Upstate NY Road Trip for Photographers - Catskills and Adirondacks

Itinerary created by

Jacqueline Krawiecki

What you’ll do

This Upstate New York road trip is designed specifically with photographers in mind.

Locations on this itinerary are largely arranged based on sunrise and sunset for optimal light/photo conditions, so there are long days and a little bit of backtracking involved.

The itinerary begins in the northern Adirondacks and moves south to the Catskills to account for different timing of fall colors for anyone traveling in the fall.

DRONE LAWS IN THE ADIRONDACKS AND CATSKILLS

Both commercial and hobbyist use of drones on Forest Preserve lands is prohibited by 6 NYCRR 196.8 in areas classified as:

Wilderness areas
Primitive (ADK only)
Canoe (ADK only)
Adirondack State Land Master Plan (SLMP)

You cannot fly a drone within the boundaries of the High Peaks Wilderness or on the Adirondack Mountain Reserve (AMR), which includes the Indian Head hike.

Use [this interactive map](https://adirondack.maps.arcgis.com/apps/OnePane/basicviewer/index.html?appid=625564b0f5b249f2ba29a931f23891ad) provided by the New York State Adirondack Park Agency to view land classification boundaries.

Here's more information on drone laws for state managed lands.

TIMING SUNRISE AND SUNSET:

Visit this link to view lighting conditions at different times of the year/day using Caltopo

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Nearest airport: John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport in NYC or Albany International Airport (ALB) in Albany

Best time to go:

This itinerary is best completed from April - November.
May - July are the best time to visit for waterfalls.
Mid-June - early Sept is best for swimming, camping, and hiking October is the best time to visit for fall foliage.

Here's my guide on when/where to see the best fall colors in Upstate New York.

May - July is black fly season in the mountains. Black fly season typically lasts from mid-May to mid-July.

Here's more information on how to survive black fly season

How to get around: You'll be doing a lot of driving over these 4 days, so you'll definitely need to rent a car to complete this itinerary!

Alternatively, you can rent a campervan from Outdoorsy and use The Dyrt App to find campsites along the way.

**ITINERARY OVERVIEW **

Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4: Day 5:

Total miles to drive over 5 days: Total drive time over 5 days:

Stop 1: Chapel Pond - Start off Day 1 with a stop at Chapel Pond. You don't necessarily have to get here for sunrise. There's not much to see here, but you can catch some great reflections, so it makes a good quick photo stop.
Stop 2 & 3: Indian Head Hike + Fish Hawk Cliffs and Rainbow Falls - Next, embark on a full day hike to Indian Head, Fish Hawk Cliffs, and Rainbow Falls.

Sunset is the best time to photograph Indian Head, as the sun sets over Lower Ausable River and creates optimal light in the valley. To catch golden hour, arrive about 2 hours before sunset. If you hike May 1 - Oct 31, the parking lot technically closes at 7PM, but the gate lets you leave at any time.

Drones are not allowed here.

This hike is 11 miles round trip and will take about 6-8 hours to complete. The hike starts at the St. Huberts parking lot. A parking reservation permit is required from May - October. You must get your permit online at www.hikeamr.org up to two weeks in advance.

Read about the hike and permit process in great detail on my Complete Guide to the Indian Head Hike

This hike is strenuous due to the length. It is not kid friendly and dogs are not allowed. For shorter less strenuous alternatives, I recommend Copperas Pond (moderate) or Owls Head (easy - only open Monday evening to Thursday)

For more options, choose from this list of the best hiking trails around Lake Placid.

Chapel Pond

Quiet roadside pond