Foliage map › Destinations › New Jersey › Cape May
Cape May, New Jersey fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Cape May area peaks around November 6, with the best viewing from roughly November 5 to November 13.
- Typical peak
- November 6
- Best viewing
- Nov 5 – Nov 13
- Color starts
- Around Oct 25
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Nov 19
- Elevation
- 10 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around November 6. 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 Cape May on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Cape May
Cape May sits at the southern tip of New Jersey, between the Atlantic and Delaware Bay, and its color comes late, in the oaks, maples, and marsh grasses that turn gold and rust. Cape May Point State Park, beside the lighthouse, has trails through woods, ponds, and marsh, and its hawk watch platform is one of the best places on the East Coast to watch the fall bird migration. Nearby, Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area has fields and woods along the bay.
Scenic drive
Sunset Boulevard runs west from Cape May through the marshes toward Cape May Point and Sunset Beach on Delaware Bay, past Victorian houses, woods, and wetlands.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head farther north
Philadelphia, PA (72 miles away, farther north) typically peaks about 6 days earlier, and Baltimore, MD (95 miles away) typically peaks about 6 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Nothing nearby turns later
None of the destinations we track within 150 miles of Cape May typically peaks much later.
Nearby destinations
- Ocean City, MDTypical peak Nov 7, about the same time. 43 miles away.
- Philadelphia, PATypical peak Oct 31, 6 days earlier. 72 miles away.
- Baltimore, MDTypical peak Oct 31, 6 days earlier. 95 miles away.
- Washington, DCTypical peak Oct 31, 6 days earlier. 115 miles away.
- New York City, NYTypical peak Oct 31, 6 days earlier. 132 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Cape May?
In a typical year, fall color in the Cape May area peaks around November 6, with the best viewing from roughly November 5 to November 13. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Cape May?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around October 25, and most leaves are down by about November 19.
What trees color up around Cape May?
The main fall color in this area comes from red maple, sweetgum, sassafras, and black gum. 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.