Metro-North Railroad's Leaf Peeper trains are back through November
Take the Metro-North Railroad’s Leaf Peeper train to Poughkeepsie. Credit: Getty Images/OlegAlbinsky
Skip the traffic and let the train do the driving. Metro-North Railroad’s Leaf Peeper trains are back, with extra weekend service to Beacon and Poughkeepsie through Nov. 8. Long Islanders can ride the LIRR to Grand Central, transfer to Metro-North and spend the day pairing river views and fall color with art, hiking, shopping and waterfront walks.
The MTA added three morning trains north toward Beacon and Poughkeepsie and three afternoon trains back to Grand Central Terminal each weekend of the foliage season. From exploring Beacon’s galleries and Main Street to walking above the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, the seasonal service offers an easy way to plan a fall day trip without driving.
How to get there from Long Island
The Metro-North Railroad commuter train at the Harlem 125th Street railway station in New York. Credit: Getty Images/Boarding1Now
Take the LIRR into Grand Central, then walk up to the main terminal to catch a Metro-North train. Find train schedules on the MTA website or TrainTime app. Check I LOVE NY’s fall foliage report to see where color is peaking.
Travel time: Beacon is about 90 minutes from Grand Central. Poughkeepsie is roughly two hours.
Fares: Combo tickets covering the LIRR and Metro-North cost $24 each way, cheaper than buying each leg separately. Children 17 and younger ride for $1 each way with a fare-paying adult.
Beacon: Art, Main Street and hiking
Main Street in Beacon, lined with historic red-brick buildings, independent galleries, boutiques and shops. Credit: Getty Images/Bo Shen
Beacon pairs a cultural outing with a lively downtown. Main Street and parts of the waterfront are walkable from the station, and the free Beacon Loop bus connects the major stops.
Start at Dia Beacon (3 Beekman St.; diaart.org; 845-440-0100), a contemporary art museum in a former Nabisco box-printing factory. The 300,000-square-foot space sits on the banks of the Hudson holds large-scale works in galleries flooded with natural light. Tickets cost $25.
Then head to Main Street, lined with independent galleries, boutiques and unique shops. Stop at The Vinyl Room (396 Main St.; tvrny.com; 845-297-3344), a restaurant and vinyl record store serving craft beer, cocktails and Korean nachos. On Sundays through November, the Beacon Flea Market (6 Henry St.; beaconfleamarket.com; 845-202-0094) sets up in the Henry Street lot behind the post office.
For an active afternoon, hike Mount Beacon along the route of the old incline railway. For something lighter, Madam Brett Park (South Ave.; scenichudson.org; 845-473-4440) has a waterfall and wooded paths. Long Dock Park (23 Long Dock Rd.; scenichudson.org; 845-473-4440), on the river, is a good spot to stretch your legs, and kayak and boat tours to Bannerman Castle (bannermancastle.org) on Pollepel Island leave from the docks.
Dia Beacon is an 8 to 10 minute walk from the Metro-North Beacon Station, or the Beacon Free Loop bus runs Monday through Saturday from the train station to Dia, Main Street and Mount Beacon, before returning to the train station.
Poughkeepsie: Walk above the Hudson
In Poughkeepsie, visitors get a unique way to see foliage along the Hudson River. The Walkway Over the Hudson (61 Parker Ave.; walkway.org) is a 1.28-mile pedestrian bridge that rises 212 feet above the water. A former railroad bridge, it opened as a state park in 2009 and offers sweeping views of the river and the Catskills. It's free and open daily from 7 a.m. to sunset. The Upper Landing Park elevator entrance (83 N. Water St.) is a short walk or quick taxi ride from the Poughkeepsie station. Walkers who want more can follow the 4.4-mile loop trail across the Walkway and the Mid-Hudson Bridge.
Nearby, grab lunch at Rossi & Sons (45 S. Clover St.; rossiandsons.com; 845-471-0654), a family-run Italian deli known for sandwiches, prepared foods and imported specialties.
Hyde Park is a short drive north. The Culinary Institute of America (1946 Campus Dr.; ciachef.edu) runs student-staffed restaurants on its campus, including those with American, French and Italian cuisine.
Nearby, the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site (119 Vanderbilt Park Rd.; nps.gov/vama; 845-444-9166) offers a glimpse of Gilded Age life. The Beaux-Arts mansion sits on a 211-acre estate above the Hudson, with landscaped grounds and valley views. Visitors can explore the grounds or access the mansion by guided tour. Tour tickets are $15 for ages 16 and older.
