There is a reason people travel hundreds of miles to see the Catskills in autumn. When the foliage peaks — and it peaks here with an intensity that has to be seen to be believed — the mountains transform into a rolling sea of gold, crimson, burnt orange, and deep burgundy that stretches from your window to the horizon. At The Cedar Stock Cabin, fall foliage is not something you drive to see. It is something that surrounds you the moment you step onto the deck, pour your morning coffee, and look up at Overlook Mountain ablaze with color. The air is crisp, the light is golden, and the entire landscape feels like it is putting on one last magnificent show before the quiet of winter arrives.
When to Come for Peak Color
Peak foliage in the Catskills typically arrives in mid-October, though the exact timing varies by elevation and the whims of each year's weather. The higher peaks begin to turn in late September, with color cascading downhill through the first two weeks of October until the entire valley is saturated. The Catskills sit at a sweet spot — high enough for dramatic sugar maples, birches, and oaks that produce intense color, and varied enough in elevation that the display stretches over several weeks rather than arriving and departing all at once.
If you can be flexible with your dates, the first two weeks of October are the safest bet for peak color at the cabin's elevation. But even early October and late October offer stunning displays — early in the season, the contrast between green valleys and turning summits is dramatic, and later, the bare branches at higher elevations frame lingering gold in the valleys below. There is no bad time to visit in autumn; there is only spectacular and slightly less spectacular.
Scenic Drives
The roads around The Cedar Stock Cabin become some of the finest scenic drives in the Northeast during foliage season. Route 28 west through Phoenicia follows the Esopus Creek through a narrow valley where the mountains press close on both sides, their flanks lit with color — it is a drive that makes you pull over again and again for photographs. Route 23A through Kaaterskill Clove is even more dramatic, climbing through a steep gorge where waterfalls cascade down rock faces surrounded by blazing maples.
For a longer excursion, the drive south toward the Mohonk Preserve and Minnewaska State Park offers ridge-top views of the Hudson Valley stretching east toward the river, with the Shawangunk Ridge providing a striking geological contrast to the softer Catskill peaks. And the simple drive down the mountain from the cabin to Woodstock village — a route you will travel every day — is itself a foliage experience, with the canopy overhead forming a glowing tunnel of red and gold.
Apple Picking and Cider Season
Autumn in the Hudson Valley means apple season, and the orchards within reach of the cabin offer one of the most satisfying fall activities there is. Local farms open their orchards for pick-your-own from September through October, with varieties ranging from crisp Honeycrisp and tart Granny Smith to heritage apples you will not find in any supermarket. The experience is simple and timeless — walking through rows of laden trees in the cool air, filling a bag, and eating one right off the branch because you cannot resist.
Follow the apple picking with a visit to a local cider press for fresh, unfiltered cider — the real thing, cloudy and sweet and nothing like what you find in a bottle — and warm cider donuts that are reason enough to plan a fall trip. Many orchards also offer pumpkin patches, hay rides, and farm stores stocked with local honey, jams, and seasonal pies. Bring a bag of apples back to the cabin and bake a crisp in the full kitchen — the smell alone is worth the effort.
Harvest Festivals
Fall in Woodstock brings a calendar full of harvest events and community celebrations. The Woodstock Harvest Festival is an annual highlight, with local vendors, live music, seasonal food, and the infectious energy of a small town celebrating the season together. Farm events throughout the valley offer tours, tastings, and the chance to connect with the producers who make this region's food culture so special. The farmers markets continue into October, and the late-season offerings — winter squash, root vegetables, late apples, and fresh-baked bread — are some of the best of the year.
Hiking in Fall
If there is a single best time to hike in the Catskills, it is autumn. The oppressive summer humidity is gone, replaced by cool, clear air that makes every climb feel easier and every view feel sharper. Overlook Mountain in fall is transcendent — the familiar trail becomes a corridor of color, and from the fire tower summit, the panoramic view of the entire valley dressed in foliage is one of the most beautiful things you will ever see. Huckleberry Point is equally spectacular, with its wide-open ledge overlooking a sea of turning trees that stretches to the edge of sight.
The trails are busiest on peak-color weekends in October, so midweek hiking is especially rewarding during foliage season. Start early, bring layers — fall mornings can be brisk at elevation — and give yourself time to sit at the summit and simply look. The Catskills in autumn reward patience and stillness as much as they reward exertion.
Cozy Evenings at the Cabin
Fall brings the first fires of the season to The Cedar Stock Cabin wood stove, and there is a particular satisfaction in building that first fire as the evening chill settles over the mountain. The cabin was made for this — the warmth of the stove against the cool air, the cedar walls glowing in the firelight, the mountain visible through the windows in the last light of day. Make a pot of mulled cider on the stove — apple cider from a local orchard, cinnamon sticks, cloves, a splash of bourbon if that is your style — and carry it out to the deck for one last look at the mountains before dark.
Autumn evenings at the cabin have a quality of completeness to them. The day was full — a hike, a scenic drive, apples picked, a town explored — and now the reward is warmth, quiet, and the deep comfort of a beautiful place as the season turns. Browse the restaurant guide for dinner inspiration, or cook something seasonal in the cabin kitchen while the last light fades from the ridgeline. Plan tomorrow's day trip over a glass of wine. Fall at The Cedar Stock Cabin is the season that makes you want to come back.