New Jersey Fall Foliage 2026
Typical peak window
Oct 10 – Oct 18
Centered on Oct 14 at reference elevation.
moderate confidence in typical timing.
Northwest highlands lead the Pine Barrens by about two weeks.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Seasonal timing
In a typical season, peak foliage falls around Oct. 14, within the Oct. 10–18 window. The northwest highlands and Delaware Water Gap are useful planning areas: high ground around 1,650 feet peaks near Oct. 11, while valleys around 650 feet peak near Oct. 15. The northwest highlands typically lead the Pine Barrens by about two weeks.
What turns here
- sugar maple
- red maple
- oak
Yellows show up every year. Reds need sunny days and cool, frost-free nights. A bad year takes those first.
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 14Typical color progression for New Jersey. No change from Sep 6 to Sep 23. First color from Sep 23 to Oct 2. Approaching peak from Oct 2 to Oct 10. Peak from Oct 10 to Oct 18. Past peak from Oct 18 to Oct 28. Bare from Oct 28 to Nov 11.
New Jersey is typically at bare on Nov 1, 2026.
New Jersey by county
8 days from Sussex County to Cape May County.
Tap a location marker for coordinates and light times. Where peak usually lands. Boundaries: US Census, 2023. Elevation: USGS 3DEP + SRTM. Method
Every county, as text
| County | Typical peak | Stage on Nov 1, 2026 | Median elev. | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic County | Oct 17 – Oct 25 | Past peak | 29 ft | 0 days |
| Bergen County | Oct 13 – Oct 21 | Bare | 91 ft | 2 days |
| Burlington County | Oct 16 – Oct 24 | Past peak | 72 ft | 0 days |
| Camden County | Oct 16 – Oct 24 | Past peak | 96 ft | 0 days |
| Cape May County | Oct 18 – Oct 26 | Past peak | 10 ft | 0 days |
| Cumberland County | Oct 17 – Oct 25 | Past peak | 55 ft | 1 days |
| Essex County | Oct 13 – Oct 21 | Bare | 188 ft | 1 days |
| Gloucester County | Oct 16 – Oct 24 | Past peak | 81 ft | 1 days |
| Hudson County | Oct 14 – Oct 22 | Past peak | 22 ft | 0 days |
| Hunterdon County | Oct 13 – Oct 21 | Bare | 505 ft | 2 days |
| Mercer County | Oct 15 – Oct 23 | Past peak | 99 ft | 0 days |
| Middlesex County | Oct 15 – Oct 23 | Past peak | 77 ft | 1 days |
| Monmouth County | Oct 15 – Oct 23 | Past peak | 90 ft | 0 days |
| Morris County | Oct 11 – Oct 19 | Bare | 773 ft | 1 days |
| Ocean County | Oct 16 – Oct 24 | Past peak | 54 ft | 0 days |
| Passaic County | Oct 11 – Oct 19 | Bare | 677 ft | 3 days |
| Salem County | Oct 17 – Oct 25 | Past peak | 25 ft | 0 days |
| Somerset County | Oct 14 – Oct 22 | Past peak | 145 ft | 1 days |
| Sussex County | Oct 10 – Oct 18 | Bare | 862 ft | 1 days |
| Union County | Oct 14 – Oct 22 | Past peak | 98 ft | 0 days |
| Warren County | Oct 12 – Oct 20 | Bare | 558 ft | 2 days |
Peak by elevation
4 days between the ridges and the valleys below them. The county map above averages that away.
| Elevation band | Approx. elevation | Typical peak | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| High ridges & passes | 1,650 ft | Oct 11 | Bare |
| Mid elevation | 900 ft | Oct 14 | Bare |
| Valleys & lowlands | 650 ft | Oct 15 | Bare |
Foliage stages
- No change 0–10%
- First color 10–25%
- Approaching peak 25–60%
- Peak 60–90%
- Past peak 40–70%, dropping
- Bare <20%
Plan the light
New Jersey on October 14, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:41 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 100° | 7:09 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 37 min of low, warm light | 7:46 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:44 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 37 min before sunset | 5:43 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 260° | 6:20 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:48 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 11m · computed from NOAA solar equations.
Local terrain can hide the sun; allow extra time to reach your viewpoint.
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises E, sets W.
Aim within 45° of the sun for translucent leaves. Turn your back to it for flat, accurate color.
Where to shoot in New Jersey
3 researched locations, earliest peak first. Filter these locations
- High Point Monument Bare
Kittatinny Ridge · 1,803 ft · peaks Oct 10
New Jersey's highest point, where a 220-foot obelisk rises straight out of the ridge-top forest. The monument is the subject, framed against color from the summit loop, and the deck at the top opens onto farmland in three states.
- Mount Tammany, Delaware Water Gap Bare
Delaware Water Gap · 1,441 ft · peaks Oct 13
The open rock ledge at the top of the Red Dot Trail looks southwest through the gap at Mount Minsi and the Delaware River bending below. Early sun clears the ridge behind you and front-lights the Pennsylvania wall across the water.
- Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Bare
Passaic River Basin · 238 ft · peaks Oct 17
Twelve square miles of swamp and upland oak twenty-six miles west of Times Square, more than a thousand feet below the Kittatinny ridges that are the state's other entries. Standing water under bare-legged hardwood is the composition, and it is close enough to the city to be worth a weekday dawn.
Recent reports from New Jersey
Report what you sawCommon questions
- When do the leaves change in New Jersey?
- New Jersey typically peaks Oct 10 – Oct 18, centered on Oct 14. Northwest highlands lead the Pine Barrens by about two weeks. These are typical dates from a latitude and elevation model; current conditions may differ.
- Does elevation change when fall color peaks in New Jersey?
- Yes, by about 4 days. High ground around 1,650 ft peaks near Oct 11, while valleys near 650 ft wait until Oct 15. Peak moves roughly 3.5 days earlier for every 1,000 feet you climb. Try lower valleys after high ground has passed peak, or higher ground while valleys are still green.
- Where are the best places to see fall color in New Jersey?
- The guide includes 3 researched locations in New Jersey, including High Point Monument, Mount Tammany, Delaware Water Gap, Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. High Point Monument turns first, around Oct 10, and Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is last, around Oct 17. Each includes coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.
- What trees turn color in New Jersey?
- Mainly sugar maple, red maple, oak. Yellows and oranges come from carotenoids that are already in the leaf, so they show up every year. Reds are made fresh each autumn and need warm sunny days with cool, frost-free nights, which is why a dry summer or a warm September produces a duller year.