The Perfect Time to Visit the Adirondacks This Fall
Lately, our inbox is full of emails from people asking when to plan their trip to the ADK to see peak foliage. Lucky for them, we’ve got answers.
Photo of Hatch Point on Lake Champlain by Eric Adsit, courtesy AdirondacksUSA.com (ROOST)
Fall is magical, especially in upstate New York's Adirondack Mountains. The brilliant scarlet, orange and golden leaves against the evergreens make for breathtaking views.
Don’t take our word for it; travel experts agree the Adirondacks offer one of the world's most incredible fall color displays. It is a natural wonder that everyone should behold at least once in their lifetime.
It’s clear from emails from ADK Taste readers that many prospective travelers worry about planning their trip around the precise time and location to see peak colors.
Which regions of the Adirondack Mountains offer the best foliage display?
When are the best dates to see the leaves at their peak?
How can they ensure an unforgettable fall foliage trip?
Will bears eat their Volvo?
And so many other essential things to fret about, like where to eat and sleep.
There are no hard and fast answers to these questions, but ADK Taste offers guidance to help you enjoy your time in the Adirondacks this fall (or any season).
Get a grip: understand peak foliage timing is variable.
According to Jane Hooper, communications manager at the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism in Lake Placid, pinpointing the "peak" timing for fall colors can be challenging. "The Adirondack region is huge, at over 6 million acres, with different elevations, temperatures, landscapes, and weather patterns," she prefaced before providing her guidelines.
Cliffs near Inlet, NY
"Generally speaking, the most abundant, beautiful color happens within a 2-3 week window beginning the last week in September through Columbus Day, with higher elevations reaching peak first and the warmer valleys along Lake Champlain and toward the south reaching peak just before mid-October."
Several factors influence peak colors, including weather patterns, elevation, and geographic location. High-elevation regions with enough rainfall during the growing season generally provide the most brilliant color displays. More on that below.
And don’t forget, foliage will remain brilliant post-peak, as well. The leaves don’t fall off the tree the day after they reach their peak color. They hang on for a bit after.
When it comes to predicting fall foliage, there are no guarantees.
View of Lake George from Prospect Mountain.
Nature is a fickle mistress. One moment, the leaves on the trees are a subtle yellow, and the next, they burst into a fiery red. It's no secret that the timing of peak color can be challenging to predict. After all, Mother Nature keeps to her schedule, not ours.
As noted earlier, factors like elevation and weather patterns all play a role in determining when the leaves will reach their prismatic peak. Despite technology and weather forecasting advancements, it's still a game of chance when experiencing the whole kaleidoscope of autumn colors.
However, if you follow the guidance in this article when planning, you should be able to figure out the best time to visit.
Peak foliage in the regions of the Adirondack Mountains.
The Adirondack region encompasses over six million acres of unsullied nature, making it one of America's foremost outdoor destinations. The Adirondack Park is bigger than the state of New Hampshire or Connecticut.
Paddler on the Raquette River in the Adirondacks
When understanding peak foliage timing, it’s helpful to consider the unique regions of the Adirondacks, their elevation, average rainfall and temperature to determine where and when leaves will be at peak color. For example:
The Lake Champlain Region and Adirondack Coast towns along Lake Champlain, like Westport, Port Henry, Essex, and Willsboro, are protected in a warmer valley and reach peak foliage later than the towns of Jay, Upper Jay, and Ausable Forks, which are closer inland near the High Peaks region. They usually reach peak foliage by the first or second week of October.
In the Tri-Lakes and High Peaks region, towns like Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid typically reach their peak by the second week of October.
In the Central Adirondacks, towns such as Long Lake, Indian Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, and Newcomb could be at peak foliage by or just after mid-October.
Further south, around Lake George, the region will have great views for leaf-peeping through much of October and possibly into November, as will much of the Southern Woodlands.
Your best bet: Be ready for a great time.
Planning a fall foliage trip can be daunting, but with the proper preparations, it can be the experience of a lifetime. Trying to predict peak foliage is hard, but with so many great activities and events happening year-round, it's never the wrong time to be in the ADK.
Our advice? Focus on the things you will do during your stay. The variety of activities — outdoor adventures, museums, historic sites, theatre, live music, history, great food, breweries and distilleries — is endless.
And lucky for you, ADK Taste is your sherpa to all the fun stuff to do. We do the hard work and gather recommendations for places to eat, shop, stay and do fun and exciting things. We add to our site daily, so check back frequently. Or, better yet, subscribe to our weekly newsletter below for our latest insight and intel.
Why trust us? Our team visits places anonymously and pays for everything ourselves. We do not accept free meals, lodging, or compensation for our reviews.
Last but not least, what should you pack for a fall visit to the Adirondacks?
Photo courtesy AdirondacksUSA.com (ROOST)
When it comes to wardrobe, it’s definitely sweater weather. Think layers — you may want to zip up your windbreaker on a blustery fall day, or you might be lucky enough to bask in beautiful sunshine on the patio of an ADK brewery or at one of the region’s many Oktoberfests in your shirt sleeves.
Don’t forget good, comfortable walking shoes, gloves and a hat, and you should be good no matter the state of the foliage.
Remember, the element of surprise is what makes a road trip all the more special. So when you're out and about taking in all the beauty of the changing leaves, remember to enjoy the journey, no matter where it may lead.
P.S. Read this for those worried about bears breaking into their Volvo (or other type of vehicle).
Listen to our top recommendations for fun fall events in the Adirondacks.
In a recent episode of our podcast, ADK Talks, we discuss our favorite fall activities. Listen here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
