Editors' picks

Reports say peak time for fall foliage color is coming to the tri-state area this weekend. Here are a few of the editors’ favorite vantage points from which to admire this brilliant but brief display. High Point State Park, Wantage/Montague The granddaddy of panoramas is High Point State Park, Route 23 in Wantage/Montague. Vernon, atop the Appalachian Trail Take Route 94 south from Warwick to the trailhead is on the left (east), just south of Price’s Switch Road. Hike up the trail to the top of the mountain for a stunning westward view. Those who don’t want to hike can take the chair lift at Mountain Creek (Route 94 in Vernon) up to the top of Hamburg Mountain. There are nature trails to hike. Lake Mohawk, Sparta Take a scenic drive around Lake Mohawk to see brilliant color reflected in the water. Take County Route 517 south to Route 613 and follow the lake’s east shore. Mount Peter, Warwick Hardy hikers will want to take the Appalachian Trail, from the trailhead on Warwick Turnpike, 9.5 miles to see far-reaching vistas atop Mount Peter in Warwick. It’s also driveable from Quickway to Florida-Goshen Exit 124. Make a left on to Route 17A toward Florida, through the town of Warwick. Make left on 17A and follow signs for Mount Peter ski resort. Hawk’s Nest, Sparrowbush, N.Y. The windy lookout on New York Scenic Route 97, just north of Sparrowbush, is often used in car commercials. It offers a view of the Upper Delaware River Valley, with three small sections where cars can pull off the road to take photos. Orange County Arboretum, Goshen/Montgomery, N.Y. The arboretum’s 35 acres, located at 211 Route 416 in Montgomery, offers of rolling former pasturelands and wooded areas are an environmental resource and garden whose primary purpose is the display of tree collections. These collections are placed to contribute to a learning experience organized around botanical family relationships, tree habitats and wetland characteristics. Trophy Point, West Point, N.Y. The northward view from atop Trophy Point has been immortalized in paintings and photographs through the centuries. The view is of the Hudson as it twists around West Point and makes its final turn to the north. The Catskill Mountains can be seen in the distance. Bearfort Mountain, West Milford, N.J. Enter through Abram S. Hewitt State Forest and take the Bearfort Mountain Lookout Trail. On top of the mountain is a fire tower, open year-round, taht offers panoramic views of The Highlands. On a clear day, visitors can even see the New York City skyline. Wawayanda State Park, Hewitt, N.J. This natural area features a mixed oak-hardwood forest that yields brilliant colors in fall, reflected in a glacially formed lake that is habitat for the red-shouldered hawk, barred owl and great blue heron. Visitors may choose from several trails, including a scenic walk around Laurel Pond. The park, on Warwick Turnpike, includes more than 60 miles of well-marked trails. For more photos go to www.strausnews.com