Beyond the Empire City
Exploring
New York State
New York is far more than its iconic namesake city and the wider state is bursting with history, cuisine, wineries and wild corners waiting to be explored…
Away from the bright lights of New York City, the namesake state offers a wide variety of experiences, from rolling wine country and legendary lakes to historic canal routes. With 10 distinct regions, there is something for everyone in New York State.
Easily accessible from the city by car, train and domestic flights, it’s a fantastic destination to explore over a few days.
Use the map below to start exploring everything the state has to offer...
On the fringes of the city
Just beyond New York City, you can discover the timeless beauty of Long Island, the arts scene of the Catskills and the untouched beauty of the Hudson Valley.
Long Island
Long Island, the state's easternmost island, is home to over 100 sandy beaches, excellent seafood and charming coastal villages. Wealthy New Yorkers once flocked to opulent estates on the so-called Gold Coast, inspiring F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Today, socialites head to celeb stomping grounds like The Hamptons and Montauk. Exploring Long Island and its picturesque wine country can be as fancy or as frills-free as you make it. Well-known North Fork (or 'NOFO', as the locals call it) joins two other viticultural zones where you can sip Bordeaux-style reds in stylish cellars or enjoy laid-back vineyard picnics, accompanied by free-flowing rosé and live music.
Catskills
For views over the Catskill Mountains, take the 2km-long walk along the Walkway over the Hudson – the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. Surrounding yourself in nature comes easily in the Catskills, a bucolic region that spans more than 15,000 square kilometres across the majestic Appalachian Mountains. Ramble across the 2,428 square kilometres of Catskill Park to marvel at the raw beauty of its maple, beech and birch forests and be awed by lofty peaks like Belleayre Mountain that transform into skiable pistes come winter. As the birthplace of America's artistic movement, the legacy of artists like Thomas Cole, founder of The Hudson River School of Art, and the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts are treasured here, too. Its enduring food and craft beverage scene is another top attraction, with visits to scenically located breweries and farm-to-table restaurants joining its long list of experiences.
Hudson Valley
Just 72 kilometres north of Manhattan, the Hudson Valley is a beautiful region that is home to mirror-like lakes and cloud-piercing peaks. Bear Mountain State Park is a popular spot for hiking, fishing, and camping. The park is also home to the Bear Mountain Bridge, which offers stunning views of the Hudson River. For a more cultural experience, visit Storm King Art Center. This outdoor art museum features large-scale sculptures that seem to emerge from the landscape. Stroll the longest elevated pedestrian bridge, the Walkway over the Hudson, here as well.
Discover hidden gems
Follow the road less travelled to breathtaking canyons, fairytale-like castles and otherworldly sculpture parks.
Letchworth State Park
Just 100 kilometres east of Buffalo, you'll find the 'Grand Canyon of the East', a rocky gorge that lives up to its nickname. This 27.4-kilometre-long section of the Genesee River features three major waterfalls and gushes through near-vertical cliffs, creating a dramatic landscape. There are plenty of ways to enjoy the gorge, no matter what time of year you visit. In the summer, you can go horseback riding, kayaking or rafting. In the winter, the gorge becomes a popular destination for snow tubing and cross-country skiing. For a unique perspective, consider taking a hot air balloon ride over the gorge. Or hike the 6.6-kilometre-long Gorge Trail, which takes you past Inspiration Falls, New York State's highest waterfall.
Boldt Castle
New York's 1,000 Islands-Seaway is a cluster of islands that rise from the great St Lawrence River, either side of the US-Canada border. It is a region with a storybook quality, and one of the most unique ways to experience it is by arriving at the Rhineland-style Boldt Castle on Heart Island by vintage speedboat. The castle is a six-story structure with fairytale-style turrets, an ornate façade, and sprawling gardens. It sits on a five-acre site and is surrounded by the crystal-clear waters of the St Lawrence River.
Griffis Sculpture Park
Griffis Sculpture Park is a unique outdoor museum that features over 250 large-scale sculptures. The park is located in Ashford Hollow and East Otto, New York, and is spread across nearly 2 square kilometres of forests, wetlands, meadows, and ponds. The park was created by award-winning artist and engineer Larry Griffis and is considered the largest outdoor sculpture park in the country. The sculptures in the park vary in size and style and are designed by a variety of international artists. Some of the sculptures depict human figures, insects, and animals, while others are more abstract. The park also hosts a variety of events, including NIGHT LIGHTS, which features the sculptures lit up at night.
Seek out New York's heritage
Acquaint yourself with New York’s fascinating cultural heritage: from its Woodstock history and women’s rights legacy to the historic canal that drove its success.
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Those interested in learning more about the history of the 1969 Woodstock Festival can do so at this beloved cultural institution, where the world-famous concert that defined a generation of music took place. The campus, which includes a 16,000-capacity amphitheater, a 422-seat event gallery, and an award-winning museum, is located in rural Bethel, surrounded by the scenic Sullivan Catskills. Visitors can immerse themselves in artifacts, films, music, and interactive recordings that transport them back to the world-famous event. Staff members who recall their own Woodstock memories further enhance this one-of-a-kind attraction.
Erie Canal
A key driver behind New York City’s Empire State success was the 584-kilometre-long Erie Canal, a feat of engineering which linked Albany, on the Hudson River, to the city of Buffalo, the gateway to America’s Great Lakes. While this historical waterway has been adapted since its 1825 completion, there’s still around 320 kilometers of it to explore via foot, tour boat, or two wheels. The section that runs between Orleans, Monroe and Wayne counties, taking in the ‘boomtown’ city of Rochester, is known as the canal’s ‘100 must-see miles.’ Stopping by charming communities like Fairport and Pittsford, you can also discover historical canal side inns, well preserved aqueducts and time capsule like museums.
Seneca Falls
Located just a one-hour flight from New York City, Seneca Falls is a charming town with a fascinating history. It was here, in 1848, that the first Women's Rights Convention was held. The National Women's Rights Historic Park commemorates this important event, and features the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, where the convention was held, as well as bronze statues of the key figures who attended. The National Women's Hall of Fame is another must-see for visitors to Seneca Falls. This museum honours the achievements of women from all walks of life, and features exhibits on everything from women's suffrage to the fight for equal pay. Fans of the movie It's a Wonderful Life will also want to visit Seneca Falls. The town was the inspiration for the fictional Bedford Falls, and the museum dedicated to the movie is a fun and informative way to learn more about its history.
Write your own chapter
Literary heritage abounds in New York, with towns famed by storybook icons and regions named after legendary authors.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road
It was L. Frank Baum who penned the renowned classical story The Wizard of Oz, and those who travel around 24 kilometers east of Syracuse, to the village of Chittenango, will find themselves in the celebrated author’s birthplace. Now a pilgrim site for literary fans, authors, illustrators and fairytale loving families; the village playfully embraces the author’s legacy with yellow brick sidewalks, businesses named after the Emerald City and, even, an ‘Over the Rainbow’ pre-school. Each summer, it also hosts the annual Oz-Stravaganza Festival, which brings a plethora of Oz-related entertainment. The All-Things Oz museum which displays over 1,000 Oz-related memorabilia and the Baum’s Bazaar gift shop are well worth a trip.
Visit Mark Twain Country
Chemung County is a beautiful region of New York State that is home to a variety of attractions, including wineries, scenic landscapes, and a delicious food and drink trail. But what Chemung County is most famous for is its connection to Mark Twain. Twain spent many of his summers in Elmira, a city in Chemung County, and his legacy is still very much alive today. Visitors can pay their respects at his gravesite at Woodlawn Cemetery, and they can also tour his hilltop summer home, Quarry Farm. Twain's octagonal study, which is now located on the Elmira College Campus, is also open to the public for tours. It’s here the author worked on notable tomes like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
Be spooked out in Sleepy Hollow
Two centuries after Washington Irving published The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the eponymous village and neighbouring Tarrytown have become characterized by this eerie tale. Year-round, visitors can also take tours that feature sites from, or related to, the American folklore story, with popular stops including the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow and its burial ground, as well as Irving’s home of Sunnyside. Come Halloween, Westchester County puts on an impressive show of Halloween parades and spooky after-dark tours of Tarrytown’s Lyndhurst Mansion. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze a display of 7,000 hand-carved illuminated pumpkins set against the 17th-century Van Cortlandt Manor in nearby Croton-on-Hudson is spectacular.
Go wild
A trip to New York State unlocks endless natural thrills, from its renowned wildlife-filled hiking routes and scalable summits to its cycling trails leading to famous lakes.
Appalachian Trail
The 150-kilometre section of the Appalachian Trail that runs through New York State was the first stretch of the epic trail to open and it offers some of the most stunning scenery in the entire state. The trail winds through Fahnestock, Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks, offering hikers stunning views of forested hills and open skies. There are also plenty of trailside delis along the way, so hikers can refuel with delicious food and drinks. Two of the most popular sites along the New York State section of the Appalachian Trail are the Lemon Squeezer and the Bear Mountain Bridge. The Lemon Squeezer is a narrow stone fissure that hikers must squeeze through, and the Bear Mountain Bridge is a century-old bridge that offers stunning views of the Hudson River.
Adirondack Park
If you could take Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier and Grand Canyon national parks and stitch them all together, you still wouldn’t match the area of Adirondack, the largest park in Continental United States. Encompassing glassy lakes, forested valleys and a dramatic granite mountain range, it’s no wonder this 23,309-square-kilometre wilderness spurred a William H.H. Murray to write one of America’s very first travel guidebooks. And while athletically fit hikers vie for the Adirondack 46ers title by conquering all of its 46 summits, others can take more leisurely trails around the likes of Lake Placid’s Cascade Mountain and Porter Mountain, which deliver incredible massif panoramas and charming lakeside views.
Empire State Trail
The Empire State Trail, which opened on 31 December 2020, is a 1,200-plus kilometre hiking and cycling route that has quickly become a popular destination for travellers from all over the world. The trail links picturesque countryside with fascinating history and famous attractions across three sections. The Hudson Valley Greenway, for example, features the medieval art-filled Met Cloisters, while the Erie Canalway Trail puts Albany's top cider breweries firmly on the map. The Champlain Valley Trail, which runs between Albany and the Canadian border, is a standout route for foodies. Its Champ's Cuisine Trail features numerous wineries, locavore bistros and craft breweries that travellers can enjoy as they explore Lake Champlain's legendary shores.
Feeling inspired?
New York City may be the UK's main gateway to the state, but there are many connecting flights to the state's many regional airports to help you easily explore beyond the city. Plus, it's very easy to travel around via car and train, too.
For more information about New York State Tourism, the North American Travel Service and details on how to explore New York, click the links below.
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