Fall at the Cabins

Fall at the cabins runs from September through November, from the last warm afternoons through the color to the first snow. The cabins sit about ten road miles south of Malone at the northern edge of the Adirondack Park, at about 1,300 feet, and the season turns fast here: the average high falls from 68°F in September to 43°F in November. This page goes through the fall month by month, with the weather, the first frost and the first snow, the daylight, what closes and when, the hunting seasons, and how each cabin's fire pit, hot tub and heat work as the nights get cold.

The weather month by month

These averages cover the 30 years from 1991 to 2020 in Malone, about ten road miles north of the cabins and several hundred feet below them. The last column counts the nights in an average year when the low falls to freezing or below.

The fall cools in steps of 10 to 13 degrees a month. The average high drops from 68°F in September to 55°F in October and 43°F in November, and the average low goes from 47°F to 36°F to 26°F. Frosty nights go from about one in an average September to about ten in October and 22 in November, and November adds about seven nights at 20°F or colder.

October is the wettest of the three months, with 4.02 inches and measurable precipitation on about 14 days. November has as many wet days, about 15, with less water, 3.34 inches, some of it falling as snow, and September has the fewest, about 12.

Malone's weather station, with records back to 1983, shows how far the season can swing. September has reached 90°F, in 2002 and again in 2007, and October 88°F, in a warm spell in early October 2025. November has touched 76°F, in 2020, and fallen to -5°F, on November 24 in both 1996 and 2000. The coldest September night on record was 26°F, on September 29, 2000, and the coldest October nights 19°F, in 1997, 2013 and 2015.

First frost and first snow

At the Malone station the first frost of the fall, a low of 32°F or colder, comes by September 21 in one year in ten, by October 4 in half of all years and by October 21 in nine years in ten. A September frost comes in about three years in ten, an October frost in nearly every year. The harder freezes follow: in a median year the first 28°F night arrives around October 18, the first 24°F night around November 1 and the first 20°F night around November 9.

Snow follows about a month after the first frost. Over the 30 falls from 1991 to 2020, the station's first measurable snow, a tenth of an inch or more, came on a median date of November 2, the first snowfall of an inch or more around November 7 and the first day with an inch on the ground around November 8. Snow had fallen by October 31 in 12 of those 30 years, by November 15 in 25 and by the end of November in all of them. The earliest first snow came on October 4, 1999, and the latest on November 26, 2012.

October snow comes in fewer than half of all years: in 18 of the 30 Octobers from 1991 to 2020 the station recorded no measurable snow, yet 11 inches fell on October 29, 2008. November brings about 9 inches in an average year, but one November in five brings 2.6 inches or less and another one in five 15.5 inches or more, and snow covers the ground on about eight November days. The winter page picks up from there.

Daylight from September to November

Sunrise, sunset and the end of evening twilight at the cabins in local clock time, for the fall of 2027. The fall of 2026 runs within a minute or two of these times, except in the first week of November, when the clocks change on a different date.

Fall gives up daylight fast: about four hours and ten minutes between September 1 and November 30, close to three minutes a day. The clocks go back an hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2026, and on Sunday, November 7, in 2027. After the change the sun sets before 5 p.m., and by the end of November the twilight is gone before 5 p.m. as well. Count back from sunset when you plan a climb; on October 20 the sun is down at 6:04 p.m.

September

September averages 68°F by day and 47°F at night, and a frost is still rare, about one night in an average year. The black flies are long gone, though mosquitoes linger into the month and adult ticks are active again from mid-August into November; black flies, mosquitoes and ticks has the details. Labor Day falls on September 7 in 2026 and on September 6 in 2027.

Several places move to fall hours. In 2026 the Almanzo Wilder Farm in Burke, about 13 road miles away, gave tours on Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. through September 30, with Thursday and Friday tours by appointment. Malone Golf Club's peak season ended on September 20 in 2026, and its off-peak rates run from September 21 to closing day. The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, about 57 road miles away, stays open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through September and October.

Plattsburgh marks the anniversary of the Battle of Plattsburgh, the American naval victory on Lake Champlain on September 11, 1814, with a free commemoration each September, with reenactments, a parade and fireworks; the Plattsburgh guide covers the city, about 61 road miles away. Late in the month the hunting seasons open, bear on September 19 and deer for bowhunters on September 27 in 2026; the hunting section below has the rest.

October

October averages 55°F and 36°F. The first frost comes by October 4 in half of all years, and an average October brings about ten frosty nights. Columbus Day makes the month's long weekend: October 10 to 12 in 2026, and Monday, October 11, in 2027.

Titus Mountain, about three and a half road miles from the cabins, usually holds its Oktoberfest on the first Saturday of the month; the 45th, on October 3, 2026, had free chairlift rides, bands from noon into the night and fireworks at dusk. Over the holiday weekend, October 10 to 12, 2026, the Wilder farm opens for regular tours on Saturday and Sunday and on Monday at 10 a.m. and noon, and the Olympic ski jumps in Lake Placid hold the Flaming Leaves Festival on October 10 and 11, with the national ski jumping and Nordic combined championships, music and vendors.

After the holiday weekend the region starts to close for the season; the table further down has the dates. Trout season on most streams ends on October 15. In the woods, the early muzzleloader season runs from October 17 to 23, and the regular deer season opens on Saturday, October 24.

October is goose month in Malone. From late October into early November, thousands of snow geese come down onto Rotary Lake in Malone Memorial Recreation Park just after sunset. Dogs are not allowed in the park, and the wildlife guide has the timing and the other geese to look for. For a late soak, the Orionid meteor shower peaks on the night of October 21 to 22, 2026.

Fall color

The color reaches the high country first and the lower ground around Malone later. In the state's foliage report for October 7 to 13, 2026, Saranac Lake was at 95 percent change and peak, Tupper Lake and Whiteface were just past peak, and Malone was at 50 percent and near peak, with mostly bright reds and oranges. The report comes out every Wednesday afternoon through the season, and the fall color guide has the drives, the trees and how the timing has run in past years.

November

November averages 43°F and 26°F, with about 9 inches of snow in an average year and a frost on most nights. Between the end of the color and the start of the ski season much of the region is closed or on short hours, which makes it the month for the cabin itself: the stove, the hot tub and the long evenings.

The clocks go back on November 1, 2026. The Lake Placid Film Festival runs at the Palace Theatre from November 5 to 8, 2026, and Veterans Day, November 11, is the state's last free fishing day of 2026, with no license needed. Two meteor showers peak this month, the Northern Taurids on November 11 to 12 under a moon only 4 percent lit and the Leonids on November 16 to 17. Thanksgiving falls on November 26 in 2026 and November 25 in 2027. The events calendar lists the year's other dates.

The Wild Center switches to Friday-to-Sunday hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in November, and its Wild Lights evenings begin on November 27, 2026, on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 8 p.m. Santa's Workshop at North Pole, closed through the summer and fall of 2026, reopens for holiday weekends from late November 2026; the Santa's Workshop guide points to the park's hours page. Titus Mountain had not posted its 2026-27 opening day in early October, so watch its site; the Titus guide covers the lifts and tickets. The regular deer season runs to December 6 in 2026.

What is open and closed in fall

These are the 2026 dates. Check each one before you go, since the seasons move a little every year.

Fall holidays and school breaks

A few dates fill the fall calendar on both sides of the border. If your dates touch one of them, book early.

• Labor Day is Monday, September 7, 2026, and Monday, September 6, 2027, the same day as Canada's Labour Day.
• Columbus Day and Canadian Thanksgiving share a Monday: October 12, 2026, and October 11, 2027. New York City's public schools are closed on October 12, 2026, for Italian Heritage and Indigenous Peoples' Day, so the weekend is a long one for many families on both sides of the border, in the middle of the color.
• Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2026, closes New York City's schools for the day, and Canada marks Remembrance Day on the same date.
• Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026, and the city's schools close on November 26 and 27 for the Thanksgiving recess.

A fall weekend at the cabins

For a weekend in early or mid-October, plan to arrive on Friday before dark; on Friday, October 9, 2026, the sun sets at the cabins at 6:23 p.m. Shop in Malone on the way in, about 20 minutes from the cabins. On Saturday morning, climb Owls Head, about ten minutes from the cabins, for the ledges over the lakes, and spend the afternoon at Titus Mountain's Oktoberfest if it is the first Saturday of the month, or at the Wilder farm if it is the holiday weekend. Light the fire pit at dusk and take the hot tub after dark. On Sunday, drive NY 30 south past Meacham Lake toward Paul Smiths and Saranac Lake, where the high country colors first; the fall color guide has that drive and the loops beyond it.

Hunting season near the cabins

There is no hunting at the cabins. The listings for The Modern Pine and The Modern Tiny Home both say no hunting is allowed on the property, and The Aviator's allows no weapons anywhere on the property. Hunters do use the state forests and Forest Preserve land around them, and Franklin County lies in the state's Northern Zone. These are the main 2026-27 seasons there, from DEC's season summary, whose rules mostly run from September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027; check DEC's current guide before you plan around them.

Deer and bear hunters may be out from half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset. DEC asks everyone in the woods during the hunting seasons to wear bright clothing, blaze orange or blaze pink, to expect to meet hunters on the same trails, and to tell someone where they are going and when they plan to be back. Put a bright vest or collar on the dog and keep it on a leash; bringing your dog has more on dogs in the woods.

Hiking, paddling and golf in fall

On the trails, the short days are the main change. Start early, set a turnaround time from the sunset table above, and carry a headlamp after mid-October. Fallen leaves hide roots and wet rock, so take the descents slowly. The fall color guide lists the short walks to a view near the cabins, and the hiking guide covers the rest, with the parking and the trail lengths.

On the water, the season winds down. Once Meacham Lake's campground closes, its launches are free to boaters for the rest of the season. The water cools fast, and from November 1 New York requires anyone in a canoe, kayak or other boat shorter than 21 feet to wear a life jacket while under way. Bass season in Franklin County runs to November 30; the Meacham Lake guide covers the launches.

Golf can go on into November at Malone Golf Club, about 15 minutes from the cabins by the listings' count, at its off-peak rates, though the clubhouse Grille Room closes for 2026 after Sunday, October 11. The golf guide has the two courses.

The fire pits, hot tubs and stoves in fall

Fall evenings are long and cool, which is fire pit weather. By October 20 the sun is down at 6:04 p.m., and October nights average 36°F. Every cabin has a fire pit with Adirondack chairs: the big stone ring in front of The Modern Tiny Home, The Modern Pine's fire pit at the edge of the trees and The Aviator's smokeless fire pit on its lawn. One September guest at The Modern Tiny Home wrote:

"It was very clean and we loved using the grill, hot tub and fire pit at night."

Each cabin's hot tub stays in use through the fall, and The Modern Pine's listing describes its tub as available all year and open 24 hours. A November 2025 guest at The Modern Pine wrote: "We especially loved the hot tub and the fire pit area."

Inside, The Modern Pine and The Aviator each have a Jøtul GF 160 DV gas stove in the living room for the cold mornings, and The Modern Tiny Home has no stove but lists heating. In September, while the mosquitoes are still about, the large screened room at The Modern Pine and the screened corner at The Modern Tiny Home are the places for supper; by October The Aviator's open deck works as well as either. Sound carries across the quiet woods in the evening, and The Modern Tiny Home and The Aviator both ask for quiet between 10 at night and 8 in the morning.

Which cabin for a fall stay

• The Modern Pine (Cabin 2) has the Jøtul gas stove for frosty mornings, the hot tub listed as open 24 hours all year, the large screened room for early September evenings and its fire pit at the tree line. It shares its property with The Aviator.
• The Aviator (Cabin 3) has the same stove, a large open deck for clear October afternoons and the smokeless fire pit on the lawn.
• The Modern Tiny Home (Cabin 1) has the big stone fire pit, the pond trail and the observation deck, and heating in place of a stove. It shares a second property with one other cabin, and the trail, the deck and the parking are shared when that cabin is booked.

Each cabin sleeps four, in a main bedroom and a bunk room, and The Modern Pine and The Aviator can be booked together for eight people on one property. The person who books The Modern Pine or The Modern Tiny Home must be at least 25, those two cabins do not take children under 10, and Airbnb flags all three as not suitable for children and infants. The cabin comparison sets them side by side.

The drive in fall

Dusk is deer time on the county roads, and crashes with deer peak from October through December, so slow down after sunset; getting to the cabins has the numbers and the routes. Snow can come as early as the first week of October, and from November the drive calls for winter tires and the advice in winter driving. From Canada, the Trout River port on NY 30 stays closed to southbound traffic until about May 2028, so plan on one of the other crossings.

What to pack

Plan for frosty mornings, afternoons anywhere from the 40s to the 60s, precipitation on about every other day in October and November and the chance of snow from late October on, and add blaze orange or blaze pink for the trails. The full lists by season and by kind of trip are on when to come and what to pack.

Questions

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. Hours, fees and schedules change; confirm before you go.

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2. NOAA ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-202
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28. content.govdelivery.com content.govdelivery.com/accounts/NYSDEC/bulletins/1aeab7e
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40. The cabin's Airbnb listing airbnb.com/rooms/53628054
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42. The cabin's Airbnb listing airbnb.com/rooms/1168252128174283244