Foliage map › Destinations › Vermont › Jay Peak
Jay Peak, Vermont fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Jay Peak area peaks around October 1, with the best viewing from roughly September 30 to October 8.
- Typical peak
- October 1
- Best viewing
- Sep 30 – Oct 8
- Color starts
- Around Sep 19
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Oct 14
- Elevation
- 1,500 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 1. 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 Jay Peak on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Jay Peak
Jay Peak, near the Canadian border in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, is one of the first places in the state to turn. The Long Trail crosses Route 242 at the gap below the mountain and climbs to the summit, with views into Canada and over the Green Mountains. To the southeast, Lake Willoughby lies in a deep glacial notch between Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor.
Scenic drive
Route 242 crosses the mountain from Jay to Montgomery, a town with more covered bridges than any other in Vermont. From Montgomery, Route 58 crosses the Green Mountains through Hazen’s Notch, partly on a gravel road.
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 Jay Peak 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
Stowe, VT (35 miles away, lower down) typically peaks about 6 days later, and Montpelier, VT (48 miles away, lower down) typically peaks about 8 days later.
Nearby destinations
- Smugglers' Notch, VTTypical peak Sep 30, about the same time. 32 miles away.
- Stowe, VTTypical peak Oct 7, 6 days later. 35 miles away.
- Montpelier, VTTypical peak Oct 9, 8 days later. 48 miles away.
- Burlington, VTTypical peak Oct 9, 8 days later. 50 miles away.
- Franconia Notch, NHTypical peak Oct 3, 2 days later. 67 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Jay Peak?
In a typical year, fall color in the Jay Peak area peaks around October 1, with the best viewing from roughly September 30 to October 8. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Jay Peak?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around September 19, and most leaves are down by about October 14.
Is Jay Peak early or late compared with the rest of Vermont?
Jay Peak typically peaks about 7 days earlier than the Vermont average of Oct 8. It ranks 2 of 10 Vermont destinations from earliest to latest.
What trees color up around Jay Peak?
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.