North of the Delaware River lies Pennsylvania’s beautiful Bucks County, home to history, farmlands, and vineyards, and a multitude of ways to experience the beauty of the Fall season. Whether you prefer to keep your feet planted firmly on the ground or adventure into the water or up in the air as you find your favorite foliage, Bucks County is sure to not disappoint. The number of things to do in New Hope, Pennsylvania, and Bucks County is endless, but to help you decide, we’ve compiled these eight ways to help you get started to experience fall foliage in Bucks County.
1. Bucks County Riverboat Company
Anyone can take a walking path or bike through the trees, but have you considered sailing through them? Bucks County Riverboat Company is waiting to take you on happy hour or sunset cocktail cruises, private charters to celebrate a special occasion or public charters for those looking to save that extra buck.
Take a ride on the River Otter, a fifty-two-foot, coast guard certified, tri-pontoon boat. Relax on the spacious deck seating as your charter cruises along the most dramatic and scenic stretch of the Delaware River in the area. Crackers and cheeses are available to curb your appetite. Take advantage of the many onboard amenities, such as heat and air conditioning to ensure you have a comfortable ride, electric outlets to charge your phone or camera, and a Sirius satellite radio will ensure an experience catered to your wants and needs.
2. US Hot Air Balloon Team Rides
Views of fall foliage are alright from the ground and amazing by water, but the view from up above will blow the others away. The U.S. Hot Air Balloon Team will deliver unforgettable views of Bucks County foliage up to a mile above the ground. Show up early and help to assemble the hot air balloon and get to know your vehicle. As you begin your ride, keep in mind, wherever the wind blows, you’ll go, although you’re likely to see the Delaware River, the Pocono Mountains, New Jersey, and the Lehigh Valley countryside with all the vineyards, horse farms, and wildlife it contains.
Fall balloon rides are the perfect time to take that special someone into the air for a romantic ride. The crisp autumn weather, red and yellow leaves, and unique date experience create the perfect ambiance for romantic magic. Popping the question or wanting to tie the knot a mile in the air? Pilots are able to perform weddings on board if desired. If privacy is desired, feel free to share your viewing appreciation with a few honored employees or parties of three to ten people. The Full Experience includes an hour in the air, a van ride back to the launch site, and a light snack and champagne toast to calm your stomach if heights make you feel a little queasy. You can even take home a flight certificate to remember this experience for a lifetime.
3. Peddler’s Village
The Peddler’s Village is an 18th-century style outdoor shopping center in New Hope. Forty-two acres house a variety of shopping and eating destinations, as well as picturesque cobblestone walkways that are perfect to walk along and take in the surrounding scenery. A full event calendar keeps visitors returning all year long: September through October brings forth popular events such as the local scarecrow competition Scarecrows in the Village, Apple Weekend, and OctoberFeast with German-themed food, beverages, and live entertainment.
4. Covered Bridge Self-Guided Driving Tour
Bucks County is the birthplace of covered bridge building in America and is known for the collection of these structures that still stand today. While there were more than 50 bridges during the 19th-century, time has dwindled the remaining count to 12. These structures are all included in this self-guided tour, which can be started at any bridge!
Circle through Bucks County as you complete both sections of the tour, with the first stretching to two hours and the second half is shorter at just an hour and a half. Feel free to stretch the tour out into an all-day adventure! Stop at any of the historic towns between bridges to stop, shop, stretch your legs, and experience more Bucks County scenery at every location.
5. New Hope Railroad- Fall Foliage Excursion
September through November are the optimal months to take a ride on a restored 1920’s train with the New Hope Railroad. The railroad offers a seasonal Fall Foliage Excursion throughout Bucks County along the New Hope Branch Route. The route was originally part of the North to East Pennsylvania Railroad – later called the Reading Railroad – made famous by the game Monopoly. The Excursion departs from the 1891 Witch’s Hat Station in New Hope, turns around in Buckingham, and after a two-hour ride, returns to the place it departed.
6. Washington Crossing Historic Park
Bucks County is more than just a place in Pennsylvania if you talk to American historians. History lays its claim on the area, as General George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River and forced a turning point in the American War of Independence in the county.
The five-hundred-acre park was created in 1917 and is split into two sections, with the lower section in Bucks County. Thirteen historic buildings can be found in the lower portion, including five Durham Boat replicas. The Durham boats would have carried soldiers and equipment across the river during Washington’s time period, and thus are used every year when the park reenacts the crossing.
The 125-foot Bowman’s Hill Tower is part of why this park is so amazing to visit during the fall. The tower was erected to commemorate a possible lookout location for Washington’s troops to keep watch on the river’s banks. Visitors to the park can climb the tower and view up to fourteen miles away on clear days, creating a better vantage point for catching all of your favorite fall views.
Go on a guided walking history tour, a morning healthy hike, or make your way over to the Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve. One hundred and thirty-four acres of nature preserve, this spot also features a botanical garden and museum. It’s a great place to see over seven hundred native Pennsylvania plants, trees, animals, and birds in their mostly undisturbed habitat via four and a half miles of walking trails.
7. Delaware Canal State Park
The Delaware Canal runs parallel to the Delaware River and is the main attraction for the 830-acre Delaware Canal State Park. Sixty miles of tree-lined towpath are settled beside the canal, providing visitors to the park with some of the best fall foliage views to enjoy while hiking and biking along the path. Designated natural areas Nockamixon Cliffs and River Islands within the park are set aside for scientists to observe the natural ecosystem year-round, provide habitats for migrating waterfowl, birds, and other animals, and make optimal locations for getting natural autumn photos, as they’re protected from any further development.
8. Ralph Stover State Park
Ralph Stover built an 18th-century grist mill along the Tohickon Creek, the remnants of which can still be seen at the park that bears his namesake. The 45 acre Ralph Stover State Park is popular for a variety of outdoor recreational activities.
A one-mile hiking trail will take visitors past the millrace that used to turn the water to power the mill. Whitewater kayaking can be done along the creek when the water is high, but otherwise, feel free to slow down and relax. Find a seat along the creek for some warm water fishing. Smallmouth bass, sunfish, carp, and catfish can often be pulled from the creek, as well as trout that it’s regularly stocked with.
Perhaps the best place in the park for a spectacular Fall foliage view, the two-hundred-foot rock face perfect for climbing as well as a vista section at the top with a stunning view of the park’s trees and the Tohickon Creek from an amazing vantage point. Be careful making your way to the top, the rock can get slippery!
Fall foliage is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Bucks County’s scenic beauty. Rich farmlands, ripe vineyards, and even more scenic wonders await to wander amongst. If you’re ready to find a place for yourself in this beautiful area, contact Mark + Tina today, and get professional help browsing the homes for sale in New Hope, Pennsylvania.
Contact Mark 267-566-1067 or Tina 267-229-2959.
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