Central Park Fall Foliage Tour 2021 – Part 1

Hi friends, welcome back! I’ve been impatiently waiting for the leaves to change color in Central Park, but it seemed to be the last place in the Northeast to do so. Last week I took the subway all the way to 110th Street at the northern most end of Central Park to explore and search for fall foliage. I’d never been this far north in the park and I found some hidden gems while I wandered through the park.

I knew I wanted to hit all the key sites like the Reservior, Belvedere Castle, Bethesda Fountain, Bow Bridge, and Gapstow Bridge, but they are not all super close so I needed to strategize my route. While I strategized, I saw The Conservatory Garden on my map and it piqued my interest and became the catalyst for my start at 110th Street. Central Park spans two and a half miles long from 110th – 59th Street, and half a mile wide, so I figured it was possible to see it all in one go.

After walking through Farmer’s Gate, the first thing you see is the Harlem Meer. This area was very quiet and peaceful while offering a glimpse of some fall foliage.

I continued on south in search of The Conservatory Garden, and I instantly felt like I was transported into a fairy tale as I walked through the gate and saw the beautiful colors. I can’t believe I’ve never seen this area before!

This might be my new favorite spot in the park! I’m guessing it’s too far north to be as crowded as Bethesda Fountain and Gapstow Bridge.

 

I continued walking through the Conservatory Garden and found this beautiful greenery covered archway, fountain, and some green space.

The Conservatory is such a beautiful and well-maintained garden, I’d HIGHLY recommend visiting this hidden gem in Central Park!

I continued my journey south and encountered some pretty fall colors along the way.

Such a beautiful fall day!

My favorite fall foliage I came across was at The Pool.

 

Next stop, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. Still a little green for the year, but always a beautiful and serene spot.

Hope you enjoyed all the fall colors. Stay tuned for the second half of the Central Park fall foliage tour featuring the southern half. 

41 thoughts on “Central Park Fall Foliage Tour 2021 – Part 1

  1. Those are amazing photographs. Really got me in the spirit of fall. You have such a knack for catching photography and color. I was actually in Central Park yesterday finishing my first NYC Marathon :). By the time I got there, I was much too tired to appreciate the gorgeous foliage I was running past. Thanks for giving me back a part of the experience I missed!

    1. Thank you!!! Congratulations!! I was thinking about you yesterday because I remembered you telling me about the marathon. What a beautiful day for a race, hopefully it made some of the miles less painful 🙂 Hope your recovery goes well and you aren’t bothered with emails today 🙂

      1. Thanks so much for remembering! It went well and I’m very sore, slow and limpy today, but all things considered I think I got off easy! 🙂. Couldn’t have asked for better weather and a more fun view than NYC. The Brooklyn crowds in particular were a blast! A party on every block for the first half. But I severely underestimated how cold it would be waiting to run in Staten Island and after the race when you stop moving. I can’t imagine how runners coped in colder years!

      2. I can only imagine – I’ve done a few half’s and had a rough next day 😂 I bet it’s such an awesome feeling running through the streets of nyc with everyone cheering!! I bet it was so cold when not running, my hands froze a bit when I was walking in the shade Saturday. Makes me not excited for winter, that’s for sure!

  2. Even more beautiful than I imagined, Lyssy. Great job. Those gardens are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing. Ice on the ponds here, now and the geese are getting ready to leave. Happy Monday. Allan

    1. Thank you! I think Central Park is the prettiest during the fall. Wow very chilly by you, it’s been 60 here so not close to freezing yet. Saturday was a bit chilly in the shade, don’t think I’m ready for the cold of winter. Happy Monday Allan!

    1. Thank you!! I loved the variety on my walk. My camera battery died by the time I got to the front of the park I took so many pictures ha!

    1. I went during the week so it was less busy. We went again the day before the nyc marathon and there were people everywhere!

  3. It boggles my mind this stunning oasis sits smack-dab in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world. Thank goodness for the foresight of the city planners all those years ago, huh? Every single pic is a keeper. And it strikes me how quiet it was when you were there, unless your shots strategically avoided the crowds.

  4. That was beautiful. I had no idea Central Park was so lovely. I’ve only ever seen it in movies and they don’t do it justice. Thank you for sharing.

  5. Wow! What beautiful photos! Just a delight! I was also in this park. But the weather was not very good and the views were not so beautiful. But I will definitely come back to this place! Thank you for your article and for the good mood after reading!

    1. Thanks for stopping by, so glad you enjoyed this post! I hope you can make it back to Central Park in the fall, it’s so beautiful! It seems end of October/early November is the best time to visit.

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