NEWTON, N.J.-
The peak season for leaf peeping should begin in about a week in northern New Jersey and some areas already are showing bold fall colors.
Peak foliage can be seen toward the end of next week and for a week after that, AccuWeather meteorologist John Gresiak told The New Jersey Herald of Newton for Friday’s newspapers.
“Judging by the reports I’m seeing, right now there are moderate colors in northwest New Jersey and they’re still up across northern and central New England and the Adirondacks,” he said.
Sassafras and black gum trees have already turned color, especially along rivers, lakes and drainage areas, forester John Benton of the New Jersey Forest Service told the newspaper.
“People anxious to get a jump on color might want to go along stream areas or around a lake,” said Benton, who said views at Lake Hopatcong should be attractive.
He also listed High Point, Wawayanda, Ringwood and Worthington state parks, as well as Stokes State Forest and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area as good areas to see fall color.
“In my personal opinion, you should go to places with changes in elevation,” Benton said. “You have different species changing at different times and turning different shades of color.”
One potential downer: the threat of rain next week.
“That’s always a bummer when it rains during peak season,” Gresiak said.
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Information from: The New Jersey Herald,
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