Top Places to Visit in New York

New York State offers experiences ranging from the busiest urban environment in the Western Hemisphere to some of the most remote wilderness in the eastern US. The contrast is remarkable.

New York City is the obvious starting point — but within the city, the variety is staggering. Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Bridge, the High Line, the Staten Island Ferry (free, with spectacular skyline views), the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and the Statue of Liberty all rank among the most visited attractions in the US. Each of the five boroughs — Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island — has a distinct character.

Niagara Falls on the western border with Canada draws millions of visitors annually. The American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Horseshoe Falls (the Canadian side) together form one of the most powerful waterfall systems in the world. The Maid of the Mist boat tour brings visitors directly into the mist at the base of the falls.

The Adirondacks offer the most remote wilderness in the eastern US. Lake Placid — site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics — is the hub for High Peaks hiking, skiing at Whiteface Mountain, and exploration of the surrounding lakes and forests. The Adirondack Loj at Heart Lake is the primary trailhead for Mount Marcy, the state's highest peak.

Saratoga Springs is a Victorian resort town known for thoroughbred horse racing at Saratoga Race Course (the oldest sporting venue in the US in continuous use), mineral springs, and the Saratoga National Historical Park (site of the Battle of Saratoga, one of the most decisive battles of the American Revolution).

The Catskills are within two hours of New York City and offer hiking, fly fishing, and charming small towns. Woodstock (though the 1969 festival was actually in Bethel, 60 miles away) is a creative hub. The Delaware Water Gap area along the border with New Jersey has excellent hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

Finger Lakes Wine Country — particularly the Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake areas — has become one of the East Coast's premier wine tourism destinations.