Road Trip through the Hudson Valley: Best stops from NYC to Albany

October is a wonderful time to take a road trip through the beautiful Hudson Valley from its beginning in New York City to its northern end at Albany. Here are a few stops we recommend along the way.

Road Trip stops in New York City

If you’re starting in New York City, you should certainly see a few of the sights before heading north into the Hudson Valley. You can find more information about things to see there (and in other iconic cities in the Mid-Atlantic) at this post, but for now, these are our recommendations for families with children.

Visit the American Museum of Natural History and Central Park. You can leave your vehicle parked in Museum parking and visit both in a day before heading into the Hudson Valley. If your kids enjoyed the movie A Night at the Museum, they will enjoy seeing many of the “characters” in person. As a Smithsonian institution, the museum is assuredly high quality. One caveat: If you are heading to Washington DC, you can visit a number of Smithsonian Museums for free, including the Museum of Natural History there, so you may want to skip this one due to the price.

In any case, if you are trying to save money, you can visit Central Park for free. If you enter the park near the museum, you can follow the trail that passes the Swedish Cottage soon after entering the park and walk to Belvedere Castle. If you climb to the top of the castle you will have a lovely view of the park, the lake below, and the city. From here, you can walk about a mile to the Carousel, or to the zoo. There are playground in different areas of the park as well.

Hudson Valley Road Trip Stops in Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow

These neighboring villages, about 25 miles north of NYC, were the setting of the famous “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (aka, the Headless Horseman) story written by Washington Irving. North Tarrytown officially adopted the name Sleepy Hollow in 1996 as a nod to its claim to fame.

While there are sites that can be visited throughout the year, the town comes alive and becomes a more exciting destination in the fall with haunted hay rides, cemetery tours, and other activities related to the legend. There is a marker where the bridge from the story used to be near a statue of the headless horseman, but there is not easy parking in the area and the road is busy.

We enjoyed seeing the Lyndhurst Mansion. There is parking on the premises and the grounds are pleasant and large, with trails for walking. The grounds are opened April through December, 9:30 to 4:30, according to the website. The gothic mansion can be toured from May to October. 

On our visit, we were disappointed to find Sunnyside Mansion, the home of Washington Irving, completely gated so there was no way we could see it, even from a distance. (We knew it would be closed but hoped to see the outside).This was in the winter, so if you’d like to see this beautiful home in person, visit during the months of May to December. The cost to tour these mansions are in the $18-$30 range.

You can also visit Irving’s grave at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and the Old Dutch Church, a National Historic Landmark and New York’s oldest church, built in 1685.

Road Trip stops at Harriman or Bear Mountain State Parks

As you head north from Tarrytown, be sure to stop at one or both of these adjacent state parks. They are very large and beautiful, with a good chance of seeing a variety of wildlife at either one. Fall foliage in either park is vibrant and beautiful.

Harriman State Park offers over 200 miles of trails for hiking and biking, 31 lakes and reservoirs for swimming and boating, and facilities for camping and picnicking. It’s enormous.

When we visited, we parked at the Reeve’s Meadow Visitor’s Center and took the trail just behind it, which offered interesting rock formations, lush forest, a burbling creek, and my first ever siting of a Timber Rattlesnake, just a few feet off the trail.

In summer, you can swim or boat at Lake Tiorati and Lake Welch. In the winter, you can enjoy cross country skiing and ice skating when conditions allow.

Bear Mountain State Park has many attractions to interest family members of any age. There is a small zoo, a playground, and an antique carousel. All of these are adjacent to the main parking lot near the lodge. The overlook tower at Perkin’s Peek is also worth checking out – you don’t have to hike the mountain but can drive to the parking lot and climb the tower!

State parks in New York typically cost $5 or $10 for a daily vehicle pass.

Hyde Park

Hyde Park is a town that is known for its historical attractions, Springwood and the Vanderbilt Estate. These neighboring attractions can be seen on the same day.

Springwood and the Museum and Library of FDR is a beautiful building and grounds that families with children can enjoy. This National Historic Site was home to the 32nd president, Franklin D. Roosevelt. There are lovely gardens surrounding the library, and the Roosevelts are buried there.

Tickets to tour the mansion can be purchased for $15, and the Museum is roughly the same price. Children 15 and under are free. The grounds are also free if you don’t want to purchase tickets.

The Vanderbilt Estate is another national historic site – an impressive mansion, with grounds that are just as lovely. The Vanderbilts were one of the first very wealthy families in early America, and the mansion showcases their aristocratic lifestyle.

It is similarly priced as Springwood, with tours of the mansion available for $15 per adult and free for children. The grounds are free, with a lovely Italian Garden complete with fountains. The home boasts a backyard view of the Hudson River, with benches to sit and take in the view.

For a family-friendly itinerary with additional activities in this area, see this post.

Hudson Valley Road Trip Stops in Albany

From Hyde Park to Albany is over an hour, but there are lovely villages where you can stop along the way, such as Kingston or Catskill if you want to break up the drive.

Albany is, of course, the capital of New York, and the New York State Museum is also here. Park near the Empire State Plaza to visit both buildings. The museum is free, and the capitol can be toured for free at 10, 12 or 2 on week days – you can just walk into the lobby. Even if you are not there at that time, the building is open from 7 to 7, Monday to Friday.

The plaza is a pleasant place to walk, with fountains and surrounded by interesting architecture, such as the Egg – something of an oddity that houses theaters. We found easy street parking and little crowds on a weeknight in summer, and enjoyed walking the plaza and seeing these attractions.