Foliage map › Destinations › New York › Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Lake Placid area peaks around October 2, with the best viewing from roughly October 1 to October 9.
- Typical peak
- October 2
- Best viewing
- Oct 1 – Oct 9
- Color starts
- Around Sep 20
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Oct 15
- Elevation
- 1,860 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 2. 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 Placid on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Lake Placid
In the village, Mirror Lake reflects the surrounding hills, with Whiteface Mountain in the distance, and a path circles the shore. For a view over the village and the High Peaks, Cobble Hill is a short hike from Mirror Lake Drive. East of town on Route 73, the Cascade Lakes sit in a narrow pass beneath steep cliffs, with a roadside pull-off between the two lakes. Farther along Route 73, Chapel Pond, south of Keene Valley, is another roadside spot with cliffs above the water.
Scenic drive
A classic Adirondack loop starts in Lake Placid and follows Route 73 east past the Cascade Lakes to Keene. From there, Route 9N runs north through the valley to Jay, and Route 86 brings you back west through Wilmington and Wilmington Notch, where the road follows the West Branch of the Ausable River beneath cliffs and forested slopes. For more of the High Peaks, take a side trip from Keene south on Route 73 through Keene Valley.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Look for higher ground
None of the destinations we track within 150 miles of Lake Placid typically peaks much earlier. Look for higher ground nearby: in this part of the country, color tends to arrive about 4 to 5 days earlier for every 1,000 feet you climb.
Too late? Already past peak
Head lower
Burlington, VT (40 miles away, lower down) typically peaks about 7 days later, and Lake George, NY (60 miles away, lower down) typically peaks about 11 days later.
Nearby destinations
- Burlington, VTTypical peak Oct 9, 7 days later. 40 miles away.
- Lake George, NYTypical peak Oct 13, 11 days later. 60 miles away.
- Smugglers' Notch, VTTypical peak Sep 30, 3 days earlier. 62 miles away.
- Old Forge, NYTypical peak Oct 6, 3 days later. 63 miles away.
- Stowe, VTTypical peak Oct 7, 4 days later. 65 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Lake Placid?
In a typical year, fall color in the Lake Placid area peaks around October 2, with the best viewing from roughly October 1 to October 9. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Lake Placid?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around September 20, and most leaves are down by about October 15.
Is Lake Placid early or late compared with the rest of New York?
Lake Placid typically peaks about 13 days earlier than the New York average of Oct 15. It ranks 1 of 14 New York destinations from earliest to latest.
What trees color up around Lake Placid?
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.