Have you noticed how quickly time has passed by this year? Seasons seem only to last a month or so, then gone- especially autumn. Already October is half over, and leaf-viewing opportunities are fading. We’ll have to hustle if we want to capture the glory of the Tri-State’s most precious time of year.

And we have some recommendations for where to see it all. These are the beautiful places often mentioned in sportingAcause- the venues where so many walks and runs take place throughout the year. They are the parks and trails where folks can safely run and walk often without venturing onto a highway and maybe take in their surroundings as they pass by.

The White Memorial Conservation Center is one, with 40 miles of trails within 4,000 acres of woodlands, fields, rivers and wetlands in Litchfield, CT. Learn more at whitememorialcc.org.

Another is the Walkway Over the Hudson, a converted rail road trestle which spans high above the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, NY. Dozens of walks and 5K’s are held here every year. In fact a Walk To End Alzheimer’s and a Walk To Defeat ALS will be held there this Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Take part in one and view the river vistas at the same time. Visit walkway.org for details.

The Harlem Valley Rail Trail and the tongue-twisting Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, in Millerton, NY and Cheshire, MA respectively, offer miles of paved pathways with gorgeous views. Visit hvrt.org and mass.gov/locations/ashuwillticook-rail-trail for more info.

And here are some more candidates for great autumn viewing:

Ferncliff Forest, Rhinebeck, NY,   ferncliffforest.org

Barbour Woods, Norfolk, CT

Peach Hill Park,   Poughkeepsie, NY peach-hill-park.org

Pittsfield State Forest, Pittsfield, MA mass.gov/locations/pittsfield-state-forest

Brodie Park, New Hartford, CT, town.new-hartford.ct.us/recreation-department/pages/brodie-park

Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox, MA , massaudubon.org