Fall in Love With Westchester County

For a taste of country living, beautiful outdoors and culture, come to Westchester County, N.Y. The 500-square-mile county boasts vast parks, working farms and rugged mountain trails with glorious views, art and music festivals, as well as museums.

A perfect fall destination (it is the home of Sleepy Hollow, after all), everything you love about the season is here, from apple and pumpkin picking to scenic hikes and spooky sites.

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Go Beyond Eerie Tales

Uncover the Octagon House’s myths, mysteries and uncanny stories — this fall in Westchester.

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Take a Hike, Grab a Bite

To truly appreciate the beautiful scenery and foliage displays, take a hike or a bike ride along some the country’s most extraordinary scenic trail systems.

Westchester County boasts 24,000 acres of parkland. Ward Pound Ridge Reservation is Westchester’s biggest park, encompassing more than 4,000 acres including 35 acres of wooded trails. Other locations where you can enjoy the outdoors include Teatown Lake Reservation in Ossining, Greenburgh Nature Center in Scarsdale, Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary in Rye, Rockefeller State Park in Pleasantville and the Scenic Hudson RiverWalk in Tarrytown.

For those looking for a challenge, take on the 2.6-mile hike to Anthony’s Nose. The trail takes about 3.5 hours to conquer uphill, though once you reach the peak you are awarded with a panoramic view of the Hudson River unlike any other.

When you are ready for some indoor activities, the area is rich with museums and art and music centers, plus plenty of dining options from coffee to exotic meals. For great food in a relaxed setting, try the Barnwood Grill. The farm-to-table Crabtree’s Kittle House always impresses.

Farm Fresh Fun

Get a taste of farm life while enjoying the colorful fall foliage. Follow the 17-mile Westchester Farm Trail and enjoy hands-on experiences such as making maple syrup and, of course, apple picking.

Be sure to stop by Stuart’s Farm in Granite Springs, the oldest apple orchard in Westchester County, operating as a fruit farm since 1828. Visitors can pick 20 varieties of apples, stock up on apple treats like pies and doughnuts and take a hayride around the orchard on weekends.

Pick apples and pumpkins and enjoy dishes made from the fruits, vegetables and livestock raised at the family-owned Harvest Moon Farm and Orchard in North Salem. The store offers a variety of home-grown items, and the farm hosts music and other events throughout the year.

The family-favorite Muscoot Farm in Katonah is a former dairy-farm-turned-park where families can visit farm animals and tour historic buildings, including a farm museum. Educational events are offered throughout the year.

Lighthouses, Jack O’Lanterns, Cemeteries, Oh My!

Looking for interesting new places to explore? The newly refurbished Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse at Tarrytown, built in 1883, is open for free guided tours of its five decks. The lighthouse, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was critical to the safety of Hudson River ships during its almost 80 years of operation.

Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson is hosting The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, which is celebrating its 20^th anniversary, through Nov. 17. Wander through a display of more than 7,000 grinning, glowing jack o’ lanterns.

And nothing says spooky season like a visit to Sleepy Hollow, the setting of one of author Washington Irving’s most famous stories, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Stop by the Old Dutch Church featured in the story and explore Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (if you dare), the final resting place of Irving and other famous figures, including Andrew Carnegie, Walter Chrysler and Elizabeth Arden.

Start planning your trip to Westchester County today.