Two Stunning Upstate New York Mountainous Areas to Make Home

Upstate New York is considered everything north of the New York City metropolitan area. It is an area filled with quaint and historic small towns, green forests, and winding lakes. It is a beautiful place year-round, with snow falling heavy in the winter and gorgeous summer days, making for the perfect environment for outdoor activities.

New York City grabs much of the attention of New York state, but there is much more to this state than the Big Apple. While New York City is where much of the culture and tourism is concentrated, it is also a heavily urbanized environment that doesn’t offer much in the ways of natural beauty. This contrasts some of the different areas in Upstate New York that are filled with jaw-dropping natural scenery.

There is much to do and see in Upstate New York, much more than any one article could cover. With great cities and towns to visit, countless beautiful natural landscapes, and stunning waterfront areas, it is a perfect region for lovers of the outdoors. This article will explore two different mountainous areas that present an incredible opportunity for someone looking to move to a nature-filled, picturesque setting outside of the big city.

The Catskills

The Catskill Mountains is a range of mountains stretching over 100 miles through upstate New York with incredible wildlife, hiking trails, and more. The Catskills was a massively popular tourist destination from the 1920s to the 1960s. While some of the tourism has died down in this area, it remains as beautiful as ever and is now less crowded. It has also seen a big revival of tourism, and the industry returning to this amazing area only adds to its appeal.

The Catskills is a great place for just about every outdoor activity you could imagine. It is an adventure seeker’s dream with unbelievable mountain biking trails, top-notch skiing, zip-lining, and much more. The natural scenery is incredible. Lush green forests, waterfalls, and summits thousands of feet above the ground, there are few better places in New York state to go on a hike in.

Homes in the Catskills are relatively affordable, especially when compared to New York City’s prices, which is a 3-hour drive away. With a median home price of $259,450, owning a residence in this stunning area is far from an impossibility for the average person. Whether you are looking for a seasonal retreat in the mountains, or a full-time home, there are a lot of stunning and spacious properties for sale in this gorgeous region.

Adirondack Mountains

Located a five-hour drive from New York City near the New Hampshire border, the Adirondack Mountains are a massive range of mountains and forests covering over 5,000 square miles. It is a quiet region filled with natural splendor and wildlife that make it a great place to visit or settle down for someone that enjoys being surrounded by the great outdoors. The mountainous area is surrounded by lakes, including Lake George and Lake Placid, and has hundreds of peaks, several reaching heights of over 5,000 feet.

The activities available in the Adirondack region are endless. There are boat tours, historic sites and museums, wineries, breweries, and much more. It is a scenic place to spend time kayaking, camping, hiking, and birding in the summer and spring seasons. When the weather turns cold, skiing is extremely popular in this area, as is snowmobiling and skating. If you are an active person that adores exploring everything your environment has to offer, the Adirondack area is for you.

Depending on where in the region you are looking, there are both bargains and luxury properties to be found. Real estate doesn’t come cheap in the Lake Placid area, but in other regions, lovely homes can be found for only a few hundred thousand dollars. There is an abundance of lakefront properties, homes with mountainous views, and houses with a cozy lodge-style feel. The Adirondack is a huge area that covers a variety of different municipalities. It is a place that has abundant natural beauty and is a quiet and quaint environment for someone who prioritizes their time in the great outdoors.