The best place to see NYC fall foliage is actually in a cemetery
surrounded by gorgeous hundred-foot tall trees and rolling hills, you won't feel like you're in the city
Yesterday, deeply craving the feeling of fall, Mark and I decided to visit Green-Wood Cemetery after years of hearing about its magic. Tucked away in the heart of Brooklyn, it’s more than just a historic resting place — it’s a 478-acre oasis that feels like stepping into another world. If you're looking to escape the chaos of the city and fully immerse yourself in nature, this is where you want to be. When the crisp autumn air rolls in, the cemetery transforms into an explosion of vibrant color — golden yellows, fiery oranges, deep crimsons. It’s easily one of the most underrated spots in New York to catch some incredible autumnal foliage, and you’ll barely run into another person here. It’s perfect — hauntingly beautiful, even.
The landscape here is a mix of rolling hills, serene ponds, and winding paths, all framed by trees that have been growing for over a century. Some of the trees are massive, towering over the gravestones like silent guardians, while others are delicate and wispy, their leaves catching the light just right. There's something almost magical about wandering these pathways in mid-October, with crunchy leaves underfoot and the sun casting that perfect autumn glow.
One of the coolest things about Green-Wood is that it’s a Level III accredited arboretum, so the diversity of trees here is off the charts. We’re talking about over 7,000 trees from 600+ species. From stately oaks to weeping beeches, every turn offers something special, like the Katsura tree, which smells like caramel in the fall — yes, seriously, caramel. That scent, mixed with the colors of the season, makes the whole experience feel like a dreamy, woodland escape.
It’s also the kind of place that reminds you of the passage of time in a really gentle way. You can sit on a bench with a view of Manhattan in the distance, take in the quiet, and just watch the leaves fall.
You really can’t go wrong with where you wander, and the cemetery is big enough that you can visit multiple times and have a completely different experience each time. We started at the main entrance gate on the northwest side, and meandered towards the giant cedar of Lebanon and then to the grave of Jean-Michel Basquiat. From there, we exited and walked over to Prospect Park, where we took bikes around the big loop to see even more leaves, until we got caught in a rogue dust storm.
All in all, I highly recommend spending an afternoon here if you’re looking to get pleasantly lost in nature. While fall in the cemetery is definitely something special, I’ve heard that there are some truly special blossoming trees in the spring, so I am looking forward to returning!
I'm glad to see I'm not the only cemetery-wanderer, and your pictures are beautiful!