New York’s I LOVE NY foliage report for the week of September 23 to 29, 2026 puts Syracuse and Cazenovia at 10 percent change and the Adirondack high peaks near peak. Central New York’s historical peak is mid to late October, and the five local parks below were open and checked on September 26.
Syracuse trees were 10 percent changed heading into the weekend of September 26 and 27, 2026, according to New York State’s I LOVE NY fall foliage report for the week of September 23 to 29. Cazenovia was also at 10 percent. Cortland and Auburn were at 20 percent, Utica at 30 percent, and Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks at 55 percent and near peak.
This story came from public records we pulled ourselves
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So the color this weekend is a drive north, not a walk at Green Lakes. The state’s own guide says Central New York has historically peaked in mid to late October, which leaves the Syracuse area two to four weeks out. The five parks listed below are open, and every one of them charges $5 or nothing.
What the state tracker says about fall foliage near Syracuse this week
This is the second I LOVE NY report of 2026. The state compiles it from more than 100 volunteer field observers, issues it every Wednesday afternoon, and writes it to describe expected color for the coming weekend. One quirk matters locally: I LOVE NY files Syracuse, Auburn and Cortland under its Finger Lakes region and files Cazenovia, Utica and Binghamton under “Central New York.” The calls closest to home, in the report’s own words:
| Spotter location (county) | Change reported | Report’s description |
|---|---|---|
| Syracuse (Onondaga) | 10% | “some orange, red and yellow leaves” |
| Cazenovia (Madison) | 10% | “an emerging mix of fall hues” |
| Auburn (Cayuga) | 20% | “muted-to-average yellow leaves and hints of red” |
| Moravia and Locke (Cayuga) | 20% | “muted shades of burnt orange” |
| Cortland and Marathon (Cortland) | 20% | “yellow leaves, along with a few red and purple maples” |
| Pulaski (Oswego) | 15% | “purple and reddish-orange leaves” |
| Oswego (Oswego) | 5% | “some brown leaves” |
| Ithaca and Trumansburg (Tompkins) | under 10% | “pops of yellow and orange just beginning to show” |
| Utica (Oneida) | 30% | “muted-to-average yellows, reds and oranges” |
| Binghamton (Broome) | 25% | “spots of bright red and orange, and some yellow” |
For a longer drive: Old Forge 35 percent, Long Lake 40 percent, Tupper Lake and Mt. Arab 50 to 55 percent, and Wilmington and Whiteface Mountain 55 percent, which the report calls “near peak.” East of Utica, Cherry Valley was at 30 to 35 percent, Sharon Springs at 35 percent and Cooperstown at 20 percent. The report has no Tug Hill spotter this week; the nearest calls are Pulaski at 15 percent and Old Forge at 35 percent. Audio reports: 800-225-5697.
When does Central New York usually peak?
I LOVE NY’s foliage guide, last updated August 7, 2026, gives these historical windows: Central New York “mid- to late-October,” the Finger Lakes “mid-October through early November,” the Adirondacks “late September to mid-October” and the Thousand Islands-Seaway “mid- to late-October.” The same guide says peak brilliance lasts “three to four days in any one spot,” which is why the weekly report matters more than a calendar.
Neither the report nor this story predicts a peak date. Summer 2026 at Syracuse Hancock was the 14th driest of 77 on record, 7.34 inches of rain from June through August against an 11.12 inch normal (NOAA, via ACIS), and CNY Signal looked at what that has meant for foliage in other years: https://cnysignal.com/syracuse-fall-foliage-2026-peak-timing-dry-summer/. This week’s report says nothing about rainfall, and no state or university source has tied this season’s color to the dry summer, so we are not claiming it either.
Where to see fall color near Syracuse: five parks checked September 26, 2026
Hours, fees and closures below come from each park’s own page, read September 26.
| Park | Hours posted | Vehicle fee posted | What is closed or ending |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Lakes State Park, 7900 Green Lakes Road, Fayetteville, (315) 637-6111 | Trails daily, dawn to dusk | “NO FEES” | Beach and boat rentals “CLOSED FOR THE SEASON”; camping season ends October 11, 2026 |
| Clark Reservation State Park, 6105 East Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville, (315) 492-1756 | Year-round, sunrise to sunset | $5 per passenger vehicle; pay station charges 8 am to 6 pm | Nature center runs mid-May through Labor Day, so it is closed |
| Chittenango Falls State Park, 5241 Gorge Road (Route 13), Cazenovia, (315) 423-3744 | Sunrise to sunset | $5 per car listed, with fee collection May 23 to September 1 (the page still shows 2025 dates) | No closures posted; 167-foot falls, gorge trail and footbridge |
| Highland Forest, Fabius (Onondaga County Parks), (315) 683-5550 | April through November, dawn to dusk; Skyline Lodge 8:30 am to 4 pm | Free for hiking | Mountain bike trails close after September 30; bow and deer hunting passes are valid October and November |
| Beaver Lake Nature Center, 8477 East Mud Lake Road, Baldwinsville (Onondaga County Parks), 315-638-2519 | Through October 12, 2026: gates 7:30 am to 7 pm, visitor center 8 am to 6:30 pm | $5 per car, paid on exit; seniors 62 and up free on Fridays | Open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas |
A few details from the same pages. Green Lakes lists 15 miles of trails and no cost to enter. Clark Reservation’s pay station takes coins, $1 and $5 bills and cards, does not make change, and its page posts no end date for fee collection. Highland Forest has more than 20 miles of year-round trails across more than six square miles, some of them part of the Finger Lakes Trail. Beaver Lake is 690 acres around a 200-acre glacial lake with nine miles of trails.
Weekend weather for a foliage drive
The National Weather Service office in Binghamton, forecast updated 3:48 pm EDT on September 26, 2026, for Syracuse:
– Saturday afternoon: 70, mostly cloudy, north wind 11 mph gusting to 21.
– Sunday: high 65, showers likely, mainly before 4 pm, 90 percent chance, a tenth to a quarter inch of rain.
– Monday: high 67, 30 percent chance of showers between 7 am and 2 pm.
– Tuesday: 69, mostly cloudy. Wednesday: 76, partly sunny. Thursday: 77, partly sunny.
– Friday, October 2: 72, 40 percent chance of showers.
No watches, warnings or frost advisories were posted for Syracuse at that update.
What’s next
The next I LOVE NY report is due Wednesday, September 30. Beaver Lake’s posted hours run through October 12, Green Lakes’ camping season ends October 11, and Highland Forest moves to 8:30 am to 4:30 pm winter hours in December.
Sources
- I LOVE NY Fall Foliage Report, week of September 23 to 29, 2026, Empire State Development Division of Tourism. https://www.iloveny.com/things-to-do/fall/foliage-report/
- Fall Foliage: When and Where to Go in New York State, I LOVE NY, updated August 7, 2026. https://www.iloveny.com/blog/post/fall-foliage-when-and-where-to-go-in-new-york-state/
- Green Lakes State Park, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, read September 26, 2026. https://parks.ny.gov/parks/greenlakes/details.aspx
- Clark Reservation State Park, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, read September 26, 2026. https://parks.ny.gov/parks/clarkreservation/details.aspx
- Chittenango Falls State Park, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, read September 26, 2026. https://parks.ny.gov/parks/chittenangofalls/details.aspx
- Highland Forest, Onondaga County Parks, read September 26, 2026. https://onondagacountyparks.com/parks/highland-forest/
- Hours and Admission, Beaver Lake Nature Center, Onondaga County Parks, read September 26, 2026. https://beaverlakenature.org/visit/hours-and-admission/
- Syracuse point forecast, National Weather Service Binghamton, updated 3:48 pm EDT September 26, 2026. https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=43.0481&lon=-76.1474
- Syracuse fall foliage 2026: peak timing after a dry summer, CNY Signal. https://cnysignal.com/syracuse-fall-foliage-2026-peak-timing-dry-summer/
Every figure in this story is drawn from the records above. Links go to the primary documents.
