Fall Color Hits Peak Across the Poconos and Bucks County

Peak fall color has arrived across much of eastern Pennsylvania, and leaf peepers have about two weekends left to catch it at its best.

The Pocono Mountains forecast peak color around Oct. 8 to 14 in its northern and central zones, while the southern zone, including Jim Thorpe and Carbon County, is projected for about Oct. 20 to 28. Bucks County typically peaks around mid-October, according to Visit Bucks County.

The color moves south and downhill at roughly 50 to 100 miles a week, according to the Farmers’ Almanac outlook, which is why one well-timed trip is rarely enough. The Hudson Valley and Catskills peak between Oct. 8 and 22, giving drivers a chain of options within a few hours of Philadelphia.

Warm, sunny days and cool nights produce the brightest foliage. Sunlight boosts sugar production in the leaves, while cool weather encourages trees to close off veins to the leaves and trap the sugar, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

This year’s display comes with a caveat. Dry summer conditions can push leaves to brown and drop early. “Trees sort of have this long-range view,” Pennsylvania forestry bureau ecologist Kelly Sitch told the Bucks County Beacon Journal. “There’s no point in holding onto crispy leaves that don’t photosynthesize.”

For the best viewing, foresters suggest walking a half-mile into a state park rather than sticking to roadsides, where trees go bare faster. Bucks County’s covered-bridge driving tour, the New Hope Railroad’s fall excursions and the Delaware Water Gap all sit within easy reach.

Once peak passes, color usually lasts about a week, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Southern Pennsylvania and South Jersey can hold some color into early November, weather permitting.