Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
Passaic River Basin, New Jersey · 238 ft
Typical peak
Oct 13 – Oct 21
moderate confidence in typical timing.
Best light
Best at sunrise
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.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Crowds
moderate
Often busier by mid-morning; consider arriving at first light.
Getting there
Helen Fenske Visitor Center off Pleasant Plains Road in Basking Ridge, with a Wildlife Observation Center and an Overlook Parking Area. More than eight miles of trail run the Wilderness area on the eastern side.
What turns here
- white oak
- northern red oak
- hickory
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 17Typical color progression for Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. No change from Sep 9 to Sep 26. First color from Sep 26 to Oct 5. Approaching peak from Oct 5 to Oct 13. Peak from Oct 13 to Oct 21. Past peak from Oct 21 to Oct 31. Bare from Oct 31 to Nov 14.
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is typically at bare on Nov 1, 2026.
This season so far
First frost
None yet
No night at or below 32°F since Aug 1.
Last 14 days
65°F / 43°F
Average daily high and low.
Modeled weather for these coordinates from the Open-Meteo historical archive, Aug 1 – Oct 31; not a station record. Reported peak is the median date of approved peak-color reports.
Plan the light
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge on October 17, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:43 AM |
| Sunrise Rises ESE · 101° | 7:11 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 37 min of low, warm light | 7:48 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:43 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 37 min before sunset | 5:38 PM |
| Sunset Sets WSW · 258° | 6:15 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:43 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 4m · 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 ESE, sets WSW.
Aim within 45° of the sun for translucent leaves. Turn your back to it for flat, accurate color.
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.
Nearby locations
Within 100 miles in a straight line; road distances can be longer.
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