Come October, the Sullivan Catskills foliage is at its finest, with stunning hues of golden yellow, amber, and scarlet dancing across the mountains. But it’s not just the region’s natural splendor that beckons visitors to come explore this time of year. A growing diversity of high-caliber and award-winning farm-to-table experiences in the region offer visitors a one-of-a-kind immersion in the bounty of the land. One autumn must-stop that is sure to inspire is Seminary Hill Orchard & Cidery, which bridges the region’s centuries’ old tradition of cidermaking with modern innovation.
Perched on a ridge above Callicoon, Seminary Hill was opened in 2021 by Susan Manning and Douglas Doetsch. The farm reflects Doetch’s deep family heritage in the region, and represents a homecoming to a style of cidermaking that, for older generations, was simply part of living off the land. The 12-acre certified-organic orchard holds about 1,500 trees and about 60 heirloom apple and pear varieties, which the Seminary Hill team crafts into its artisanal dry ciders.
As the first cidery built to Passive House standards, Seminary Hill’s carbon-neutral footprint also exemplifies the commitment to sustainability within the modern regenerative farming movement. Above the production rooms sits the 4,000-square-foot tasting hall clad in reclaimed local larch and glass, with solar panels on the roof that supply all the power.
Autumn is the perfect time to enjoy a tour and tasting of this historic property. On weekends, visitors can book a tour that starts a guided walk through the orchard’s trees, passes through the production area, and ends with a tasting.
Of course, no visit to Seminary Hill is complete without pausing to take in the view. From the cidery’s broad windows or the open terrace, the Sullivan Catskills unfold in all their autumn glory. It’s a view that lingers long after the last glass is empty. Visitors and locals alike summarize it as breathtaking, but it’s more than that. It’s grounding, while reminding those who make a stop here why people return to the Catskills again and again.
Seminary Hill is as much about people as it is about apples or cider. It’s about gathering around a table, around a story, around the season. Autumn has always been the season of coming together, of harvest and abundance, and Seminary Hill captures that spirit perfectly. Whether it’s friends meeting for a weekend escape, families celebrating traditions, or travelers discovering the Sullivan Catskills for the first time, there’s an undeniable warmth in the region that makes every visit memorable.
