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Old Forge, New York fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Old Forge area peaks around October 6, with the best viewing from roughly October 4 to October 12.
- Typical peak
- October 6
- Best viewing
- Oct 4 – Oct 12
- Color starts
- Around Sep 24
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Oct 19
- Elevation
- 1,710 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 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 Old Forge on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Old Forge
Old Forge sits at the western end of the Fulton Chain of Lakes, a string of eight numbered lakes that runs northeast into the central Adirondacks, with hardwood hills rising from the shore. For the classic view, the trail up Bald Mountain, also called Rondaxe Mountain, climbs about a mile over open rock to a restored fire tower. Several ledges along the way look out over the lakes, and the summit looks down on Fourth Lake and the rest of the chain, with the forests of the Moose River Plains spreading to the south.
Scenic drive
Route 28 follows the Fulton Chain northeast from Old Forge, along the long shoreline of Fourth Lake to the hamlets of Eagle Bay and Inlet, with the water in view for much of the way. This stretch is part of the Central Adirondack Trail scenic byway. Past Inlet, the road runs through the forest by Seventh and Eighth lakes to Raquette Lake, then on to Blue Mountain Lake, below the slopes of Blue Mountain.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head farther north
Smugglers' Notch, VT (123 miles away, farther north) typically peaks about 6 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Head lower or farther south
Lake George, NY (66 miles away, lower down) typically peaks about 7 days later, and Cooperstown, NY (70 miles away, farther south) typically peaks about 7 days later.
Nearby destinations
- Lake Placid, NYTypical peak Oct 2, 3 days earlier. 63 miles away.
- Lake George, NYTypical peak Oct 13, 7 days later. 66 miles away.
- Cooperstown, NYTypical peak Oct 12, 7 days later. 70 miles away.
- Saratoga Springs, NYTypical peak Oct 15, 9 days later. 74 miles away.
- Albany, NYTypical peak Oct 17, 12 days later. 95 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Old Forge?
In a typical year, fall color in the Old Forge area peaks around October 6, with the best viewing from roughly October 4 to October 12. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Old Forge?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around September 24, and most leaves are down by about October 19.
Is Old Forge early or late compared with the rest of New York?
Old Forge typically peaks about 10 days earlier than the New York average of Oct 15. It ranks 2 of 14 New York destinations from earliest to latest.
What trees color up around Old Forge?
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.