Like outdoor adventures? Then feast your eyes on fall in Albany. This region is full of "just-right" adventures for outdoor enthusiasts. Whether it's apple picking, corn mazing, or drinking in the color of the changing natural landscape, we've got something for you to love.
Here's some suggestions for some autumn adventures you're going to fall for:
1. Cider doughnuts are required eating this fall.
Did you know that the bakers' dozen was invented in the Capital Region?
Cider Belly Doughnuts offers dozens of varieties of cider doughnuts year-round - but that doesn't mean they don't taste better in the fall! Try Original Cinn or Sugar Daddy, or for the more adventurous, dip into the Das Yum, a cider doughnut with German Chocolate glaze or the Venetian, a cider doughnut with Cappucino frosting. Down a cold brew, and consider your fall adventure fueled.
2. Fall isn't complete without a trip to pick apples or pumpkins
Skip town for the day and enjoy the fresh air and friendly farm atmosphere Goold Orchards in Castleton has to offer. A family farm since 1910, Goold Orchards is a 100+ acre apple orchard. Open year-round, their farm features a Farm Store, Bakery and Cider Mill. Apples and pumpkins are available from September through mid-November. The orchard also features its very own winery, Brookview Station Winery, which produces award-winning wines in the heart of beautiful Goold Orchards! Brookview Station produces and bottles 13 varieties of wine and delicious Joe Daddy's Hard Cider - all just 10 mins from Albany!
Head toward the hilltowns, and visit Indian Ladder Farms, with its monster sandbox, petting zoo, and of course, U-pick orchards and cider donuts. Indian Ladder Farms is a family-owned farm committed to local agriculture and growing the best apples in Capital Region. This year, Indian Ladder Farms is celebrating 100 years of successful agritourism. And, if you're a craft beverage enthusiast, this farmstead just opened its own brewery, Indian Ladder Farmstead Brewery and Cidery, specializing in beverages crafted from hops and apples grown right on the premises
Spend the day at Liberty Ridge Farms, with the Capital Region's largest 11-acre corn maze, pumpkin patch, and plenty of family-friendly activities, including pig-racing and 20 carnival-style games. This working farm also features lots of special fall-themed shows, and you can't beat the sweeping vistas of the rural Schaghticoke, in all its full-fledged "foliageness."
3. Get your dose of local color
Hike John Boyd Thacher State Park trails for some beautiful fall foliage and panoramic views of the region. John Boyd Thacher State Park is situated along the Helderberg Escarpment, at the western end of Albany County. One of the richest fossil-bearing formations in the world, this park became a destination for geologists in the 19th Century, seeking to decode the earth's evolutionary record. Today, the park is a mecca for hikers, campers and photographers, who come to hike miles of paths and are rewarded with stunning views of the Hudson-Mohawk Valleys and the Adirondack and Green Mountains. In the fall, visitors are treated to a colorful tapestry of fall foliage, which spreads out as far as the eye can see.
All aboard-Ride the Saratoga & Northcreek Railroad for an excursion into the gorgeous Adirondack wilderness, with lots of beautiful opportunities to leaf-peep and snap photos. This charming antique railroad winds its way up the hillside, offering jaw-dropping views at every turn. Take postcard perfect pictures of the changing leaves, and maybe snap a few of the wildlife as well. Plus, this train is a great adventure for kids, and hosts a Polar Express trips to see Santa in the winter.