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Lake George, New York fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Lake George area peaks around October 13, with the best viewing from roughly October 12 to October 20.
- Typical peak
- October 13
- Best viewing
- Oct 12 – Oct 20
- Color starts
- Around Oct 1
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Oct 26
- Elevation
- 350 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 13. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s estimated status and the five-week outlook.
The season at a glance
Bar height shows how good the viewing typically is on each day, from September 1 through November 30. Colors show the stage, from green through peak red to bare.
Open Lake George on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Lake George
Lake George runs about 32 miles north into the Adirondacks, ringed by wooded mountains and dotted with islands. Just south of the village, the Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway climbs about 5.5 miles past three overlooks to the summit area, where the view takes in the length of the lake, the Adirondack High Peaks, and the Green Mountains of Vermont. Across the lake on the quieter east shore, a trail climbs about 1.7 miles to the summit of Shelving Rock, which looks down over the lake and its islands.
Scenic drive
Route 9N follows the west shore north from the village through Diamond Point, Bolton Landing, and Silver Bay to Hague, about 32 miles, with the lake in view for much of the way and the mountains of the east shore across the water. From Hague, the road continues to Ticonderoga at the lake’s north end. Saratoga Springs is about 30 miles south, and the High Peaks around Lake Placid are farther north.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head higher
Killington, VT (47 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 7 days earlier, and Lake Placid, NY (60 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 11 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Head farther south
Woodstock, NY (98 miles away, farther south) typically peaks about 5 days later, and Litchfield, CT (119 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 5 days later.
Nearby destinations
- Saratoga Springs, NYTypical peak Oct 15, 2 days later. 24 miles away.
- Manchester, VTTypical peak Oct 12, about the same time. 37 miles away.
- Bennington, VTTypical peak Oct 14, about the same time. 46 miles away.
- Killington, VTTypical peak Oct 6, 7 days earlier. 47 miles away.
- Albany, NYTypical peak Oct 17, 4 days later. 53 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Lake George?
In a typical year, fall color in the Lake George area peaks around October 13, with the best viewing from roughly October 12 to October 20. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Lake George?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around October 1, and most leaves are down by about October 26.
Is Lake George early or late compared with the rest of New York?
Lake George peaks close to the middle of the New York season, about Oct 15 on average across the 14 New York destinations we track.
What trees color up around Lake George?
The main fall color in this area comes from sugar maple, red maple, paper birch, and American beech. See the leaf guide to identify them.
Estimates come from the Leaves.com model of typical years, based on latitude, elevation, and distance from large bodies of water. They are not live observations. How it works.