This is the sixth 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.

Beautiful peak foliage will be found in most areas of the Catskills region this weekend, along with areas of the Adirondacks, Thousand Islands-Seaway, Chautauqua-Allegheny, and Central New York regions, according to volunteer observers for Empire State Development’s I LOVE NY program.

In the Adirondacks, Essex County spotters predict peak foliage at Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington this weekend, with more than 80% color change and brilliant red, orange, yellow, and purple leaves. Observers in Schroon Lake and Newcomb are also predicting peak conditions, with bright shades of orange and yellow, and some reds. Lake Placid reports expect foliage to be past-peak with some shades of red, orange, and yellow remaining. Volunteers near Lake Champlain in Crown Point predict that leaves will be at midpoint of change this weekend, with 50-60% color transition and muted-to-average shades of gold and rust, along with an occasional splash of orange or red.

In Franklin County, peak foliage will arrive in the Malone and Mountain View areas this weekend with 95% color change and very brilliant yellows and oranges, and deep reds. Foliage will be just-past-peak but still picturesque in Tupper Lake and Mt. Arab, where reports predict 95% color change showcasing bronze, ginger, canary, turmeric, and pumpkin leaves of above-average brilliance, along with intermittent hues of scarlet and burgundy, and various yellow tints against a cinnamon backdrop. Many of the leaves are still intact and should continue to provide exceptional leaf-peeping opportunities. Foliage will be past-peak in Saranac Lake, with nearly complete leaf transformation. Yellow and orange leaves remain, but are starting to drop, and the overall landscape is becoming less vibrant.

In Hamilton County, Lake Pleasant spotters predict peak foliage with nearly complete leaf change and average-to-bright shades of yellow and orange. In Herkimer County, Old Forge will have just-past-peak foliage with near-total leaf change. The color brilliance is declining slightly, but there are still a lot of very bright oranges, golds, and yellows, along with many darkening reds, and falling leaves have made a rich yellow-gold blanket covering the forest floor. In Warren County, reports from Queensbury predict near-peak foliage, with 75% color change and rapidly transitioning bright red and yellow leaves. Observers in Lake George are also predicting near-peak hues, with up to 65% color change and mostly yellow, along with orange leaves of varying brilliance, and some pops of vivid red in the northern portion of the county, where colors are noticeably brighter.