winning wineries for the wine connoisseur in you. There is also a beautiful part of nature that that will take your breadth away called Watkins Glenn State Park. It has 19 gorges and waterfalls that you can hike through with the help of a guide. Just make sure you can identify poison ivy, as I visited there once and my little daughter caught it during her curious nature walk. Bristol Mountain is also in the Finger Lakes and is a prime skiing spot for the adventurer in you in the winter. Bristol Mountain Resort offers skiiers 1200`of vertical, 2 high-speed quads and excellent snowmaking. There are 35 slopes and breadth-taking views for the beginning or expert skiier or snowboarder.

Adirondacks

The Adirondacks are located in the most Northeastern part of New York and extend to the Canadian border. Lake Placid is here and this is where the athletes train for the winter Olympics. Lake George is a beautiful tourist destination for family fun activities. Mount Marcy is at the highest point in New York State, with an elevation of 5,343 feet. Mount Marcy is in the heart of the Adirondack High Peaks region of the Adirondack High Peaks Wilderness Area. There are some trails there but taking children is not recommended. Whiteface Mountain is also in the High Peaks Area. This is a prime spot in the winter for skiiers and snowboarders. In the Fall, Spring, and Summer,you can enjoy hiking, biking, and the beautiful views.