Get Offline, Get Outside Take #2: As Summer Winds Down, Still Plenty To Do In Upstate NY
The Landis Arboretum in Esperance is the perfect Schoharie County destination to Get Offline, Get Outside.
However did we get here?
Not 2026, but August 2026?
It seems like we were just looking for things to do to get us through the winter.
Now…The days are getting shorter and fall is knocking on the door.
But we have choices.
In Upstate NY and Schoharie County, we always have choices.
We can start prepping for what’s coming.
Back to school shopping. Matching up those random gloves. Tracking down those storm windows. Washing those winter-weight horse blankets. Ordering another load of firewood.
Or…we can make the most of the summer that’s left by taking another look at New York State’s “Get Offline, Get Outside” campaign, 50 kid-focused activities to pick and choose from all across Upstate NY, from the Catskills to the Adirondacks, from Albany to Niagara Falls.
Bring your binoculars or camera. You don’t want to miss an Upstate NY sight like this.
The goal? Encouraging families to put down their phones, take a break from social media and streaming, and take advantage of the great outdoors. There’s no better place.
To help, we’re revisiting our list of favorite local spots. Because the days are getting shorter.
Learn to fish. Best bet(s):
Looking Glass Pond, and Mallet Pond, both in Fulton. Make sure to get a license if you’re 16 or older.
Pitch a tent. Best bet(s):
Max Shaul State Park in Fultonham — 30 wooded tent and trailer sites with a nature and hiking trail and playing fields. Or…even your backyard.
New to camping? Check out DEC’s free First Time Camper Program. Many DEC Campgrounds also include Day Use Areas with picnic spots and grills. Find a Day Use Area location wherever you are.
Learn to identify 3 animals by their tracks. Or 4 birds by their vocalizations. Or 5 trees or 6 wildflowers?
Best bet for all four:
Canoeists enjoy Minekill State Park, one of the best places in Upstate NY to celebrate summer.
Landis Arboretum in Esperance — 15 miles of trails and hundreds of acres of open space open dawn to dusk for hiking, walking, cross-country skiing and biking. (There’s even a Bluebird Trail.) Need help? Check out your local library or bookstore for field guides and books.
Go for a bike ride. Best bet(s):
Not gonna lie, the Empire State Trail — 750-miles of mostly paved, beginner-friendly access that crosses Upstate New York, from Buffalo to Albany, is our go-to. Pick it up in Canajoharie, Fort Plain, or Amsterdam.
Looking for something a little more rural? How about the Catskill Rail Trail, 26 miles on a former railroad line that you can hop on in Stamford.
Try a new hiking trail or nature walk. Best bet(s):Vroman’s Nose in Middleburgh for a killer view of the Schoharie Valley (and where Revolutionary War hero Tim Murphy made his historic leap), and the year-old Settles Mountain Nature Preserve in Cobleskill.
The 358-mile Long Path, which gets its start at the George Washington Bridge in New York City also runs through the Schoharie Valley and just added the Middleburgh Cliffs to its holdings.
Use the DEC info Locator to find more trails or visit the NYS Birding Trail map for more ideas on great places for nature walks.
What else?
Read a book under a tree. Or in a hammock.
Draw (or photograph) something from nature. Start a nature journal.
Watch the sunrise…or sunset.
Paddle a canoe, kayak or paddleboard.
Plant a tree.
Identify 3 constellations in the night sky anywhere away from lights. (Maybe in your own backyard.)
And Vroman’s Nose…a 30-minute hike into history with a view of the Schoharie Valley like no other. When New York State says Get Offline, Get Outside, no one needs to tell us twice. Especially as summer starts winding down.
There are plenty more ideas for kid. and family outdoor fun at Get Offline, Get Outside and no better place to try them out than Upstate NY and Schoharie County. Get Offline. Get Outside.
Because in Upstate New York, we live our lives outside.
