Best tourist destination: Niagara Falls

Underrated hidden gem: Jamestown

Best for families: Sylvan Beach

Best for couples: Windham

Best for solo travelers: Beacon

New York might be best known for the city that never sleeps, but there's a whole state to explore beyond the Big Apple. Home to the Finger Lakes, the Adirondack Mountains, and the Catskill Mountains, upstate New York is a haven for outdoor adventure and boasts some of the East Coast's most stunning landscapes. But it's not all swimming, skiing, and sightseeing—there are also charming villages, lauded museums, thriving wine regions, and renowned performing arts scenes.

Whether you want to catch a Broadway-caliber show in a small town, follow a waterfall-watching itinerary, or just relax by a lake, these are 21 of the best places to visit in upstate New York.

Niagara Falls

Manuel ROMARIS/Getty Images

You can't visit upstate New York and not stop at Niagara Falls , home to the iconic cascades themselves.…