October 18, 2026
The Hudson Valley Cider Trail: Hard Cider Season Is Here
October in the Hudson Valley is apple season, which means it is also hard cider season, and the two are not the same trip. You can pick apples anywhere; half the state has a hay wagon and a kettle-corn stand. The grown-up version is following the orchards that turn those apples into something you pour into a glass and drink under a tree that is actively turning orange.
This is a trail, not a destination, which means the driving is the point and the cider is the punctuation.
Angry Orchard, Walden
Getting there: About 1 hour 15 minutes. Take the Thruway north toward Newburgh and cut across to 2241 Albany Post Road, Walden, NY. What to explore: the big, obvious starting point — Angry Orchard's cidery sits in the middle of its own orchard and runs a proper tasting room with a shaded outdoor space and a fire pit that makes everyone feel like they have their life together. It is busy on weekends, but the kind of busy that comes with good cider. Go early or go midweek, and accept that you will buy more than you meant to.
Brooklyn Cider House, New Paltz
Getting there: About 1 hour 30 minutes. Continue up to Twin Star Orchards on the edge of New Paltz, where Brooklyn Cider House pours. What to explore: a drier, more interesting flight if the sweet stuff is not your thing — and if you are the designated driver, the interesting flight is exactly what you are not drinking, so plan accordingly. Pair it with a walk down New Paltz's main drag, where the Huguenot Street stone houses are worth an hour on their own.
Make a Loop, Not a Straight Line
There are small farm cider houses scattered from Marlboro up through Ulster County — hand-poured flights, views of the Shawangunk Ridge, and a person behind the bar who will happily explain the difference between dry and off-dry for longer than you asked. The move is to map two or three, keep the pours small, and rotate a real designated driver, because these roads are twisty and the leaves on the shoulder are not an invitation to look away.
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Written by Frankie
Frankie is Chief Editor & Marketing Director for Frosty Flame Vehicle Rentals.
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