Here are three day trips less than an hour drive from Port Jervis to enjoy this fall!
1.) Beacon, New York
Beacon is located just forty miles east of Port Jervis on Interstate 84. It is located in southern Dutchess County on the east bank of the Hudson River along the Hudson Highlands. Beacon has many great fall hikes. Climb your way along the remains of the Mount Beacon Incline Railway to the ruins of the former casino and continue on to South Beacon Mountain, where you will have even better views of the surrounding area from the fire tower, including the New York City skyline. If you are looking for a short, but rewarding hike, drive south on 9D to the Notch Trailhead to visit Melzingah Falls. Stop at Glazed Over in the morning and have your own custom doughnut made from hundreds of combinations of glaze, topping and drizzle, or try their seasonal doughnut! Be sure to spend some time at Dia Beacon, a modern art museum located in a former Nabisco box-printing facility! Stroll Beacon's Main Street to explore the shops and galleries! For lunch check out the Hudson Valley Food Hall, for a handful of varied options. For a unique dinner dining experience, enjoy the seasonal tasting menu served in a communal dining environment at the Kitchen Sink Supper Club.
2.) The Black Dirt Region and Hamburg Mountain
Begin your morning at Scout Goods 1831 at the Fox and Bear Lodge in Vernon Township, New Jersey. Grab a Bacon Egg & Cheese Tartine or a Yogurt Parfait and a coffee at this beautiful spot in the Glenwood section of Vernon. For a beautiful fall hike, visit the Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey. You could also opt to walk along the Appalachian Trail boardwalk section, just a mile south of Scout Goods. If you are looking to get a little shopping in, stop in Sussex and Hamburg for some great antiquing. The Hamburg Antique Center has items from forty different dealers! Enjoy Mountain Creek's Holiday Market on Saturday, November 19th from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM and enjoy a variety of local vendors. Consider booking a table at the Grange in the hamlet of New Milford for dinner. This great farm-to-table restaurant is open from 4 PM to 8 PM Friday through Monday in this 112-year-old former post office building. The menu offers plates which use produce from the incredibly fertile Black Dirt Region and other locally sourced food! Call (845) 986-1170 to book a table. Stop by Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery for a tasting every day from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. They offer live music every Saturday and Sunday as well as apple picking through November 20th! Stop by the nearby Pine Island Tap House for beer and snacks and be sure to check out their upcoming events. The hamlet of Pine Island gets its name from the hummock which remained slightly elevated around the flooded Black Dirt Region along the Wallkill River Valley. Pine Island is known for its prized Black Dirt onions and once had a spur on the Erie Railroad to transport onions and other produce!
1.) Upper Delaware Scenic Byway to Narrowsburg
Enjoy a trip along the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway to Narrowsburg. Head north from Port Jervis into the Delaware Gorge, where the Delaware River divides the Pocono Mountains and the Catskill Mountains. Just three miles from Port Jervis is the southern end of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, a National Park Service Unit along the Delaware River. Hawks Nest Highway winds along the cliffs three hundred feet above the river. Stop at one of the several pull-offs for pictures or just to take in the view! After Hawk's nest, pull off the highway on either side of the Mongaup River bridge ahead for a hike along the scenic Mongaup River. Turn onto Upper Mongaup Road just past the bridge towards Glen Spey. Stop off at the Kadampa Meditation Center to visit their World Peace Temple, grab a coffee at the World Peace Cafe or enjoy a walk on their nature trails. Continue through the village of Glen Spey past the beautiful wooden St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Catholic Church back to the Delaware River at Pond Eddy. Head north along the river to Roebling's Delaware Aqueduct, which carried the Delaware and Hudson Canal across the Delaware River from 1849 until 1898, when it was drained and converted to a vehicular bridge. Check out the toll house, tune in on your radio for some history about the bridge or walk across the bridge to Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania. Continue north along the river to Ten Mile River to see the scenic Tusten Stone Arch Bridge. This is also the trailhead for the scenic Tusten Mountain Trail, maintained by the National Park Service.
In Narrowsburg, get a bite to eat at the Laundrette or the Heron. Re-energize with a coffee from 2 Queens Coffee or the Tusten Cup. Explore some great local shops in Narrowsburg, like Narrowsburg Proper, a unique general store selling imported foods, gourmet items, cocktail bitters and more; One Grand Book, which sells the top ten books of various musicians, writers, artists and others; the River Gallery, which sells local art, antiques, and gifts for the home; and Catskill Curated, a store which sells regional products from artists, artisans and craftsmen. View the Big Eddy from the Observation Deck along Main Street or enjoy one of the three walking trails in Narrowsburg.