We are looking for an area not too far from pa to enjoy foliage, hikes, shops, food.can anyone suggest a nice pet friendly resort or cottage?

Hello! An "Upstate NY" foliage trip would be considered a trip to the Adirondacks, which is not anywhere near PA. Have you considered the Finger Lakes area? Maybe Ithaca? It would be a shorter drive for you than going Upstate. Nice shops, wineries and restaurants in this area. From where is PA would you be driving?

The key first question: Where in Pennsylvania are you departing from?

I was referring to the Catskill or lower Adirondack area, thinking anything outside of NYC was referred to as upstate. We live in Lancaster County which is southern PA.I have scoured the internet for a nice resort or cabin- not too rustic, been there and done that with great regret. I found a few at hundreds of dollars per night. Would finger lakes be in mountains?

If you go, would you please let us know how your trip went. We are always looking for places within driving distance where we can take our dog with us, and that area is on our list. Mostly for hiking and nature since they aren't allowed in most of the National Parks out west (and I do understand why).

The Finger Lakes would not be in the mountains, but it is beautiful area (and just for informational purposes it is considered Central New York) I am not familiar with resorts in the Catskills, so I'll leave that to someone else, but what about Ithaca or Skaneateles? It would be a drive for you but with nice scenery along the way, nice places to stop and shop. Take a look at www.skaneateles.com and pets are allowed at the Skaneateles Suites & Boutique Hotel, there is a link to it from the Skaneateles website.

there are some great State Parks nearby for hiking and picnicking too.

What is your budget and how far are you willing to drive? The Berkshires are beautiful in fall with lots to see and do. Friends stayed in a nice cottage with their dog in Great Barrington, Ma. The property is an
inn/b & b but the cottage they used is separate on the property but rates do include breakfast. I'll get the name if that's not too far. I don't think it was cheap.

Look into Lake Minnewaska.. It's at the southern edge of the Catskills. Exit 18 off the NYS Thruway. There's hiking trails and I know that dogs are allowed. Lake Minnewaska Lodge would be one place to stay but I don't know if they allow pets.

We used to love going to Rhinebeck , staying either at the Beekman Arms or Delamater House ( same owners) and we were always happy.
It is a great location for exploring the area..about 2 hours from NYC.
If you go on the Taconic, you can go farther north and into the Berkshires (mclaurie mentioned this)..you can stay at all sorts of B&Bs .. but be warned, prices are nice and high last minute.
How big is the pet? Some places accept small dogs, not my Standard Poodle ~
A lot of B&Bs don't accept dogs because they have their own B&B dog or cat.
There is a good directory .. you can find it with help from google..pet friendly hotels..
Good luck!! I reeeally miss NY at this time of year

It also depends WHEN you are going. I live here and can have about 3 weeks of foliage, with a week going north of me and hour, Adirondacks, my area, mid state, or the next week going south.

So I would look at the NYS Foliage reports and get to the current area of peak.

Ithaca (on Lake Cayuga) - it has everything including the lake, gorgeous fall foliage, gorges, parks, Cornell University and Ithaca college. You can rent houses near the lake.