Foliage map › Destinations › New York › Letchworth State Park
Letchworth State Park, New York fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Letchworth State Park area peaks around October 14, with the best viewing from roughly October 13 to October 21.
- Typical peak
- October 14
- Best viewing
- Oct 13 – Oct 21
- Color starts
- Around Oct 2
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Oct 27
- Elevation
- 1,000 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 14. 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 Letchworth State Park on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Letchworth State Park
Letchworth State Park is known as the Grand Canyon of the East. The Genesee River runs through a deep gorge here, with cliffs rising as high as about 550 feet, and drops over three major waterfalls, the Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls, in the southern part of the park. From Inspiration Point, you can see the Upper and Middle Falls together, with the high arch of the railroad bridge crossing just above the Upper Falls. The Gorge Trail follows the western rim past the falls, with views down into the canyon along the way.
Scenic drive
The main park road runs for most of the park’s roughly 17-mile length along the western rim of the gorge, with overlooks along the way. Start at the southern end near the three falls and Inspiration Point, then follow the road north through the forest toward Mount Morris, stopping at the overlooks for views across the canyon.
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 Letchworth State Park 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 farther south
State College, PA (124 miles away, farther south) typically peaks about 7 days later.
Nearby destinations
- Buffalo, NYTypical peak Oct 18, 4 days later. 47 miles away.
- Watkins Glen, NYTypical peak Oct 17, 3 days later. 62 miles away.
- Wellsboro (Pine Creek Gorge), PATypical peak Oct 16, 2 days later. 69 miles away.
- Ithaca, NYTypical peak Oct 16, about the same time. 79 miles away.
- State College, PATypical peak Oct 21, 7 days later. 124 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Letchworth State Park?
In a typical year, fall color in the Letchworth State Park area peaks around October 14, with the best viewing from roughly October 13 to October 21. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Letchworth State Park?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around October 2, and most leaves are down by about October 27.
Is Letchworth State Park early or late compared with the rest of New York?
Letchworth State Park 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 Letchworth State Park?
The main fall color in this area comes from sugar maple, red maple, American beech, and northern red oak. 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.