When the Leaves Turn
Fall foliage in the Finger Lakes follows a predictable pattern with unpredictable timing. The broad window runs from late September through the third week of October, but the actual peak depends on summer rainfall, overnight temperatures, and elevation. A drought year pushes color earlier and makes it less vivid. A warm October delays the turn. In a normal year, here’s the general progression:
- Late September: Higher elevations (the Bristol Hills south of Canandaigua, the ridgelines above Keuka Lake) start showing color. Sugar maples go first, turning orange and red on the upper slopes while the lakeshores remain green.
- First week of October: Color spreads to mid-elevations. The hillsides above the lakes develop a patchwork of green, gold, orange, and red. This is the beginning of the prime window.
- Second and third weeks of October: Peak color for most of the region. The lakeshores catch up, and the full palette — sugar maple red, hickory gold, birch yellow, oak bronze — fills in from ridgeline to waterfront. This is the two-week window that everyone is chasing.
- Late October: Color fades at higher elevations first. The lakeshores and valley floors hold color latest, thanks to the thermal influence of the water. Seneca and Cayuga Lakes, the deepest, moderate temperatures most effectively and keep their surrounding foliage colorful a few days longer than the smaller western lakes.
Where to See It
Letchworth State Park: The Grand Canyon of the East
Letchworth sits on the western edge of the Finger Lakes region, about 35 miles south of Rochester, and it delivers the most dramatic fall color in the area. The Genesee River cuts a 17-mile gorge through the park, dropping over three major waterfalls — the largest, Middle Falls, plunges 107 feet. In October, the gorge walls are layered with color: red and orange maples at the rim, deep green hemlocks clinging to the cliffs, and the river running through the canyon floor. The Inspiration Point overlook on the east side of the park is the classic viewpoint, and it earns the name.
Letchworth draws heavy crowds in October. Arrive before 10 AM on weekends or plan a midweek visit. The vehicle entry fee is $10. The park has over 60 miles of trails, but the major viewpoints are accessible from short walks off the main park road.
Route 54A Along Keuka Lake
The drive along Route 54A on the west side of Keuka Lake — from Hammondsport north toward Branchport — is one of the finest fall drives in the Finger Lakes. The road follows the lakeshore with vineyards on the hillside above and water below. In mid-October, the combination of golden vineyard rows, red and orange forest, and the blue Y-shaped lake creates a color composition that looks composed rather than natural. Pull off at any of the informal overlooks on the western hillside for photographs. Heron Hill Winery, perched high above the northwest branch, provides an elevated vantage point that takes in the entire scene.
Taughannock Falls Overlook
Taughannock Falls, 8 miles north of Ithaca on the west side of Cayuga Lake, drops 215 feet in a single plunge — 33 feet taller than Niagara. In fall, the amphitheater of rock walls surrounding the falls is framed by red and orange foliage at the rim, with the white cascade dropping through the center. The South Rim Trail provides the best fall view — an overlook directly above the gorge that puts the color, the cliffs, and the waterfall in a single frame. The flat gorge trail to the base of the falls (0.75 miles each way) is equally striking when the October light enters the canyon at a low angle.
Watkins Glen Rim Trails
The Watkins Glen gorge itself is dramatic in any season, but the Rim Trail in October adds a layer that summer visitors never see. Walking above the gorge, you look down through a canopy of fall color into the stone canyon below, with waterfalls visible through the trees. The Indian Trail on the south rim and the South Rim Trail on the north rim are both open in October (the gorge floor trail typically stays open through early November). The contrast of orange foliage against gray Devonian shale and white water is the best the park looks all year.
Route 89 Along Cayuga Lake
Route 89 runs along the western shore of Cayuga Lake from Ithaca north toward Seneca Falls, passing Taughannock Falls State Park along the way. The drive offers continuous lake-and-hillside views, with vineyards and farms mixed into the forest. In October, the western slopes catch afternoon sunlight, and the color glows. Sheldrake Point Winery and several Cayuga Lake Wine Trail tasting rooms are directly on this route, making it possible to combine fall color viewing with wine tasting in a single drive.
The Bristol Hills
The hills south of Canandaigua Lake — around Naples, Bristol Mountain, and the Hi Tor Wildlife Management Area — reach the highest elevations in the Finger Lakes and turn color first. By the first week of October, the sugar maples on Italy Hill Road and the ridgeline above Naples produce some of the best color in western New York. The drive from Canandaigua south on Route 21 descends into the Naples valley through a corridor of peak foliage that, in a good year, justifies the word spectacular. Naples itself hosts the annual Grape Festival on the last weekend of September, which often coincides with early color in the surrounding hills.
Scenic Drives, Ranked
- Route 54A, Hammondsport to Branchport (Keuka Lake west side) — Vineyards, lake, forest, and mountain views. The complete package.
- Route 21, Canandaigua to Naples — Descends through the Bristol Hills with wide valley views and peak color a week before the lakeshores.
- Route 89, Ithaca to Seneca Falls (Cayuga Lake west side) — Taughannock Falls, wineries, and continuous lake views through a tunnel of fall color.
- Letchworth State Park, Park Road — Gorge overlooks with three waterfalls and layered canyon color.
- Route 14, Geneva to Watkins Glen (Seneca Lake west side) — Vineyard rows alternating with forest along the deepest Finger Lake.
What to Pair With Foliage
Harvest Season on the Wine Trails
October is harvest time in the Finger Lakes vineyards. Many wineries hold special events — barrel tastings, harvest dinners, grape-stomping parties — through the month. The Seneca Lake Wine Trail and Keuka Lake Wine Trail both run fall-themed events on select weekends. The tasting rooms are less crowded in October than in July, the wines are pouring well, and the views from the tasting room windows are at their annual best.
Farm Stands and Harvest Festivals
Apple season runs through October at orchards across the region. Farm stands along the back roads — particularly in the Yates County countryside east of Penn Yan and in the Bristol Hills south of Canandaigua — sell late-season produce, cider, and baked goods. The Naples Grape Festival (late September) and the Buckwheat Harvest Festival in Penn Yan (September) both fall in the early-foliage window.
Late-Season Hiking
October is the best hiking month in the Finger Lakes. The temperatures are comfortable (highs in the 50s and 60s), the bugs are gone, and the trails are at peak color. The Bluff Point Trail on Keuka Lake (3.5 miles, moderate) and the Rim Trails at Watkins Glen are both at their best. Finger Lakes National Forest, between Seneca and Cayuga Lakes, offers miles of trails through open meadows and woodland that turn golden in October.
Weather Expectations
October in the Finger Lakes brings warm days and cool nights. Average highs range from the low 60s in early October to the low 50s by month’s end. Nights drop into the 30s and 40s. Rain is common — October is not reliably dry — so pack layers and a rain jacket. Morning fog on the lakes is frequent and burns off by mid-morning, often creating the best photography conditions of the day. First frost typically arrives in the second or third week of October at higher elevations.
The Booking Warning
October is the tightest month for accommodation in the Finger Lakes. Lakefront rentals, popular B&Bs, and hotels in Geneva, Skaneateles, and Canandaigua book out months in advance for peak-foliage weekends. If you’re planning an October visit, book lodging by July at the latest — earlier for premium properties. Midweek stays are significantly easier to find and offer the added benefit of less traffic on the scenic drives. See our where to stay guide for town-by-town options and price ranges.
Getting the Forecast Right
Tracking foliage timing requires paying attention to two things: the New York State fall foliage report (published weekly from mid-September through late October by the state tourism office) and overnight low temperatures. Once nighttime lows consistently drop below 45 degrees, the color change accelerates. The I Love NY foliage report breaks the state into regions and rates color on a percentage-of-change scale, making it possible to time a visit within a few days of peak. For the Finger Lakes specifically, follow local social media accounts and winery posts — vineyard operators watch the hillsides daily and tend to share real-time color updates that are more accurate than regional forecasts.
One more thing: do not plan your entire trip around a single weekend based on an internet prediction from August. Foliage timing shifts by a week or more depending on conditions. Build in flexibility, or plan a midweek visit in the second week of October — that window hits peak color more often than any other in the Finger Lakes.
