State guide
When to catch New Yorkthrough the year
The peaks we can name in New York each belong to a place, not the whole state. Warblers at Montezuma: mid-May; Waterfowl at Montezuma: mid-November.
When are you going?
Fall in New York
Also good in fall
- Allegany State ParkFall color across New York (statewide, volunteer observers)
- Fire IslandMonarchs stop over on their way south, mid-August to late September or early October
- Iroquois RefugeGoldenrod in bloom
- IthacaFall color across New York (statewide, volunteer observers)
- Lake GeorgeFall color across New York (statewide, volunteer observers)
- Lake PlacidFall color across New York (statewide, volunteer observers)
From each place's own sources; no peak claimed.
Winter in New York
- BEST VIEWING · WINTER WILDLIFEMorton RefugeLate October through early AprilNew York
“Late October through early April” · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
- BEST VIEWING · WINTER WILDLIFEWertheim RefugeLate October through early AprilNew York
“Late October through early April” · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
- More winter wildlife:Montezuma Refuge
Also good in winter
- Morton RefugeBest times to see waterfowl: late October through early April
- Upper Delaware (New York side)Wintering bald eagles
- Wertheim RefugeBest times to see waterfowl: late October through early April
From each place's own sources; no peak claimed.
Spring in New York
- SEASON · CHERRY BLOSSOMSBrooklyn Botanic GardenFrom late March or early April to mid-MayNew York
“from late March or early April to mid-May” · Wikipedia ↗
Also good in spring
- Fire IslandPiping plovers nest on Fire Island's beaches, March to September
- Iroquois RefugeSongbird and warbler migration
- Montezuma RefugeWarblers peak in mid-May
- Morton RefugeOspreys along the shoreline, March to September
- New York CityGreen-up
- Target Rock RefugeOspreys along the bay, March to September
From each place's own sources; no peak claimed.
Next peak here after spring
“October” · National Park Service ↗
Summer in New York
Good in summer
- Fire IslandPiping plovers nest on Fire Island's beaches, March to September
- Montezuma RefugeShorebirds common, early May to mid-June
- Morton RefugeOspreys along the shoreline, March to September
- Target Rock RefugeOspreys along the bay, March to September
- Vanderbilt MansionHorse-chestnut in flower on the tree walk
- Wertheim RefugeOspreys along the Carmans River, March to September
From each place's own sources; no peak claimed.
Next peak here after summer
“October” · National Park Service ↗
Places in New York
- Spring
- Fall
- Winter
Places on this map, as a list
- Allegany State Park
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- Finger Lakes National Forest
- Fire Island
- Iroquois Refuge
- Ithaca
- Lake George
- Lake Placid
- Letchworth State Park
- Montezuma Refuge
- Morton Refuge
- New York City
- Niagara Falls
- North-South Lake
- Saratoga Springs
- Target Rock Refuge
- Upper Delaware (New York side)
- Vanderbilt Mansion
- Wertheim Refuge
- Western Catskills
- Fall
Places on this map, as a list
- Fall
Places on this map, as a list
- Fall
- Winter
Places on this map, as a list
- Fall
Places on this map, as a list
- New York CityStatewide: usually well under way by mid-October
- Brooklyn Botanic GardenLocal timing: from late March or early April to mid-May
Western New York
- Allegany State ParkFall foliage · Oct (statewide)
- Iroquois RefugeFall foliage · early October
- Letchworth State ParkFall foliage · Oct (statewide)
Show the rest in Western New York (1) →
New York City
Finger Lakes and Central New York
Elsewhere
- Fire IslandWildlife by season · from March to September
- Morton RefugeWildlife by season · Mar–AprWinter wildlife · Oct–Apr
- Target Rock RefugeWildlife by season · Mar–Sep
Show the rest in Elsewhere (1) →
Adirondacks and the North Country
Catskills and Hudson Valley
- North-South LakeFall foliage · Oct (statewide)
- Upper Delaware (New York side)Fall foliage · October
- Vanderbilt MansionFall foliage · mid-October
Show the rest in Catskills and Hudson Valley (1) →
Planning a New York trip
Towns to stay in
- New York, NYBrooklyn Botanic Garden · 1 mi
- Buffalo, NYNiagara Falls · 17 mi
- Syracuse, NYMontezuma Refuge · 31 mi
- Albany, NYSaratoga Springs · 29 mi
- Utica, NYWestern Catskills · 72 mi
- Middletown, NYBear Mountain and West Point · 24 mi
Nearest place we follow, straight-line miles.
Current park alerts (NPS)
Browse by season and event
- Fall foliage · 14 places hereFall foliage in New York →Fall foliage, everywhere →
- Cherry blossoms · 1 place hereCherry blossoms, everywhere →
- Wildlife by season · 4 places hereWildlife by season, everywhere →
- Spring migration · 1 place hereSpring migration, everywhere →
- Winter wildlife · 3 places hereWinter wildlife, everywhere →
Questions people ask
How big is Allegany, and who built it?
It covers 64,800 acres and began in 1921 with two tracts in the Quaker Run Valley. Between 1933 and 1942 the Civilian Conservation Corps built many of its roads, bridges, trails and camping areas.Source: Wikipedia, Allegany State Park ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Where can I bike or camp at Allegany State Park?
The Red House Area has five miles of paved bike trails and 130 campsites; on the Quaker side, the Cain Hollow campground.Source: Wikipedia, Allegany State Park ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How do I get there by subway at Brooklyn Botanic Garden?
Take the 2 or 3 to Eastern Pkwy-Brooklyn Museum, the 4, 5 or S to Franklin Ave-Botanic Garden, or the B, Q or S to Prospect Park. Buses B16, B41, B43 and B48 also serve the garden.Sources: Wikivoyage, Brooklyn/Prospect Park ↗ (opens in a new tab), Wikipedia, Brooklyn Botanic Garden ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Which entrance should I use at Brooklyn Botanic Garden?
There are three. The southwest gate on Flatbush Avenue near Empire Boulevard is near the Prospect Park subway station; the north gate on Eastern Parkway sits next to the Eastern Parkway–Brooklyn Museum station; the east gate on Washington Avenue, with the Steinberg Visitor Center, is next to the Brooklyn Museum's parking lot.Source: Wikipedia, Brooklyn Botanic Garden ↗ (opens in a new tab)
When is the forest busiest at Finger Lakes National Forest?
Autumn is its most popular season, when the trees and pastures turn color. Hunters use the woods and brush lands then too.Source: US Forest Service, Finger Lakes National Forest ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Can I bring my dog to the beach at Fire Island?
Not on the ocean beaches from March 15 through Labor Day, the beach-nesting season for piping plovers and least terns (kites are restricted then too). Leashed dogs can use the bayside beaches at the Lighthouse, Sailors Haven, Talisman/Barrett Beach and Watch Hill, and the trails at Watch Hill.Sources: National Park Service, Fire Island National Seashore: Pets ↗ (opens in a new tab), National Park Service, Fire Island National Seashore: Watch Hill ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Nearby state guides: Connecticut · Pennsylvania · Vermont · New Jersey
New York in pictures
How we know
- Sep 30SightingsVolunteer observations of deciduous trees and shrubs: share with half or more of their leaves colored, per stateSource (opens USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations in a new tab)
- Sep 29ReferenceThe garden's cherry collection and bloom season, Cherry Walk and Cherry Esplanade, and its three entrances. · Wikipedia contributors, adapted · CC BY-SA 4.0Source (opens Wikipedia, Brooklyn Botanic Garden in a new tab)
- Sep 30Park ServiceVisitor-center locations and descriptions and the park's photo captions, including piping plover nesting monthsSource (opens National Park Service, Fire Island National Seashore: park data (visitor centers and photos) in a new tab)
- Sep 28Park ServiceUsual peak by refuge: early October at Aroostook, Nulhegan Basin and Missisquoi; mid-October at Moosehorn, Rachel Carson and Great Bay (marsh)Source (opens U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, A fall foliage tour of the Northeast in a new tab)
- Sep 28Park ServiceSeasons of wildlife: spring geese and ducks, shorebirds early May to mid-June, warblers peak mid-May at Esker Brook, fall shorebirds and waterfowlSource (opens U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montezuma NWR: Species (Seasons of Wildlife) in a new tab)
- Sep 30Park ServicePiping plovers (arrival and July use), terns and ospreysSource (opens U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Elizabeth A. Morton NWR: Species in a new tab)
- National Park Service sources: no claim to original U.S. Government works.
Show all 12
- Sep 30Park ServiceFees, hours, no feeding birds, the April–August beach closure, trail, platform and best months for waterfowlSource (opens U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Elizabeth A. Morton NWR: Visit Us in a new tab)
- Sep 30Park ServiceSeasons on the bay: ospreys, returning cormorants, the fall striper migration and winter waterfowlSource (opens U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Target Rock NWR: Species in a new tab)
- Sep 28Park ServiceAutumn foliage peaks in October; life jackets required Nov 1–Apr 30Source (opens National Park Service, Upper Delaware weather in a new tab)
- Sep 28Park ServicePeak leaf season is mid-October; Pavilion Visitor Center locationSource (opens National Park Service, Vanderbilt Mansion park data in a new tab)
- Sep 30Park ServiceA river for all seasons: ospreys, box turtles, wood ducks, migrating tree swallows and winter waterfowl on the Carmans RiverSource (opens U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wertheim NWR: Species in a new tab)
- Sep 30Park ServiceTrails, hours, rules, restrooms, transit directions and the best months for waterfowlSource (opens U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wertheim NWR: Visit Us in a new tab)
- National Park Service sources: no claim to original U.S. Government works.