When green turns to gold, mixed with humbling hues of red, orange and yellow, that’s your cue. Whether for a day or weekend, celebrate our most spectacular season by land, air, and sea with these seven adventurous fall foliage trips near NYC—including ziplining, yoga retreating, whitewater rafting, and a champagne-fueled air balloon ride.
Deerfield Valley Zipline Tours | Massachusetts
With arms outstretched, soar from tree top to tree top with a front row seat to New England’s most radiant season. Deerfield Valley Zipline is an award-winning three-hour adventure that has brought ziplining to the state of Massachusetts. Strap into a harness with your group’s knowledgeable guide and marvel at the vibrant vistas of Deerfield River Valley and the northern Berkshires. Canopy tours start at $79 per person and take place daily through November.
How to get there: Consult oM’s guide to renting hybrid cars in Manhattan.
Symmetree Yoga | New Hampshire
Commune with nature and re-balance your energy with a four day stay in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Begin your day with a fall foliage hike, then practice mediation in a flow/vinyasa class or on top of a mountain. Dig into three prepared vegetarian meals each day, and spend an afternoon touring nearby North Conway on the Inn’s bikes.
How to get there: Contact Symmetree Yoga at carlene@symmetreeyoga.com to register and arrange your retreat.
Balloon America | New Jersey
Balloon AmericaDrink in the beauty of New Jersey in fall, flying high above Cushetunk Mountain and Hunterdon County in style. Playing to the speed and strength of New Jersey’s winds, Balloon America launches just after sunrise or sunset. Look forward to a ride featuring both a colorful sky and Whitehouse Station’s fantastic foliage below. Enjoy a champagne toast upon landing.
How to get there: Take the New Jersey transit rail to Newark Penn Station. Take the Raritan Valley line to White House. American Balloon is a 10 minute walk away.
Caravan Tours: New England Summer and Fall Foliage | New England
Caravan Tours: New England Summer and Fall FoliageCaravan Tours serves as travel agent, tour guide and your expert on all things New England, in this eight day tour reaching from the bay of Boston to the White Mountains of Vermont. Hike the Berkshires, leisurely stroll Martha’s Vineyard and indulge in some succulent Maine lobster in Portland. For the $1095 package price, Caravan has your accommodations booked, tours planned and vistas of fall foliage scouted. All you’ll need to worry about is remembering the camera.
How to get there: Take Megabus to Boston South Street Station. Take the T Blue Line to the Airport Station, then walk to the Hilton Boston Logan Airport. Check the site for specific details on your travel itinerary.
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome | New York
You’ve watched the Hudson Valley blur by your window on Metro-North or the Essex Steam Train. Instead of the same old choo-choo ch’boogie perspective, consider an adrenaline-pumping view of the valley through barnstorming, with a ride in a bi-plane courtesy of the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. The Aerodrome’s 1929 New Standard, open-cockpit biplane hosts four passengers at a time. Bi-planes begin taking off at 10am and offer spectacular views of New York in the fall. Enjoy the Aerodrome’s self-proclaimed “Greatest Show Off Earth” for just $75 per person.
How to get there: Take Amtrak Empire Service line to Rhinecliff. Take a taxi the remaining 15 minute drive.
Whitewater Rafting | Pennsylvania
Whitewater RaftingStrap on a life vest, grab some paddles and prepare for hours of thrills and bright-colored treescapes during your ride down Lehigh River in Pennsylvania. Pocono Whitewater Rafting provides plenty of options to explore the rapids, including the Dam Release Ride, which will give fit paddlers an exhilarating challenge with 12 miles of choppy waters to navigate. Rides start at $46.99 for an adult trip along on the Family Style Whitewater tour.
How to get there: Take a Susquehanna Trailways bus from Port Authority Bus Terminal to Jim Thorpe, PA.
Isles of Shoals Steamship Point to Point Harbor Tour | Maine
Spend an afternoon on the Isles of Shoals Steamship, scoring views of the nation’s oldest active naval yard, teeming with tugboats, and circle five forts and two lighthouses, for a thorough romp in the Piscataqua River. Throughout October, you can sign up for this nautical voyage around Portsmouth Harbor and the Great Bay Wilderness Area for only $28.
How to get there: Take the Amtrak Northeast Regional Line to Boston, South Station. Take the 8756 bus to Portsmouth.
Photos: Anthony Doudt, Deerfield Valley Zipline Tours, American Balloon
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram