3 NYS parks to explore with the Empire Pass

There’s no place quite like the great outdoors, and a road trip to a state park can be the perfect fall escape.

Parks can be peaceful, with the soft lapping of a lake and birds chirping. And all the greenery and color of flowers in bloom or fall foliage is good for the soul. New York has more than 250 state parks and historical sites. An Empire Pass gets you in, along with access to beaches, trails and picnic areas. Annual passes start at $80 for a physical card and $72 for the digital pass. While only one vehicle at a time can use the pass to enter a facility, you can share your pass with friends and families, making it a bargain if you split the cost.

Set out to explore some of New York’s finest parks. Here are three favorites about one, two and three hours’ drive from Long Island.

Rockefeller State Park Preserve

125 Phelps Way, Pleasantville, 914-631-1470, parks.ny.gov

DRIVING DISTANCE FROM MELVILLE: 1 hour

Enjoy what was once the Pocantico Hills and Rockwood Hall country estates of the John D. Rockefeller and William Rockefeller families. The preserve is open year-round. Find fun here along hiking and equestrian trails, as well as fishing, hunting, sledding, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Check for events like sunset yoga at Rockwood Hall, family birding workshops, night walks and plein-air painting.

You'll find yourself immersed in nature with the forests, streams and wetlands. Swan Lake is 24 acres and the heart of the preserve. If you’re a birder, see how many of the 200 species in the area you can spot. In the fall glimpse monarch butterflies passing through as they fly south.

The preserve is home to a fern garden and the Tree Peony Garden, beloved for its flowers donated by the town of Yatsuka in Japan. The Rockefeller Art Gallery hosts exhibits and events.

THINGS TO DO NEARBY 

If you’re staying in Pleasantville for a couple of days, visit Jacob Burns Film Center (364 Manville Rd., 914-773-7663, burnsfilmcenter.org) to not only catch a movie but special events like a Q&A with filmmaker Ron Howard. If it’s Saturday, head to the outdoor (year-round) Pleasantville Farmers Market (10 Memorial Plaza, pleasantvillefarmersmarket.org). There are typically more than 50 vendors.

Check the calendar, too, to see if your visit will coincide with any of the dates for the Pleasantville Concert Series at Civic Space in Memorial Plaza (pleasantville-ny.gov). Visit places locals love, like Pubstreet (20 Wheeler Ave., 914-909-5408, pubstreet.com). It’s the gathering spot for oysters, ahi tuna burgers, Caesar salad and craft cocktails.

Stay in nearby Tarrytown at Tarrytown House Estate, which dates to the 1840s and was once a retreat for the well-heeled (49 E. Sunnyside Lane, 914-591-8200, tarrytownhouseestate.com). Room rates start around $240 a night.

Bear Mountain State Park

Palisades Parkway or Route 9W North, 845-786-2701, parks.ny.gov

DRIVING DISTANCE FROM MELVILLE: 1½ hours

See how different the world is in just under two hours at Bear Mountain State Park in Bear Mountain. Think forested mountains, rugged peaks, tons of wildlife — white-tailed deer, coyotes, beavers, river otters, bald eagles, snapping turtles and all sorts of waterfowl and shorebirds. This neck of the woods is ideal for biking, hiking, boating, lake and river fishing access, picnicking, swimming (pool is $5, cash only), ice skating, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

The Trailside Museum and Zoo is a self-guided nature trail with plenty to see along the way, from a statute of poet Walt Whitman to small stone museums with information about wildlife, geology and history (suggested donation is $1).

For a panoramic view to remember, hike the mountain or drive up Perkins Memorial Drive to reach Perkins Memorial Tower atop Bear Mountain. You can climb the stairs inside the stone tower.

If you fancy something a little less thrilling, the merry-go-round features hand-painted scenes of the park and 42 hand-carved seats of native animals, including black bear, wild turkey, deer, fox and swan ($2-$3 to ride).

THINGS TO DO NEARBY 

Explore beyond the park at nearby Fort Montgomery State Historic Site (690 Rte. 9W, Fort Montgomery, 845-446-2134, parks.ny.gov). This was where a Revolutionary War battle for the control of the Hudson River took place. See the ruins of the 14-acre fortification that sits on a cliff overlooking the Hudson. There are artifacts, weapons and more. Stop in Richie’s Little Place for comfort food like fried chicken, as well as prime rib and steaks (817 Rte. 9W, Fort Montgomery, 845-446-7918)

You might also want to hit West Point Museum (2110 New South Post Rd., West Point, history.army.mil; free) for more military history. It houses the largest diversified collection of military artifacts, such as George Washington’s pistols and a World War I tank. 

Consider staying at the Bear Mountain Inn (3020 Seven Lakes Dr., Tomkins Cove, 855-548-1184, visitbearmountain.com). Rooms start around $240 a night. Even if you don’t stay there, you can pop in for afternoon tea or have dinner at its Restaurant 1915, known for its Angus burgers and countryside chicken.

Minnewaska State Park Preserve

5281 Rte. 44-55, Kerhonkson, 845-255-0752, parks.ny.gov

DRIVING DISTANCE FROM MELVILLE: 3 hours

You may not have heard of Kerhonkson, a tiny hamlet of fewer than 2,000 people in the Hudson Valley. The scenery at Minnewaska State Park Preserve is stunning, with the Shawangunk Mountain Ridge towering 2,000 feet above and rugged, rocky terrain. During the fall, the foliage is postcard-perfect. Take in the waterfalls, streams, lakes, forests, cliffs and ledges. With more than 20,000 acres, the preserve is the third-largest state park in New York.

This is an outdoor lover’s playground, with biking, hiking, swimming, rock climbing ($10 for a rock climbing day pass), bouldering, scuba diving, picnicking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

The Minnewaska State Park Preserve’s Sam’s Point Area is the highest section of the Shawangunk Mountains.

If you want to rough it in the wild, you can do that at the Samuel F. Pryor III Shawangunks Gateway Campground that’s tent-only (953 Rte. 299, Gardiner, 303-951-4571, americanalpineclub.org). This is not fancy glamping, but the campground does include a pavilion, cooking area, bathhouse, restrooms and circulation trails. All sites accommodate up to two tents (and four people) per pad. Tent sites are $28 a night for members of the American Alpine Club and $42 for nonmembers. Vehicle sites are $20 for members and $24 for nonmembers.

THINGS TO DO NEARBY 

For action of another sort, head to the Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery (14 Grist Mill Lane, Gardiner, 845-419-2964, tuthilltowndistillery.com). The Bourbon Renewal Tour is $30 and includes a six-sample tasting kit and souvenir rocks glass. There’s typically live music on Saturdays from 5-8 p.m. The distillery is also home to Tuthilltown Disc Golf, a nine-hole course ($5 for a day pass).

Mill & Main (317-319 Main St., Kerhonkson, 845-626-1255, eat.millmain.com) is popular for its seasonal American cuisine with Caribbean, Latin American and Italian twists. Load up on appetizers like honey jerk shrimp, jerk chicken wings, or for dinner, go for the whole branzino oreganata with garlic butter, cannellini beans and roasted breadcrumbs.

If you’re doing more than a day trip and camping isn’t your vibe, consider the Minnewaska Lodge (3116 Rte. 44-55, Gardiner, 845-255-1110, minnewaskalodge.com). Enjoy the hiking trails on the property, outdoor fire pits, and complimentary full hot breakfast. Room rates start around $300 a night.