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:
