2. Van Cortlandt Park

As the third largest park in New York City, Van Cortlandt Park contains over 1,000 acres and an estimated 80,000 trees within its boundaries. This makes it a great spot for leaf peepers to see species such as oak, sweet gum, and hickory. For more scenic views, walk along the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, once a 19th century engineering feat that supplied New Yorkers with a 100 million gallons of fresh water per day; it has since been converted into off-road biking and pedestrian paths.