New York's Southern Adirondacks Offers A Friendly Getaway With Year-Round Play And Famed Balloon Festival

Just before the rolling foothills give way to the mighty Adirondacks, you'll find the town of Queensbury, New York. This community may feel like it's tucked away in nature, but it's actually less than four hours up I-87 from Manhattan, three-and-a-half hours from Boston, Massachusetts on I-90 West, and less than three hours south from Montreal, Canada on I-87, so you won't have to plan for too long a road trip, whichever direction you're coming from.

Waiting in Queensbury, you'll find plenty of biking and hiking trails through the beautiful scenery. Afterwards, grab a quick bite at the local Ambrosia Diner or splurge on upscale German cuisine at Spargel On Nine. It makes the perfect home base for an Adirondacks trip, with easy access to "Queen of the American Lakes" Lake George and its many attractions, from a relaxing evening ride on the historic paddleboat the Minne Ha Ha to a thrilling afternoon at Six Flags Great Escape. Once a year, Queensbury even has a remarkable balloon festival, where you can watch colorful hot air balloons float up into the clouds over the mountains.

Queensbury is nestled at the base of one of New York's best mountain ranges: The Adirondacks. It also happens to be home to multiple nature preserves and recreation areas, so if you're hoping to explore the natural beauty of upstate, you're in luck. While the Adirondacks are known for their difficult hikes up into the peaks, you can find some easy, relaxing nature strolls in Queensbury. Try the paved Halfway Brook Trail, which takes you through the woods and over a brook. Consider visiting in the fall to see orange leaves falling around you. The Meadowbrook Preserve Loop is another nice route, taking you along a boardwalk through a pretty wildflower meadow.

While there's plenty of beautiful nature to explore, one of the most exciting things about Queensbury is its annual balloon festival at Warren County's Floyd Bennett Airport, which provides the opportunity to watch more than 60 enormous, vibrantly colored hot air balloons float into the skies. It's completely free to watch the balloons take flight, and to explore the festival taking place on the ground below, often including food trucks, a craft fair, live music, and games for kids. If you want to take a ride in one of the balloons yourself, you'll have to strike a deal with one of the pilots. Keep an eye on the official Adirondack Balloon Festival website towards the end of summer, review the list of participating pilots, and reach out to them. If you missed your shot with those listed, don't give up. Sometimes you can meet pilots at the festival before they fly and set up a ride right there and then.

Most visitors come to Queensbury in the summer, but be forewarned! Along with the scenic beauty and opportunities for summer fun, you'll probably find scorching heat. Fortunately, Queensbury has an over 6000-foot swimming pool at the Gurney Lane Recreation Area, which only costs $7, at time of writing, for anyone between the ages of 5and 59, and is free for everyone else. The spring temperatures are cooler, so if you're looking for the best time to hit the trails, you might want to consider April or May instead.

The autumn might be the ideal time to visit, because this area is renowned for its brilliant fall colors, and the neighboring towns have plenty of opportunities for apple picking. Make sure to check a fall foliage finder to pick the best dates to travel, if you're looking to see the landscape transform into brilliant reds, yellows, and golds. While the idea of a winter trip to the Adirondacks might seem daunting, if you love having fun in the snow, Queensbury is a paradise. Locals expect between 50 and 70 inches of snow every year, and the people there take full advantage of it by snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. If you're interested, your best bet might be to explore the Hudson Pointe Nature Preserve or go sledding in Gurney Lane Recreation Area.