Fall foliage 2026: Where to see peak autumn colors in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut
Here's where to find the best fall foliage 2026 across New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, and other parts of the country.
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The 2026 fall foliage season is underway, with the first signs of the season's colors appearing throughout Upstate New York and the most significant changes expected in the Adirondacks over the next few weeks.
In the Northeast, the forecast is quite promising for a spectacular season, experts told ABC News.
"The Northeast is actually shaping up to have a really great season this year, and that's coming on the tail of a couple of rough fall foliage years," Evan Fisher, owner and founder of Explore Fall, a website that provides resources to track fall foliage, said.
Drought was a major factor behind shorter and less vibrant fall foliage in the Northeast in both 2024 and 2025. However, much of the region has been able to overcome drought conditions this year, except in parts of New Hampshire and Maine.
"Last year, the trees went to bed thirsty. And when we woke up this spring, the snowpack that had stayed on the ground all winter went into the soil slowly," said Jim Salge, a fall foliage reporter for Yankee Magazine. "We have really nice, healthy forests now."
For much of the Northeast, peak fall foliage occurs in early October. However, closer to the coast, peak conditions typically unfold later in the month.
The autumnal equinox officially arrived on Sept. 22.
Visit ILoveNY.com for weekly updates on where to see the best colors in New York throughout the season.
You can check the interactive map on Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection website for the best areas throughout the season.
In New Jersey, the landscape will begin to change by mid-October.
The New Jersey Forest Service posts updated fall foliage conditions on its Facebook page, and you can find the best places to visit during the month at visitnj.org.
If you want an early view of fall foliage, head to New England, where peak colors can be seen as early as the end of the month in some places.
As you move farther from the equator, trees receive less direct sunlight in the fall, which speeds up the breakdown of chlorophyll - the pigment that keeps leaves green. As chlorophyll fades, the yellows and oranges that were always in the leaf become visible, while trapped sugars trigger the production of red pigments. The result: more dramatic color changes in northern regions.
The White Mountains of New Hampshire are well known for their fall foliage. Millions come to see the leaves erupt into reds, oranges and yellows during October. Sugars trapped in the leaves trigger the chemical reactions that produce the most vivid reds. Visit too early, and the colors will seem dull, but mid-October is prime viewing time.
One of the best resources to find good viewing locations across the country is the fall foliage prediction map from SmokyMountains.com. You can check color projections for anywhere in the country every week through November 20.
Be sure to check the AccuWeather forecast too when planning your trip!
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Some information from the Associated Press
