This is the seventh 2021 I LOVE NY Fall Foliage Report for New York State. Reports are obtained from volunteer field observers and reflect expected color conditions for the coming weekend. Reports are issued every Wednesday afternoon. I LOVE NY urges travelers to follow all COVID-related public health and safety guidelines while enjoying the foliage this season. Visitors should call ahead and check websites and social media to make sure attractions are open and available. More information on New York State travel and COVID-19 is available here.

Colorful peak foliage will be found throughout most of the Capital-Saratoga and Thousand Island-Seaway regions this weekend, along with parts of the Hudson Valley, Chautauqua-Allegheny, Greater Niagara, Finger Lakes, Adirondacks, Catskills, and Central New York regions. That is according to reports compiled by volunteer field observers for Empire State Development’s I LOVE NY program. I LOVE NY defines “peak” as the best overall appearance the foliage will have during the season, taking into account color transition, brilliance, and leaf droppage. Foliage change has been uneven this season and travelers may find that some areas classified as peak and near-peak contain an abundance of green leaves.

In the Adirondacks, Essex County spotters in the Crown Point area predict near-peak to peak foliage, with 60-75% color change and muted to average shades of gold, along with some greens and rusts, and occasional splashes of orange and red. Ticonderoga observers predict vivid yellow and orange leaves just-past-peak with 75% color change. In Warren County, peak conditions are expected in Queensbury, where rapidly transitioning leaves will be more than 95% changed with brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow. Further north, foliage will be just-past-peak in Lake George, with muted seasonal colors. Most other areas of the region are now past-peak.

Photo by Chris Radey, taken from Mount Van Hoevenberg