The season’s first peak colors are bursting in parts of the Empire state as New York’s leaf-peeping season hits its stride. According to New York’s weekly fall foliage report, spectacular seasonal hues are aplenty across New York state. As expected, parts of the Adirondacks and Catskills are to display near-peak and midpoint of color transition this weekend.
So, what are the conditions across the state this week? Here’s the third report of the season from the state Department of Economic Development, broken out by region:
Adirondacks fall foliage
Hamilton County: An 80% color transition and peak conditions are expected by the weekend in Benson, with mostly muted fall colors and scattered vibrant touches. Spotters also predict an 80% color change by the weekend in Lake Pleasant, with muted to average shades of orange and yellow, plus some reds.
St. Lawrence County: A 50%-80% color transition is expected by the weekend in Wanakena with average to bright red, orange and yellow leaves.
Essex County: Spotters predict a 75% change in the area around Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington, with with bright shades of red, orange, gold and yellow, and around a 40% color change on the mountain itself. Expect a 75% color change in Newcomb by the weekend, with bright shades of red and orange. In Lake Placid, expect a 60% color change by the weekend, with a vibrant mix of various fall colors, especially bright reds and oranges. Spotters predict a 30% color transition in Crown Point, with muted to average patches of rusty brown leaves, plus splashes of golden yellows and orange. In Ticonderoga, expect a 15% color transition, with muted dark brown and some red and orange leaves.
Lewis County: Observers predict a 75% color change by the weekend in Lowville, with bright clusters of red leaves and copper highlights.
Autumnal hues are approaching peak in some parts of New York in the state’s third fall foliage report for 2025, which runs from Sept. 24-30.
Herkimer County: Expect a 70% color change in Old Forge, with shades of orange and gold, along with emerging pops of reds. Spotters also predict around a 45% change in Long Lake, with very bright bursts of orange, red and yellow.
Franklin County: Up to a 60% color change in predicted by the weekend in Tupper Lake and Mt. Arab, with a rosy, golden glow and leaves shifting to muted goldenrod, apricot, russet, marmalade, raspberry and paprika. In Saranac Lake, a 45% color change is also predicted, with a mix of reds, yellows and orange. There is also a 45% color change predicted for the weekend in Malone, with quickly changing red, orange and yellow leaves of varying brilliance.
Warren County: A 25% change in Queensbury is expected, according to spotters, with muted yellow and purple leaves. Expect up to a 20% change in Lake George with a mix of fall colors.
Clinton County: Spotters predict a 25% change in Plattsburgh, with yellow and orange leaves.
Capital-Saratoga fall foliage
The twists and turns of the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Bobsled Run are surrounded by the exploding colors of fall deep in the Adirondacks near Lake Placid. The photo was taken on a foliage flight over the High Peaks by Adirondack Flying Services in Lake Placid.
Washington County: Spotters predict up to a 50% change in Cambridge by the weekend, with muted to average burnt orange and dark red leaves.
Albany County: In Voorheeseville, observers predict up to a 45% color change at Thacher State Park, where with color change is altitude dependent. Look for yellow and orange leaves within the park. Spotters also predict a 30% change with muted russet, yellow and red leaves in Cohoes at Cohoes Falls.
Fulton County: A 45% change in Stratford is expected by the weekend, with yellow and orange leaves and some bright bursts of red.
Schenectady County: Expect a 40% color change by the weekend in Rotterdam, with muted to average yellow, gold and deep orange leaves. Higher elevations in the county will see more seasonal hues than the lower elevations. Spotters also predict a 20% change in Central Park in Schenectady with touches of yellow and red, plus a few trees with dark burnt orange and brown leaves.
Rensselear County: Spotters predict a 35% change in East Nassau, with yellow leaves of average brilliance, muted orange and russet leaves and some pops of red. Expect a 30% color change in Troy, with red, pale yellow, and orange leaves. Elevated parts of the county could see up to a 40% color transition this weekend.
Saratoga County: Expect a 10% change in Saratoga Springs by the weekend, with shades of yellow and orange leaves and a touch of red.
Catskills fall foliage
Greene County: Observers predict up to an 80% color transition in the upper elevations of Mountain Top in Hunter and in Hensonville, both with red, orange and yellow leaves. Expect a 60% color transition in Round Top with bright orange and yellow leaves and a 40% color change by the weekend in Catskill, with scattered pops of orange and yellow leaves.
Delaware County: In Dehli, expect up to a 75% color transition, with average to bright red, purple, orange and gold leaves. Spotters predict a 70% color change by the weekend in Colchester with bright orange, yellow and red leaves. A 60% color change is predicted by the weekend in Bloomville and Stamford, with muted orange leaves.
Ulster County: Spotters predict a 60% color change at Belleayre Mountain in Highmount, with rustic shades of orange and red, plus plenty of yellows. West-facing slopes are lagging, while many north- and south- facing slopes are already at peak, especially at the mountain’s higher elevations.
Sullivan County: Spotters predict a 45% change in Liberty, with increasing touches of red, purple, orange, and yellow, especially in higher-elevations and northern parts of the county. By the weekend a 30% color change in Forestburgh is expected, with muted tones of orange and yellow, and some bright splashes of red.
Central New York fall foliage
Chenango County: Observers predict a 60% color change in Bainbridge, Norwich and Guilford by the weekend, with bright orange and yellow leaves, plus touches of red, brown and purple.
Otsego County: Expect a 50% color change by the weekend in Cherry Valley, with yellow leaves of varying brilliance, along with some pops of red.
Oneida County: Spotters predict a 40% color change by the weekend in Utica, with muted to average shades of orange and yellow.
Herkimer County: By the weekend, a 30% change in Herkimer, with orange and yellow leaves.
Broome County: Spotters predict a 30% change by the weekend in Binghamton, especially on surrounding mountaintops, with bright yellows and oranges, plus significant droppage and some unchanged trees.
Schoharie County: By the weekend, observers predict a 20% change in Summit and west Fulton, with orange and yellow leaves. In Gilboa, also expect a 20% color change, but with touches of red and splashes of yellow.
Madison County: Expect a 10% color transition in Cazenovia by the weekend, with muted touches of orange.
Montgomery County: Spotters predict 10% color change in Fonda by the weekend, with yellow leaves.
Finger Lakes fall foliage
Schuyler County: Expect a 65% color transition by the weekend in Watkins Glen, with muted red, orange and brown leaves, plus significant leaf droppage.
Ontario County: Expect up to 40% transition in Canandaigua by the weekend, with bright red and orange leaves. In Nearby in Farmington, fall colors are just starting to emerge and a 5% color change is predicted by the weekend.
Chemung County: Spotters predict up to a 40% color change in Elmira, with muted to average orange and yellow leaves.
Tioga County: In Owego, expect a 35% foliage change by the weekend, with muted orange, yellow, and brown leaves.
Yates County: By the weekend, spotters predict a 35% change in Penn Yan, with a touch of reds, oranges and yellows
Cayuga County: By the weekend, expect a 30% color transition in Moravia and Locke, with burnt orange leaves. In Auburn, expect a 20% change, with yellow leaves.
Steuben County: Spotters predict 30% color change by the weekend in Bath, Corning, Hammondsport and Hornell, with shades of red, orange and yellow.
Cortland County: Spotters predict a 25% color change in Willet and Virgil, with yellow, gold, and a few orange leaves, plus some mostly green trees.
Wayne County: Expect a 25% change in Lyons with yellow leaves, plus some shades of orange and red.
Livingston County: Observers predict a 20% of color change in Geneseo by the weekend, with touches of yellow and red leaves.
Monroe County: Spotters predict a 20% color change by the weekend in Rochester, with increasing shades of yellow. Brilliant red and orange leaves are emerging on some maple trees.
Tompkins County: Spotters predict a 20% change in Ithaca and Trumansburg, with swaths of gold, and some just-emerging pops of red and orange.
Seneca County: Observers predict a 15% color change by the weekend in Waterloo with bright touches of red, purple and gold leaves. In nearby Seneca Falls, also expect a 15% change, with a mix of muted fall colors.
Onondaga County: Up to a 15% color change is predicted by the weekend at Beaver Lake in Baldwinsville by the weekend, with shades of yellow and red.
Chautauqua-Allegheny
Cattauragus County: Spotters predict a 60% color change in Little Valley by the weekend, with yellow and orange leaves. A 45% color transition is expected at Allegany State Park in Salamanca, with shades of yellow and red on maple trees, and mostly green leaves on oaks.
Chautauqua County: Observers predict a 40% color transition in Chautauqua, with bright shades of yellow, orange and red. A 40% color change is also predicted in Sherman, with bright gold and red leaves.
Greater Niagara fall foliage
Wyoming County: Spotters predict a 40% color transition at Letchworth State Park in Warsaw, with emerging pockets of red and orange leaves.
Erie County: Expect a 35% color change by the weekend in East Aurora, with pops of yellows and reds. Spotters also predict a 15% color change in Buffalo, where a mix of fall hues is emerging.
Niagara County: Observers predict a 30% color change by the weekend in Lewiston, with yellow and brown leaves. In Niagara Falls, expect a 10% color change, with touches of yellow and orange leaves.
Orleans County: Spotters predict a 10% change in Albion, with average to bright red, orange and yellow leaves.
Thousand Islands-Seaway
St. Lawrence County: Expect a 50% change in Massena by the weekend, with shades of yellow and orange, plus a few touches of red and purple.
Jefferson County: Observers predict a 50% color change in Alexandria Bay, with yellow and orange leaves, plus some patches of red.
Oswego County: A 25% color change is predicted by the weekend in Williamstown, with a mix of red, purple and orange leaves. Oswego expects a 10% color transition by the weekend, with occasional touches of purple.
Hudson Valley fall foliage
Ulster County: Observers predict a 45% change in Kingston by the weekend, with fiery reds and vibrant oranges.
Columbia County: Spotters predict a 40% color change in Hudson by the weekend, with gold, yellow, orange and russet leaves, plus some sparkles of red.. Expect a 20% color change in Valatie, with touches of yellow and orange. Some trees remain green, while others are fully changed.
Dutchess County: Spotters also predict a 30% color change in Beacon, with yellows of average brilliance and some emerging bright reds. Changes are most prominent on Mount Beacon, with fewer fall colors along the city’s Main Street. A 10% color change is predicted by the weekend in Poughkeepsie, with average to bright shades of yellow and brown leaves.
Westchester County: Expect a 20% color change in White Plains, with muted patches of red and gold leaves.
Orange County: Spotters predict a 15% color transition in Washingtonville, with average to bright touches of yellow, orange and red leaves. In Westtown and Newburgh, expect up to a 10% color change by the weekend, with muted gold leaves.
Rockland County: Expect a 10% color change by the weekend in Orangeburg, with a touch of red.
Long Island:
Nassau County: Spotters predict a 15% color change at Hempstead Lake State Park in West Hempstead, with splashes of crimson and brown. Also expect a 5% change in East Meadow, with a few yellow, orange, red and brown leaves.
Suffolk County: By the weekend, expect a 10% color change at Belmont Lake State Park in West Babylon, with color just starting to emerge on some trees along park trails and several trees approaching the mid-point of color transition. Spotters predict 10% change along the North Shore, with some emerging orange, yellow and red leaves. A bit more than 5% change at Mashomack Preserve on Shelter Island is expected by the weekend, with just a few trees starting to change.
New York City
Less than 10% color change is expected on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and in Central Park. Look for an emerging mix of fall colors.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Fall colors near peak in parts of NY: See foliage report by region