The Most Picturesque Towns In New York
New York is known for more than its famous concrete jungles and towering skyscrapers. Beyond the borders of the cities lies a sprawling landscape of mountains and crystal-clear lakes. Scattered throughout the Hudson Valley, the Adirondacks, and the Finger Lakes are countless small, hidden towns. Historic 19th-century brick shopping plazas sit alongside mountainsides. These picturesque towns of New York give visitors and locals an escape from the busier cities.
Lake Placid
The town of Lake Placid sits deep in the Adirondack Mountains, surrounded by tall pine trees, making it the definition of picturesque. The town's population is about 2,200. Despite its small size, it remains home to the historic 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics.
Mirror Lake is a location that travelers should surely visit. The lake's natural waters are dark and free from motorized boats, which allows the lake to display a beautiful reflection of the entire downtown strip. The view makes it look as if it were taken right off a postcard. The 2.3-mile trail that surrounds it is a popular hiking or walking spot, and the lake is calm enough to enjoy some kayaking.
For travelers interested in the town's Olympic history, the Olympic Legacy Grounds are the perfect place. Here, visitors can take a tour of the Lake Placid Olympic Museum, ride the elevator up the towering Olympic Ski Jumping Complex, or skate the Olympic Oval, all while being surrounded by massive alpine forests and mountains.
The Alpine-style Main Street is a local and visitor favorite, and is a walkable downtown filled with brick and wood buildings reminiscent of a European ski village photograph.
Cold Spring
What makes Cold Spring a picturesque New York town is that, at the deepest part of the Hudson Highlands, the town has mountain views with the river winding through each of its cliffsides. This town is known for being one of the best-preserved 19th-century towns within the Hudson River area. With its mix of outdoor recreation and historic small-town comfort, there are a variety of things to do and see in this beautiful, picturesque town.
For outdoor recreation, Breakneck Ridge is the best mountain in the Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve for visitors to explore. Once hikers get towards the tops of the summits, there are many opportunities to take photos of the dropping vertical cliff sides and views of the Hudson River Valley.
Main Street is an incredible stretch lined with 19th-century shops, classic gas-lamp-style streetlights, and historic churches that are also on the National Register of Historic Places. There are over 60 different independently owned businesses sitting among the surrounding mountain backdrops.
Another picturesque spot to take photos, relax, and see beautiful natural views is the Waterfront View Gazebo. This classic-style wooden structure sits right at the edge of the water, creating the ultimate framed shot of Storm King Mountain across the Hudson River.
Skaneateles
This town is known as the "Jewel of the Finger Lakes." The village of Skaneateles is a lake town on the northern shore of Skaneateles Lake with a population of about 7,000. The lake in this village is one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in the United States. It is famous for its 19th-century architecture, upscale shopping, and seasonal festivals.
Clift Park is the heart of the village and has beautiful views that put Skaneateles on the list of picturesque towns in New York. The park has perfectly manicured green lawns, a historic gazebo, and a long wooden pier that extends over clear turquoise waters. Travelers who visit in July can catch free concerts on the lake shores.
Just a few minutes south of Skaneateles Lake is Anyela's Vineyards. The structural pavilions, many rows of grapevines, and outdoor lakeside patios look down upon the widest areas of the lake, giving visitors unforgettable views. It combines the beauty of the Finger Lakes with distant, elevated views of the deep green forests that frame the opposite shoreline.
Cooperstown
Cooperstown is known as a village in the Catskill foothills of central New York, where the steep, rolling hills meet the calm waters of Otsego Lake. This town is unique and picturesque because it blends raw natural landscapes with historic 19th-century architecture. Its shorelines are dotted with preserved, elegant 19th-century wooden docks and stone boathouses that frame the Cooperstown waterfront. The lake also has the nickname "Glimmerglass," which was given to it by the author James Fenimore Cooper.
One beautiful location visitors should check out is Fenimore Farm. This farm is picturesque because it maintains its authentic 1840s rural village lifestyle, with historic wooden barns and grazing livestock, while set against the lake. This takes visitors back in time and gives them a glimpse of what rural life is like.
The Otesaga Resort Hotel is another beautiful sight to see. Built about 1909, this massive federal-style hotel sits in a soaring columned portico right on the lakefront. Visitors can enjoy golfing on a premier 18-hole course designed by Devereux Emmet that runs directly along the sweeping lakeside.
The Gilded Age Lake Mansions are a great place to take in picturesque views and the surrounding landscapes. Many historic estates line the lake's shores, including the neo-Georgian Fenimore Art Museum mansion and the massive Otesaga Resort Hotel with its lakefront veranda.
Ithaca
The city of Ithaca is one of the most picturesque towns in New York because it is the home to over 100 waterfalls, cut in between deep gorges, and incredibly steep mountain cliffs. The waterfalls are up to 150 feet and roar down right next to residential neighborhoods. This is certainly a sight to never forget for travelers. Locals love it here so much that they came up with the motto "Ithaca is gorges."
One important and beautiful place to see in Ithaca is Cornell University. It is striking in its architecture and academic history, and it is a 2,300-acre campus carved out by two gorges: Cascadilla Gorge and Fall Creek Gorge. What better place to learn and go to school than at a university made of Gothic-style architecture and surrounded by stone trails and rushing waterfalls?
The Cornell Botanical Gardens is a visual treat for both visitors and locals. The gardens span about 4,000 acres, and the natural landscapes of Beebe Lake walking trails can be explored, including the multi-tiered Triphammer Falls, with extraordinary views from the top of the wildflower meadows.
For more picturesque views and photography spots, there is a hill known as "East Hill." The Hill is part of the Cornell University campus and has the most panoramic views of Cayuga Lake, the longest of the Finger Lakes.
Watkins Glen
At the southern part of Seneca Lake in Schuyler County, there lies the small town of Watkins Glen. This town has a small population of about 1,800 residents, but it is most famous for being one of the most surreal natural landscapes in North America. Like Ithaca, it has very deep, glacier-sculpted shale and sandstone, but it packs its gorgeous scenery into a singular, highly concentrated gorge that feels like visitors are stepping straight into a fairy world or fantasy film.
Watkins Glen State Park is where visitors can explore stone path walkways that weave behind 19 high waterfalls inside a deep, moss-covered shale canyon. The park's most popular trail, called the Gorge Trail, is exactly 1.5 miles, but within that short distance, the stream from the gorge drops 400 feet, weaving past towering 200-foot cliffsides. The stone staircases are hand-carved, alongside its narrow bridges and tunnels, which were also carved directly into the canyon walls during the 1930s.
Located at the base of the town is a waterfront park that has a long pier, a historic brick pavilion, and the Seneca Lake Pier House restaurant. This is the home of Seneca Harbor Park. Visitors can also take a boat tour that narrates the history of the park.
The Seneca Lake Wine Trail is New York's largest wine trail. The microclimate created by the lake's length and depth allows Rieslings and Cabernet Francs to flourish on the steep hillsides rising right outside the village limits. Not only is this trail scenic and beautiful to explore, but it also spans over 70 miles of continuous wine tasting opportunities.
Saranac Lake
Like many of New York's small towns and cities, Saranac Lake is deeply intertwined with lakes and rivers, which means views of the waters pop up around almost every single corner. This small town is famously known for being very health-conscious and supportive of healthy lifestyles, and in the 19th century, Saranac became a health resort. The town is filled with unique, Victorian cottages complete with large, glass-enclosed "cure porches."
Baker Mountain is one of the most picturesque spots to see. Visitors and locals can take on a moderate hike right in town. It takes about an hour to 2 hours to reach the summit's peaks, but once hikers reach the top, the views of the village and surrounding peaks are unforgettable.
Dewey Mountain Recreation Center is a scenic place to enjoy some mountain biking in the summer and cross-country skiing and walking the snowshoe trails in the winter.
The Adirondack Carousel is a wonderful, artsy carousel to see, especially for inspiring artists and photographers. The carousel is a family-friendly indoor attraction, and its horses are hand-carved wooden animals native to the town, rather than traditional horses.
Woodstock
Another exceptionally picturesque New York town is Woodstock. This town sits right at the foothills of the Catskills in the Hudson Valley. It is a mixed atmosphere that blends the Catskill Mountain wilderness with its historic bohemian arts scenes. By taking long hikes through these mountains, the views of the town's valleys below are breathtaking.
Woodstock is home to one of the nation's oldest operating arts and crafts colonies, the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild, which was started in 1902. Its rustic, century-old buildings sit in the surrounding woods. The town also carries deep music history. By visiting Levon Helm Studios, visitors can learn about the local music scene and how the area became known as a legendary place for icons like Bob Dylan and The Band to get their start.
The Woodstock Way Hotel is a historic and quiet place to unwind and take in the surrounding nature, as it immerses guests into its upscale treehouse-style way of living. It is a must-see and must-stay for travelers wanting to be immersed in nature, with balconies and landings that give off panoramic views of the valley.
For more picturesque views and experiences, it is also recommended that visitors check out the Ashokan Reservoir. The views are captivating on its 2.7-mile trails while looking at the waters that are part of the system supplying about 40% of New York City's drinking water.
Hudson
The last stop that needs to be highlighted for its picturesque views and natural, relaxing environments is Hudson. Located in the Hudson Valley, it is a welcoming small city that has transitioned from the 18th century as a whaling spot into a busy epicenter for art and culinary practices. Its streets are packed with lots of antique shops, art galleries, eclectic boutiques, and delicious restaurants. Many of these can be found on its main street, Warren Street.
The town's architecture is especially intriguing and visually memorable. Strolling through town gives visitors examples of Queen Anne, Greek Revival, Victorian, and Gothic Revival homes. The town also offers historic walking tours of the homes, where visitors can learn more about the history.
Located just on the outskirts of town, Olana State Historic Site is the Persian-inspired masterpiece estate of Frederic Edwin Church, a central figure of the Hudson River School art movement. Here, visitors can embark on trails with views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains.
Visitors should also check out the art, theater, and music events at Hudson Hall (housed in New York's oldest surviving theater) or Basilica Hudson, which is a massive, reclaimed 1880s industrial factory building located right by the shores of the Hudson River.
New York's Small Towns Actually Win Big
When most people think of New York, their minds immediately think of the flashing neon and the relentless sounds of city traffic. But as these nine remarkable destinations prove, the true soul of New York is often found where the concrete ends and nature begins. The Olympic peaks of Lake Placid and the art-infused streets of Hudson bookend a roster of picturesque escapes across the state.
