Upstate New York's Most Beautiful Locations

Nature preserves, waterfalls, bird sanctuaries, and more for a summer escape.

When those of us in Downstate New York (a.k.a. New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley) are in need of a weekend getaway or even a day trip, there’s no better destination than our northern sibling, Upstate New York. While it’s a spectacular retreat during the colder months, the region has more to offer than just skiing and snow tubing at Belleayre Mountain once summer rolls around, and is perfect for your next NYC escape. From bird sanctuaries and nature preserves to a sculpture park and architectural marvel, add these locales to your itinerary. Here are the most beautiful places to visit in Upstate New York.

Fishkill Creek
Beacon
Fishkill Creek is a tributary of the Hudson River and flows to a small estuary south of Beacon. The name comes from the Dutch translation for fish creek (vis kill) because of the abundance of alewife, white perch, and other fish species in its waters. At the far end of Main Street, with uniquely independent businesses like Hudson Valley Marshmallow Company and Beacon Bath and Bubble, your ears will know you’re near the river first before your vision comes upon a rush of water and a short cascading waterfall accessible across abandoned rail tracks. Enjoy views that open up to a truly beautiful landscape of trees, rocks, and foliage-covered mountains across the creek. It’s free and open year-round, so get nature pictures for the ‘gram with all of your seasonal outfits.

The Corning Museum of Glass
Corning
The glass collections at this offbeat museum are intriguing, but it’s the striking 100,000-square-foot Contemporary Art + Design Wing that has visitors planning a trip to the Finger Lakes for more than just wine and waterfalls. Live glass-blowing demos are available daily, and current exhibitions include Fire and Vine, the history of glass and wine, from the grapes of Romans to bacchanal experiences in modern culture; in addition to the museum’s ongoing Innovation Center and the Jerome and Lucille Strauss Study Gallery with objects spanning 3,500 years of glass making across the world. Stay for the make-your-own-glass projects available to everyone. The museum is open with advance ticketing.

Falling Waters Preserve
Glasco
A two-hour car ride from NYC, Falling Waters Preserve in Ulster County is a small and lesser-known nature preserve devoid of the usual crowds that frequent popular trails. When here, expect to soak in the verdant environment and truly forest bathe (shinrin-yoku, in Japanese) in its expanse of trees as far as the eye can see. When hiking the Father Charles Jorn trail, you’ll stumble across a waterfall cascading down rock ledges before walking a bit further to the coastline for a mini beach and foliage views across the Hudson River.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff
Derby
Head to Derby, a tiny, Lake Erie-based hamlet, for the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Graycliff—the estate designed for the Martin family, who were his benefactors. Go on a landscape tour of the property highlighting its gardens, pond, and the first floor of the main house. Built between 1926 and 1931, the restored estate sits at the edge of the lake where the 70-foot limestone cliffs served as inspiration for Wright’s work. The property is open year-round, so book tours in advance for a lovely experience.

Griffis Sculpture Park
East Otto
In the 1960s, artist Larry Griffis got the idea to create what would become the first sculpture park in the United States while watching his children romp through the ruins of an emperor’s villa in Italy. Today, at Griffis Sculpture Park visitors can bike 10 miles of trails, cruising around woods, fields, and ponds—not to mention over 250 sculptures arranged by themes like animals, nudes, and castles