Foliage map › Destinations › New York › Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen, New York fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color around Watkins Glen peaks about October 17, with the best viewing from roughly October 16 to October 24.
- Typical peak
- October 17
- Best viewing
- Oct 16 – Oct 24
- Color starts
- Around Oct 5
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Oct 30
- Elevation
- 460 ft
- Color potential
- Among the best in the country
Updated
Typical season
Peak around October 17. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s 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 Watkins Glen on the live mapNearby destinations
- Ithaca, NYTypical peak Oct 16, 2 days earlier. 19 miles away.
- Wellsboro (Pine Creek Gorge), PATypical peak Oct 16, about the same time. 49 miles away.
- Letchworth State Park, NYTypical peak Oct 14, 3 days earlier. 62 miles away.
- Cooperstown, NYTypical peak Oct 12, 5 days earlier. 102 miles away.
- Buffalo, NYTypical peak Oct 18, about the same time. 108 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Watkins Glen?
In a typical year, fall color around Watkins Glen peaks about October 17, with the best viewing from roughly October 16 to October 24. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Watkins Glen?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around October 5, and most leaves are down by about October 30.
Is Watkins Glen early or late compared with the rest of New York?
Watkins Glen peaks close to the middle of the New York season, about Oct 15 on average across the 13 New York destinations we track.
What trees color up around Watkins Glen?
The main fall color in this area comes from sugar maple, red maple, paper birch, 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.