NJ fall foliage season could be in trouble this year

🍁 Bad news for leaf peepers this fall foliage season in NJ

🍁 It all depends on the weather now

🍁 Peak season should begin in mid-October

Bright yellows, oranges, and reds. Tis the season to see some beautiful fall foliage in New Jersey…or is it?

How does the 2024 fall foliage season in NJ look?

The 2024 fall foliage season in the Garden State is going to be a mixed bag because of a tough summer and early leaf drop due to the heat and the lack of rain, said Jason Grabosky, an ecology professor at Rutgers University School of Environmental Biological Sciences in New Brunswick.

“However, those leaves that have made it through the summer, we have every hope for a really nice fall color display, but it may not be as intense in looking at the whole landscape because we’re already shedding some leaves prematurely so you just have fewer leaves to look at,” Grabosky said.

Healthy leaves that survived the summer heat and lack of rain will still produce vibrant fall colors. But now, all eyes are on the weather and what it will do in the next couple of weeks.

There are triggers that start the fall color process. Cloudy, warm days with a lot of rain will produce more yellows, more muted colors, and browning, Grabosky said. If it’s really dry and warm, the leaves will be all brown.

“But if you get those sunny days and cool nights, that’s what you need to build the oranges and the reds, so it’s really about the weather at this point as far as what is going to develop,” Graboski said.

But no matter what happens, leaf peepers will see a thinner canopy of brightly-colored leaves because there are not as many of them on trees due to the early shedding. Going forward, it’s more about what the weather will do to determine how reds and yellows peepers will see, he said.

Peak Fall Foliage Season

Grabosky said he is hopeful that the weekend of October 12-13 is when brightly colored leaves can be seen in the northwest part of the state. Leaf peepers should check out the Delaware Water Gap, Culvers Gap, and Stokes State Forest in Sussex County.

Morristown National Historic Park or the Frelinghuysen Arboretum are good fall foliage spots to check out, as well. Anywhere there are trails or hills where you can get some distance in your view is what you should be on the lookout for, Grabosky said.

Other pretty spots are Thielke Arboretum in Glen Rock and High Point State Park in Sussex County. High Point State Park means just that---it’s situated at the highest elevation in New Jersey with gorgeous panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.

Another beautiful spot in North Jersey to check out fall foliage is Palisades International Park in Bergen County. The park, which runs alongside the Hudson River offers fantastic fall views.

Then Central Jersey’s peak fall foliage season should be around October 19-20. Grabosky suggested hitting Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton to see some beautiful leaves. The Sourlands which include portions of Hunterdon, Mercer, and Somerset counties have some beautiful spots for leaf peeping, too.

Two other lovely spots in Central Jersey are Washington Crossing State Park in Mercer County because it has lots of trails where you can enjoy colorful leaves and Cheesequake State Park in Middlesex County. This park has a mix of forests and open fields, a real hidden gem for leaf peepers.

Then October 26-27 is when South Jersey should see its peak fall foliage season. The Pinelands and the cusp along the Delaware are great spots to check out.

But, he said just taking a walk through a trail in any county or state park, you should see many pops of autumn colors.

The Hope

“My hope is that things kind of calm down and we start getting those clear, cool nights and sunny days because that’s what’s going to develop your red colors,” Grabosky said.

But it really all depends on the weather now. Overall, leaves are being lost early due to the summer weather patterns.

So, even at its best, Grabosky said the landscape will look different this fall because there will be fewer leaves and not the lushness of fall foliage of years past.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom