When do the leaves change in New Jersey?
Oaks, maples, and sassafras color the Kittatinny Ridge and Delaware Water Gap by early-to-mid October, while the sandy Pine Barrens hold pitch pine and blueberry-bush red into November farther south.
Peak: November 4–November 9
Color builds from October 23 · mostly bare by November 29
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures (Open-Meteo) drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model; terrain shifts timing ~1 day earlier per 300 m of elevation. Temperature alone can’t tell a maritime autumn from a continental one — two places at the same latitude and the same September can peak weeks apart, because the trees differ — so each region is also calibrated against published peak dates. Estimates, not promises: typically within a few days, occasionally a week or more out. Check locally before you travel.
Known for
Things to do in fall in New Jersey
11 iconic stops — scenic drives, farms, haunts, and the views locals plan their October around.
Terhune Orchards
OrchardColor nearby peaks November 2
Farmed since the 1920s and family-run as an orchard since 1975, this roughly 200-acre Princeton-area farm and winery holds Fall Festival weekends through September and October with pick-your-own apples across 34 varieties, pumpkins, and a corn maze.
Don’t miss: Fall Festival weekends · 34 pick-your-own apple varieties · On-site winery
Alstede Farms
FarmColor nearby peaks October 27
On 600 acres of preserved Chester farmland, Alstede's corn maze covers more than 10 acres and three miles of paths beneath a lookout bridge, with night 'Harvest Moon' maze runs alongside pick-your-own pumpkins and apples every fall since 1982.
Don’t miss: 10-acre corn maze with lookout bridge · Night harvest-moon maze hours · Pick-your-own pumpkins and apples
Mount Tammany
TrailPeak October 23
From the Dunnfield Creek lot in Worthington State Forest, a 3.5-mile loop climbs Mount Tammany for New Jersey's classic view of the Delaware River slicing through the Kittatinny Ridge, part of the roughly 70,000-acre Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area established in 1965.
Don’t miss: 3.5-mile loop to the Gap overlook · Classic Delaware River gap view · Worthington State Forest setting
High Point State Park
State parkPeak October 18
A 220-foot veterans' monument built in 1928-30 marks New Jersey's highest elevation at 1,803 feet, with panoramic Sussex County views reaching toward the Poconos and Catskills. It's one of the state's most rewarding fall-foliage overlooks.
Don’t miss: New Jersey's highest point · 220-ft veterans monument · Views toward the Poconos and Catskills
Six Flags Great Adventure Fright Fest
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks November 6
Six Flags Great Adventure trades daytime crowds for fog-lit scare zones once Fright Fest starts, with live shows and pay-to-enter haunted mazes worked by costumed actors across the Jackson park. Regular coasters like Nitro keep running after dark, so a scare and a loop on a roller coaster fit into the same night.
Don’t miss: Fog-lit scare zones · Pay-to-enter haunted mazes · Rides running after dark
Wightman Farms
Cider millColor nearby peaks October 29
A working orchard and cider mill on Route 202 outside Morristown, where the market bakes fresh donuts, pies, and cookies steps from where the cider gets pressed. The Wightman family has farmed this land since 1922, and fall brings an Autumn Harvest Festival with pick-your-own fruit alongside the everyday bakery counter.
Don’t miss: Cider mill and fresh donuts · Autumn Harvest Festival pick-your-own · Family farm since 1922
Eastmont Orchards
Pumpkin patchColor nearby peaks November 5
A Colts Neck farm that has closed its peach orchard for 2026 and given the season over entirely to pumpkins, open Friday through Sunday from mid-September to late October. It is a small, low-key patch built around a wagon and a field of pumpkins, the sort of place Monmouth County families return to every fall.
Don’t miss: U-pick pumpkins · Weekend-only fall hours · Small, low-key farm patch
Black River & Western Railroad Pumpkin Train
Scenic railwayColor nearby peaks October 31
Board a vintage train at the Ringoes station and ride out to Everitt Farms for pumpkin picking and a hayride before looping back through the Hunterdon County countryside. The Black River & Western has run this stretch of track for more than 50 years, and the fall Pumpkin Train sits alongside its year-round Black River Limited and holiday trains.
Don’t miss: Vintage train to a pumpkin farm · Pumpkin picking and hayride included · 50-plus years of Hunterdon rail history
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in New Jersey in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for November 4–November 9 (best estimate November 7). Color starts around October 23 and trees are mostly bare by November 29.
- How reliable is the New Jersey forecast?
- The forecast blends recent-year weather normals with photoperiod and elevation; it tightens as the season approaches. Against published peak dates the model lands within a few days for most regions, but it can be a week or more out — mountains and coastlines are the hardest. Higher elevations turn roughly one day earlier per 300 m.
- When is New Jersey's autumn season?
- New Jersey colors during autumn (September–November). Oaks, maples, and sassafras color the Kittatinny Ridge and Delaware Water Gap by early-to-mid October, while the sandy Pine Barrens hold pitch pine and blueberry-bush red into November farther south.
- What are the best things to do in fall in New Jersey?
- The iconic stops: Terhune Orchards, Alstede Farms, Mount Tammany, High Point State Park, Six Flags Great Adventure Fright Fest, Wightman Farms. Every one is mapped on this page with its peak-color timing.
- What are the best things to do in autumn in New Jersey?
- Autumn — autumn (September–November) — is peak season here. Pair the color with Terhune Orchards, Alstede Farms, Mount Tammany, High Point State Park, Six Flags Great Adventure Fright Fest; each is on the map above with the window to catch it.
Nearby & similar
Season by season
2026 (forecast)
Peak November 4–November 9
October 23 → November 29