‘One of the best years in a decade’ for Pennsylvania fall foliage

The swath of Poconos closest to Philly should be at peak of what professional leaf peepers say has been one of the most spectacular fall foliage displays in years statewide for catching hues of reds and yellows, with scads of scarlet, russet, and copper.

Best color is coming in a week or so to Southeastern Pennsylvania including Philadelphia. For now, counties to the north are popping.

“This year has actually been one of the best years for color maybe in the last decade,” said Ryan Reed, a program specialist with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation’s (DCNR) Bureau of Forestry.

Reed said that the summer of drought conditions in much of Pennsylvania seemed foreboding for foliage at first but help keep diseases at bay. September rains came at just the right time to keep leaves from dropping early. Had the rains not come, leaves would likely have turned brown and dropped early as a survival response.

Foliage forecast maps produced both by the DCNR and the region’s tourism arm, the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, both show that the northeastern part of the state is past peak, but that lower areas are reaching prime.

The Poconos, part of the Appalachians, comprise 2,400 square miles encompassing Wayne and Pike Counties in the north, and Monroe and Carbon Counties to the south. But other counties just to the west, such as Lackawanna and Luzerne, are also part of the mountainous northeastern part of the state and share similar foliage patterns.

“Species in full color are red maple, black gum, sassafras, white and red oaks, birches, beech, and aspens,” a state forester wrote in the DCNR’s weekly wrap-up.

The forester suggests sightseers visit Moon Lake and the Montage tract in Pinchot State Forest, which spills into multiple counties, as well as Francis Slocum and Nescopeck State Parks in Luzerne County, and Hickory Run State Park in Carbon County for “some outstanding fall displays.”

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It’s worth noting, another forester wrote, that at Delaware State Forest in Pike and Monroe Counties peak color has passed and is starting to fade as recent rain and wind caused leaves to drop en masse. Oaks are turning reddish-brown, and beeches are turning yellow and bronze. Hickory trees, meanwhile, are displaying gold and sassafras is popping with orange and yellows.

Eastern and southern Monroe County are showing some of the best fall color right now as is the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Blue Mountain.

Overall, Brian Bossuyt, executive vice president of the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, said that it has been a good foliage season for businesses and that there are a lot of fall events still scheduled.

“The colors were really vibrant again, and visitations have been very strong,” Bossuyt said. “We really lucked out on the weekends with some amazing weather in the 60s and 50s and sunny.”

Bossuyt said lower parts of the region in towns like Jim Thorpe in Carbon County will be at peak this weekend.

He also said that tourism is returning to normal post-pandemic. During the height of the pandemic and 2020 and 2021, tourism saw an increase of visits during the week as people were working remotely and children were logging in to computers instead of the classroom.

“We have gotten back to more normal levels midweek, but it’s still be pretty strong,” Bossuyt said.

He said, however, that one small business, an escape room, reported to him that last week “was like a summer week and every day was busy.”

“If you’re looking for things to do in the fall,” Bossuyt said, “we still have so many events going on.”

Reed, the DCNR specialist, advises leaf peepers to visit the agency’s interactive map that shows how foliage is displaying in real time at the state’s parks or keep track through the fall foliage reports that come out each Thursday.

“All the photos I am receiving now are gorgeous,” Reed said, noting a sunny forecast for Saturday. “It’s just going to be a fantastic weekend to get out there and see some fall colors.”