NY Fall Hikes (October 2025)

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Bald Mountain and Mount Van Hoevenberg


Impromptu decisions to do these back to back during a weekend. Turned out to be couple of best fall hikes in Adirondacks. While Bald Mountain was a shorter hike, Mt van Hoevenberg was a well paved steep and longer hike.
Bald mountain hike was pretty much along the cliff side with a view of the lake all along the way with several view points. On a sunny day like that with temperature in 60s, it turned out into an incredibly satisfying hike. At the summit, there were a quite a large space for relaxing and swallowing the panoramic views of the lake. This was a hike that took us back home before dark!

That helped us plan for the hike next day to Mount van Hoevenberg.
Once we reached the parking lot we were a bit hesitant as the parking area was quite spacious which is unlikely in Adirondacks typically. In addition it was right where the Olympic complex is. The trail head actually starts from behind the building in an inconspicuous way. So, we were continued to be skeptical until we started and say some foot traffic. The trail was very new and someone mentioned that it was less than a year old and costed about couple of million dollars to complete it! The trail had a good mix of inclines, rocky terrain and well paved sections making it a very fun as well as relaxing. Again it was a sunny day with clouds showing up occasionally. At the summit, there were 3-4 viewpoints with rocky surfaces to relax and have snack while digesting the views many peaks in that 180 degree view. Since it was a clear day, quite a few peaks were visible. An elderly lady relaxing there volunteered information about different peaks that were visible. Of these , we could also see the only 46er that we did the year before- Mount Joe. It seemed like the smallest among the rest!

Other pictures from Adirondacks

Overlook mountain in Catskills

Because of the unusually dry summer we had, the trees seemed to have shed their leaves prematurely. In addition, it did seem like the fall colors would appear a few weeks later. The trail started right across the street from the Buddhist temple. It is a teeny tiny parking area for what seemed like a popular hiking trail. People had parked their vehicles along roadside for quite a long distance. Luckily we got a spot as an early hiker vacated his spot. The trail started steep in what was once a horse carriage road. So, it is quite spacious but the steepness kept its gradient all the way to the summit. In that aspect it was a strenuous hike, but somehow we kept on it. Just before the summit were the ruins of what was supposed to be a hotel for which the carriage road was built. Once at the summit, the view point is pretty cramped and was a disappointment for us. Being a sunny day made the view very hazy. The fire tower is okay for its 360 degree view. All the neighboring state lines were visible. Overall, the experience was subdued due to the sunny weather and an okay viewpoints. But the arduous task gave us a sense of satisfaction.

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