New Jersey Fall Foliage Reports, maps and resources to help plan fall foliage hikes and scenic drives.
Ready to enjoy fall in New Jersey? Check out the New Jersey and the Northeast Foliage Resources below.
For our fall hike recommendations see Best Fall Foliage Hikes in New Jersey and check out the Top 10 Hikes in New Jersey.
Need even more hike ideas? Try our interactive Hike Finder map – now with a 🍁foliage map overlay🍁 during the season in order to choose hikes with the best chance of fall color, updated weekly in season.
Also check out the books Best Day Hikes in New Jersey and Hiking New Jersey (2023) for a nice selection of day hikes.
Peak Foliage in NJ for 2025
*Average New Jersey peak fall color is October 19 through 29*
While there are average times for color change, it really depends on several variables like temperature and rainfall.
Trees at higher elevations turn color before ones at lower elevations. Leaves change first along water so head to areas with lakes, ponds, or rivers.
Leaves usually change color starting from Maine and higher elevations of New England and then work their way south.
New Jersey fall foliage generally starts in the northwest corner at High Point and in the Highlands region in north central, progresses to the central part of the state, and finally to the south and the coastal regions.
This means that leaves could be past peak in North Jersey but still barely changed in South Jersey.
Use the info here to get in as much color as you can, it doesn’t last long!
** Follow @njhiking on socials for more photos weekly. Foliage Resources are below the report section **
** 2025 Foliage Reports **
🍁Be sure to check out the foliage overlay now on our interactive Hike & Foliage Finder Map!!🍁 Choose hikes with the best chance of fall color. Zoom out for popular east coast foliage road trip locations. Finder map data 10/13/25.
October 17, 2025…
This weekend through next is prime foliage time for New Jersey! But expect a mixed bag – we’re seeing everything from unturned green to colorful leaves to bare branches, often in the same area. Good color AND muted tones.
You take the good, you take the bad, and there you have… the facts of foliage!
Overall you’ll enjoy nicer color ON a trail than looking at hillsides. Even if you aren’t a “hiker” just take a path a short bit into the forest and you’ll see the difference.
Color is all over the state, just in widely varying amounts, and we’ve got a list of suggestions for the best chance of color below.
Generally northern Sussex County is just past peak. The Rt 206 corridor was nice today but our route to High Point from Rt 80 – Rt 15N to Rt 565 to Rt 23N – was not as good as expected, at least in early morning light.
10/17/25 – High Point State Park Monument Loop – Sussex County
On our drive up the color along the road wasn’t looking too promising, with lots of bare branches. But it was lovely once we turned into the park, and so nice on the trail.
And you can park at the monument lot and get 360 degree views even if you don’t hike:
Sure the canopy has thinned out a bit but this is one of the best places to enjoy foliage and this loop never disappoints.
One of many viewpoints from the Monument Trail, and foliage around Lake Marcia:
Almost back around, we briefly detoured off the loop to the viewing platform on the Appalachian Trail.
The foliage under monument somehow appeared green and faded at the same time – quite unusual at this point in the season. We couldn’t decide if it hadn’t changed yet – or wasn’t going to.
Our drive back was quite scenic – foliage, rolling hills and farms – if you want to copy our route: From the monument parking we made our way back home… we drove through the park to Sawmill Lake. This stretch of road can have very nice foliage and there’s a few parking spots by the lake.
We swung by Lusscroft Farms, also part of High Point S.P., and wandered around a little (there’s no hike guide on our site for this but the trails are on the Kittatinny Trails mapset).
Next stop was Hillcrest Orchard / Jersey Girl Cheese, a small farm shop, where we scored cider donuts for later, cider, and fresh burrata cheese. Then we stopped at Windy Brow for a cheese scone and cold brew coffee because how can we not?
From here we take Rt 206S and the color was mostly good. If Burnt Mills Cider was open earlier we would have grabbed some hard cider to go! Fall is fleeting – gotta make the most of it.
| Potentials for fall color right now, in and around New Jersey (we make no guarantees!) |
|---|
| NEW JERSEY & NEARBY |
| High Point S.P.: Monument Loop / via Steenykill / Appalachian + Monument Trail / Iris Loop |
| Stokes S.F. (Stony Brook Falls / Stony Lake Loop / Sunrise Mountain / Culver Fire Tower) |
| Stokes S.F.: Blue Mountain Loop Upper and Lower |
| Wawayanda: Lake Loop / Furnace Loop / Cedar Swamp and Lake Lookout |
| Paulinskill Valley: Upper and Lower and Great Valley Loop |
| Swartswood State Park / Kittatinny Valley State Park / Cranberry Lake Kayak |
| Bearfort Ridge / Surprise Lake |
| Long Pond S.P.: Monks Trail Loop (hike guide just added!) / Horse Pond Mountain to Lake Sonoma Loop / Monksville Reservoir Kayak |
| Ringwood S.P. / Long Pond Ironworks |
| Norvin Green North: Lake Sonoma, Overlook Rock, Manaticut Point |
| Norvin Green South: Wyanokie High Point / Torne Mtn – Osio Rock |
| Ramapo Mountains: Grand Castle Loop / Van Slyke Castle / Ramapo Valley County Res. |
| Apshawa Preserve / Splitrock Reservoir |
| Hacklebarney / Schooleys Mtn / Black River / Columbia Trail |
| Double Trouble |
| FURTHER OUT |
| NY – Gunks region is at PEAK: Labyrinth and the Lemon Squeeze, Bonticou Crag, Gertrude’s Nose, Sam’s Point. Higher elevations of Adirondacks and Catskills are past peak, rest is PEAK. MODERATE color for the lower Hudson Valley (area closest to New Jersey border: Harriman/Bear Mtns, Sterling Forest, Anthony’s Nose). The rest of NY at least MODERATE. |
| PA – Central Poconos is PEAK, south is NEAR PEAK. Northern is PAST. Cliff Park, Raymondskill Falls, George Childs Park / Promised Land State Park / Tobyhanna State Park / Prompton S.P./ Hawk’s Nest / Lehigh Gorge / Pinnacle and the Pulpit |
| Even further out…north |
| Overall, northern New England lost color early due to drought, southern areas the leaves are still turning. |
| ME – PEAK conditions south (Acadia, Bar Harbor). North and central most is PAST peak but still has color/leaves on the trees. |
| VT – Southern: color mixed with green, more chance of leaves on; Central and North are PAST, with leaf drop. |
| NH – Southern areas are NEAR or PEAK. Northern, White Mountains – PAST. |
| Even further out…south |
| MD – Westernmost region is PEAK, but higher elevations are moving past. Color usually progresses west to east in Maryland, and currently east is at LOW color. |
| VA – Varies greatly at elevation…. LOW color lower to NEAR or at PEAK at higher elevations. |
October 16, 2025…
This weekend should see some peak and a lot of near peak across north west and north central New Jersey, with moderate color in almost all of the rest. Overall this season has been a bit hard to gauge – the drought affected the intensity in some areas and the wind/rain earlier this week is yet another variable.
There are plenty of options to get some color and the forecast is looking clear with seasonal temperatures on deck for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday – enjoy it!!
October 14, 2025…
Color continues to improve across New Jersey, with the most color change north and northwest. On our travels over the weekend we spotted moderate color down to north Burlington and even Camden Counties.
It’s unclear how much, if any, the rain/wind from the recent storm has affected the foliage. It appeared to be more of a coastal event and may have less of an impact on areas north or west – will update if we get details.
October 10, 2025…
Today… enjoyed excellent weather and beautiful near peak color in northern Passaic County in the Monksville Reservoir and Long Pond Ironworks area, a few photos follow below. Driving through Morris to Passaic County also very nice. And added more suggestions to the hike picks from yesterday.
Photos from Monksville Reservoir boat launch and Monks Loop (hike guide to come). Still some green in there but lovely color reflecting in the very calm water today. The trail was popping with yellows.
Long Pond Ironworks – Big variety of color between the trees and the brush. Hiked along the water and around the historic buildings, didn’t do the full route.
October 9, 2025…
For the upcoming weekend… MODERATE color is across northwest and north central New Jersey, at least above Rt. 80, and quickly moving south. You can find at least LOW color generally elsewhere, somewhat less so along the most southern part of the state and either coast.
There is a freeze coming across part of NJ Thursday night. While we need chilly nights to encourage those colors appear, a frost is not ideal. Jersey also has a storm forecasted for Sunday and while the rain is welcome, that and the wind may knock some leaves down before they change.
It’s looks like it will be nice hiking weather this Friday and Saturday – dry and highs in the low 60s – don’t delay in getting out there for some color!!
October 4-6, 2025…
10/6/25 – Moderate color is in the northern part of New Jersey – aim for roughly north of Rt. 80. The rest of NJ is at low color with pockets of moderate starting to appear.
Of note, foliage color is much nicer once into the forest where the trees are healthier and have held onto more water. Along roads a decent amount of drought stress which is showing as brown or dropped leaves (so the canopy is thin already) – don’t use that to base how the foliage is going.
Another lovely weekend – incredible!! With warmer than normal temps we decided to bike and kayak:
10/5/25 – On Sunday we kayaked Splitrock Reservoir. Overall low color but lots at moderate ringing the lake.
Big variety – yellow, reds, oranges, almost purple – and more change the closer to the water’s edge.
There was hardly any wind so the lake was like glass and reflected the foliage nicely.
The trails appeared to be low but close to moderate color.
We also have two hike guides here: a 6.2 mile roundtrip section of the Four Birds Trail and the challenging Splitrock Resevoir Loop (awesome, but experienced hikers only!).
On the way back we tried Diamond Springs Brewery. Nice, large, outdoor seating area in downtown Denville, enjoyed a flight and took home their “Bavarian Pretz-ale”.
10/4/25 – Saturday we biked the Great Valley Trail Loop in Sussex County, which utilizes 3 rail-trails.
Of note, a portion of the Paulinskill Trail from Warbasse Junction was just resurfaced – wow what a super nice ride now.
Low to moderate color found through out the route, and mixed in there are trees that have already dropped leaves.
After, we swung by Windy Brow Farms to shovel croissants and iced coffee into our faces, and scoop up a jug of cider and some apple butter.
October 3, 2025…
Low color throughout most of New Jersey, so no particular hike picks just quite yet.
Lots of peak color to be found if you can road trip north from NJ this weekend through next.
And with an excellent forecast – sunny skies with temps in the mid 70s to low 80s – being outside anywhere this weekend will be perfect!
Prior 2025 reports are moved weekly to the New Jersey Foliage Report Archive. This also contains an of njHiking.com reports from 2010 to date. See how the color usually progresses through various hiking areas in New Jersey.
About the NJ Hiking Fall Foliage Report
Since 2010, njHiking.com has been providing New Jersey with suggested foliage locations and hikes, updated weekly in season.
The report is created by reviewing multiple state and regional reports, incorporating map data from The Foliage Report and Explore Fall, combined with our own observations on hikes and drives each week. The result lets Jersey and metro area residents quickly find the best color locally as well as plan east coast road trips.
Resources for tracking fall color in and near New Jersey
Sites that contain forecasts or foliage maps for NJ and the surrounding region such as the Adirondacks or the Catskills in New York or the Poconos in Pennsylvania.
| New Jersey Div. of Parks and Forestry | Facebook updates for NJ during the season |
| New York State Fall Foliage | Foliage report and map |
| PA – Pocono Mountains | Foliage maps and reports for the Poconos, plus webcams. |
| PA – DCNR Fall Foliage Reports | Weekly Fall Foliage Map and Reports. |
Resources for tracking fall color in the Northeast
These can be used to help plan trips to the New England region that change well before New Jersey, such as Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire.
Savvy planners can hit foliage in several spots as it works it’s way down.
| The Foliage Report | Weekly foliage map and report for The United States. Detailed and accurate for current conditions. |
| ExploreFall | Foliage maps for the United States, including historical map data. |
| MaineFoliage.com | Weekly report and map for Maine. |
| Vermont.com | Current conditions map for Vermont. |
| VisitNH.gov | Foliage reports for New Hampshire. |
| ctvisit.com | Connecticut’s Foliage Finder; based on historical data. |
| Fall Foliage Prediction Map | Interactive U.S. map, slide date for color prediction, from SmokyMountains.com. **Note** This popular map is often used in news articles but is a forecast based on prior year data and is not the current status. It also tends to predict the color moving along much earlier than reality for New Jersey. |
| The Weather Channel | Regional color report maps. |
| New England Today | Northeast usual color map. |
General info about fall foliage in New Jersey
The best fall foliage displays start with healthy green trees. Then September needs warm sunny days and cold but not freezing nights.
If it remains too warm it can delay the change and dull the colors. A cloudy fall also can mute the colors.
Rainfall is also a big factor. Too much before the season is bad for color, while drought conditions can bring on an early change and leaf drop.
Overall it can be very hard to predict the quality of fall foliage every year because it’s a delicate balance between many variables.