Vibrant Fall Foliage Appearing in Regions Across Most Of New York State

Color Changes Underway in Areas North of New York City

Albany, NY – (Editor’s note: This is the second 2019 Fall Foliage Report for New York State. Reports are obtained from volunteer field observers and reflect expected color conditions for the coming weekend. Fall Foliage Reports are issued every Wednesday afternoon and are available at iloveny.com/things-to-do/fall/ .)

New York State’s unparalleled fall foliage season is progressing, with all Upstate regions reporting that noticeable foliage changes are expected this weekend. Observers—from the Empire State Development Division of Tourism’s I LOVE NY program—report changes in the Adirondacks, Capital-Saratoga, Catskills, Central New York, Chautauqua-Allegheny, Finger Lakes, Greater Niagara, Hudson Valley and Thousand Islands-Seaway regions.

In the Adirondacks, foliage will be reaching midpoint of change this weekend in some parts of Franklin County, with significant color changes projected for Tupper Lake. Look for foliage near midpoint of change, with 40% color transition featuring shades of rhubarb, goldenrod, maize, pumpkin, russet, cranberry and crimson. In Saranac Lake, observers expect the leaves to be around midpoint of change by the weekend. Look for 35% color change with red maples showing their vibrant red leaves and sugar maples starting to turn various hues of yellow and orange. Color progression is slightly slower in Malone, where reports anticipate about 25% change with green, yellow and some red leaves of average brilliance.

In the Herkimer County hamlet of Old Forge, leaves are expected to be at midpoint of change this weekend with 45% color transition and bright shades of red, yellow and some orange. In Hamilton County, observers in Lake Pleasant anticipate 30% color change with yellow and orange foliage in various shades, along with some vibrant red.

In Essex County, foliage observers in Ticonderoga anticipate up to 25% color change by the weekend with color changes beginning in about half of the trees. Look for some red, yellow and orange leaves of average brilliance. Lake Placid should experience 20% color change this weekend with red and gold beginning to appear over the primarily green backdrop. Observers at Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington also expect 20% change with red and gold leaves of average brilliance. In nearby Willsboro, foliage progression has been slower with 10-15% color change expected this weekend, highlighted by bright pops of red and purple appearing across the landscape. Crown Point observers expect less than 10% color transition by the weekend, with muted golds and rusts emerging. Look for about 10% color change in northern Warren County with shades of yellow. The southern part of the county should be at about 5% change, along with areas surrounding Schroon Lake. In Adirondacks portion of St. Lawrence County, expect 15% change with some red, mauve and orange leaves of average brilliance.

In the Capital-Saratoga region, Fulton County observers at Lapland Lake Nordic Vacation Center in Northville anticipate 20-25% color change by the weekend with areas of red and touches of orange-yellow appearing. In Gloversville, expect 10% color change with subdued shades of yellow and red appearing. Foliage observers reporting from Rensselaer County anticipate 10-15% color change this weekend with some brilliant patches of deep red, light yellow, and orange showing on some trees and shrubs. In Albany County, reports from Thacher State Park in Voorheesville expect 5-10% color change this weekend with average-to-bright touches of yellow. Expect 5-10% color change this weekend around Cohoes with yellow leaves of average brilliance. In Saratoga County, look for up to 10% color change this weekend with a mix of fall hues emerging.

In the Catskills, Sullivan County spotters reporting from Forestburgh expect 25% foliage change with red, yellow, orange, wine and peach leaves of average brilliance. In Ferndale, anticipate 25% color change with touches of red and yellow leaves emerging from the green backdrop. In the Greene County hamlet of Leeds, foliage is changing quickly, with yellow, red and orange leaves of average brilliance. Look for 5-10% change in the county’s valley and river towns. Spotters reporting from above 1500 feet in the Windham/Hunter/Lexington area expect about 15% color change with touches of red and yellow appearing on the maple and ash trees. In Ulster County, foliage spotters reporting from Belleayre Mountain anticipate 10% color transition with some small patches of red, yellow and orange leaves of average brilliance appearing. Foliage observers reporting from Kingston estimate that up to 10% of the leaves will be changed by the weekend, with some isolated touches of color, including various shades of yellow emerging.

In Central New York, Oneida County observers in Utica project about 15% color change with yellow, orange and red leaves of average brilliance. In Binghamton, Broome County observers anticipate 15% change with touches of muted red, yellow and light green leaves. Montgomery County observers reporting from Fort Hunter State Historic Site anticipate 10% color change with shades of yellow and red. Spotters reporting from Cooperstown in Otsego County expect just under 10% color change this weekend, with a small number of trees starting to show yellow leaves in higher elevations. Chenango County reports from Norwich anticipate less than 10% leaf change by this weekend with a mix of muted yellow and burnt orange leaves. In southern Herkimer County, foliage change will remain low this weekend, with around 5% transition and some yellow leaves of average brilliance, according to observers in Mohawk. Madison County foliage spotters reporting from Chittenango Falls State Park in Cazenovia anticipate 5% color change this weekend with yellow leaves and some red and orange leaves of average brilliance.

In the Finger Lakes, Onondaga County spotters reporting from Green Lakes State Park in Fayetteville project color changes of 20-30% this weekend. Look for shades of red, touches of purple and some gold leaves of average brilliance. Reports from the Syracuse University campus anticipate approximately 5% change with a few average-to-bright yellow leaves appearing. Observers in Ontario County expect 10-20% color change this weekend, with the most transition in the southern part of the county around Naples. Look for some yellow and orange leaves beginning to appear.

Tioga County should see about 15% color change this weekend, according to spotters in Owego. Look for mostly green leaves with some touches of red and yellow leaves of average brilliance. In Cortland County, look for about 10% color change this weekend with touches of red and orange appearing. Color change in Chemung County will remain low this weekend, with 5-10% leaf transition and emerging shades of yellow. In Rochester and surrounding communities in Monroe County, less than 10% color change is expected, with some red and yellow leaves of average brilliance.

Foliage change in Livingston County will be about 5% this weekend, with some muted fall shades just beginning to appear. Cayuga County foliage spotters based in Auburn anticipate less than 5% color change this weekend with touches of red and yellow leaves just beginning to emerge. In Schuyler County, Watkins Glens foliage observers anticipate just over 5% of the leaves will be changed by the weekend, with some hints of yellow beginning to appear. In Yates County, foliage observers expect just up to 5% color change, with some bright red leaves in the county’s highest elevated areas. Color change in Ontario County will remain low this weekend at less than 5% transition. 

In the Chautauqua-Allegheny region, Cattaraugus County foliage spotters reporting from Little Valley project 15% color change this weekend with yellow-green leaves of average brilliance. Shades of bright orange and vibrant red are just beginning to appear. Observers at Allegany State Park in Salamanca estimate that 5-10% of foliage will be changed this weekend.  The brilliance is muted and most of the hills are still very green, with some of the ends of maple branches starting to show fall color. Chautauqua County observers expect 10-15% color change by this weekend in the northern and southern parts of the county with a touch of red, yellow and pale orange; mid-county, at a higher elevation, will see changes up to 25%.

In the Greater Niagara region, look for 10-15% color change in Wyoming County this weekend, according to spotters in Perry. Leaves are still mostly green, but hints of reds, oranges and yellows are appearing. In Orleans County, spotters are calling for a little over 10% color change with muted to average touches of red and yellow leaves, along with some orange. Genesee County will see just 5% color change this weekend with some red leaves beginning to appear on treetops, according to spotters in Batavia. 

In the Thousand Islands-Seaway region, up to 25% color change is expected in Jefferson County along the St. Lawrence River in Alexandria Bay. Look for traces of red, yellow and orange leaves of average brilliance. In Oswego County, expect 10-20% color change by this weekend with some bright pops of orange and red. In St. Lawrence County, observers reporting from Canton expect 10% color change with some touches of orange and yellow leaves of average brilliance.

In the Hudson Valley, Columbia County observers in Hudson anticipate 15% color change with hints of orange, yellow and red leaves of average brilliance appearing. In the Orange County town of Goshen, expect 10-15% color change this weekend, with muted to average shades of yellow and gold beginning to appear, along with some touches of red. In Rockland County, observers reporting from Bear Mountain State Park expect 5% color change with mostly green leaves and a hint of some color in isolated trees and vines. Dutchess County observers in Poughkeepsie expect 5% color change with some yellow and orange leaves of average brilliance. 

No significant color change is expected on Long Island or in New York City.

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Volunteer Leaf Peepers

The I LOVE NY team of volunteer Leaf Peepers, located throughout the state’s 11 vacation regions, are tasked with keeping track of the color change in their area as leaves progress each week. The information is then used for fall foliage reports, which are posted online each week, featuring a detailed map of color change throughout New York State, vantage points for viewing spectacular foliage, suggested autumn getaways and weekly event listings in each region.

About Fall Foliage

The weekly foliage report, a detailed map charting fall color progress, vantage points for viewing spectacular foliage, suggested autumn getaways and weekly event listings are available by visiting the I LOVE NEW YORK web site at www.iloveny.com/foliage. Reports are also available by dialing, toll-free, 800/CALL-NYS (800/225-5697) from anywhere in the U.S., its territories and Canada. To learn how to become a volunteer Leaf Peeper, e-mail your name, address and phone number to foliage@esd.ny.gov. Fall foliage reports are also available by dialing, toll-free, 800-CALL-NYS.

About New York State
New York State features 11 beautiful vacation regions. New York’s attractions feature landmarks such as Niagara Falls, the largest park in the continental U.S. in the Adirondacks and treasures such as the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester. New York State offers diverse activities for all: outdoor fun- snowmobiling, skiing and snowboarding, fishing, hiking and boating, year-round festivals and exploring the rich history and culture of one of the 13 original colonies. Visitors also enjoy the fine cuisine, beverage trails and farm-to-table fresh foods. 

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