Peak color lands around Oct 25 in most of New Jersey, but it moves 11 days across the state. Here’s where, and when, and how sure we are.
New Jersey fall foliage map, week of Nov 2
When is peak fall foliage in New Jersey in 2026?
Most of New Jersey peaks between Oct 19 and Oct 27: the north first, around Oct 19, and the south last, around Oct 26. The first county to peak is Sussex County, around Oct 18, and the last is Cape May County, around Oct 29.
The ocean does a lot of the work here. The coast itself turns 4 days after the woods inland at the same latitude, and the counties along it run a few days behind, because water that soaked up a summer of heat gives it back all fall and holds the first hard frosts off. Beyond the water, latitude carries it: color moves south at about two days per degree, so the north of the state turns 4 days ahead of the south. This fall is running 1 day late on September's temperatures, and the dates here already include it.
| Week | Where it peaks | Most of the state |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Passaic County, Sussex County | Nearly peak |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Gateway National Recreation Area, Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge and 11 counties | Peak color |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, Brigantine National Wilderness Area and 8 counties | Peak color |
Each date is the middle of the four days we’d aim a trip at, and each place page names them. We score the model against 7 long-running forest monitoring sites in this part of the country and publish what it got wrong.
Mid-October in the northwest highlands, late October to early November in the Pine Barrens is how New Jersey is usually described.
New Jersey’s season, place by place
Every place we forecast in New Jersey, each set on the calendar at its peak and painted by how far along it is today, Nov 4.
First: Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Oct 8. Last: Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Oct 29.
The dashed rule is today; the solid one is the median of the places on this chart, Oct 24. The date at the top of the page is the median county, which includes the low ground between them.
Where to go in New Jersey
The destinations we cover in New Jersey, in the order their color arrives. Each carries its own forecast and its own band, because a state isn’t one place.
- Past peakPeak Oct 8 best Oct 7 to 10
- Wallkill River National Wildlife RefugePast peakPeak Oct 19 best Oct 18 to 21
- Morristown National Historical ParkPast peakPeak Oct 20 best Oct 19 to 22
- Great Swamp National Wildlife RefugePast peakPeak Oct 21 best Oct 20 to 23
- Great Swamp Wilderness AreaPast peakPeak Oct 21 best Oct 20 to 23
- Past peakPeak Oct 24 best Oct 23 to 26
- Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife RefugePast peakPeak Oct 28 best Oct 27 to 30
- Cape May National Wildlife RefugePast peakPeak Oct 28 best Oct 27 to 30
- Brigantine National Wilderness AreaPast peakPeak Oct 29 best Oct 28 to 31
- Supawna Meadows National Wildlife RefugePast peakPeak Oct 29 best Oct 28 to 31
Questions people ask about New Jersey fall foliage
- When is peak fall foliage in New Jersey?
Most of New Jersey peaks between Oct 19 and Oct 27: the north first, around Oct 19, and the south last, around Oct 26. The first county to peak is Sussex County, around Oct 18, and the last is Cape May County, around Oct 29. This fall is running 1 day late on September's temperatures, and the dates here already include it.
- Where is the best fall foliage in New Jersey right now?
Nothing we cover in New Jersey is at peak yet on Nov 4, but Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, Brigantine National Wilderness Area and one more are within a week of it.
- How long does peak last in New Jersey?
In any one place, about four days at the top, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across New Jersey as a whole, peak moves 11 days from Sussex County to Cape May County, so there's peak color somewhere in the state for about 15 days.
- Is New Jersey past peak?
Yes. As of Nov 4, every one of New Jersey's 21 counties is past peak by our forecast. Cape May County was the last, around Oct 29.
- How far along is New Jersey's fall foliage today?
On Nov 4, no county in New Jersey is at peak yet: 21 of New Jersey's 21 counties (100 percent) are past peak. The county map above paints each one, and the live map lets you scrub the day.
- When do the leaves change in New Jersey?
The first color shows in Sussex County around Sep 27 and peaks there around Oct 18. Cape May County is the last of New Jersey's 21 counties, peaking around Oct 29. Most of the state turns through the weeks around Oct 25.
- What's the best time to visit New Jersey for fall foliage?
The week of Oct 25 catches the most of the state at once, and the four days we'd aim at there are Oct 24 to 27. That's the leaf peeping window for New Jersey as a whole. For Sussex County and the counties around it, aim for the week of Oct 18; for Cape May County and its neighbors, the week of Oct 29.
What actually turns
The New Jersey Highlands produce genuine mountain color with maples turning orange and red, while the Pine Barrens in the south offer an unusual fall of cranberry-red blueberry bushes and golden oaks.
- Red Maple
- Red Oak
- Sugar Maple
- Sweetgum
- Tulip Poplar
Stokes State Forest and High Point State Park in the Kittatinny Ridge produce the best concentrated fall color in New Jersey, with views into the Delaware Water Gap.
Every county, by peak week
Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Warren
Atlantic, Bergen regional, Burlington regional, Camden regional, Cumberland, Essex regional, Gloucester regional, Hudson regional, Hunterdon regional, Mercer regional, Middlesex regional, Monmouth regional, Ocean, Salem, Somerset regional, Union regional
Cape May
Every date on this site is a forecast: a model corrected by ground reports, carrying a measured error, published in full. Check conditions with the land manager before you travel. Last reviewed September 2026. Open the live map