c/o Central Park Conservancy
If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to go leaf-peeping in Central Park, now’s the time. Fall foliage has reached its peak in the park, with golden canopies and bright shades of red and orange showing up across all 843 acres. It’s a chance for New Yorkers and visitors alike to take in the changing seasons in the heart of the city.
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The colors were spotted this week by arborists at the Central Park Conservancy, and the nonprofit’s Fall Foliage Tracker can point you to where they’re at their best. The Conservancy maintains the tracker every year, with real-time updates from its Tree Care team on how the foliage is progressing throughout the park. Its map sorts different areas into four stages (no change, changing, peak, and post-peak), so you can see where the colors are most vibrant and plan your visit accordingly.That Tree Care team looks after the park’s roughly 19,000 trees year-round. Its work covers everything from planting and pruning to monitoring tree health and maintaining the landscapes that make Central Park what the Conservancy calls an essential urban green space. The Conservancy, which manages the park in partnership with the city, also has a Natural Areas team that works throughout the year to keep the park’s woodlands healthy through native plantings, trail maintenance, soil restoration, and erosion control.
Before you head over, the Conservancy recommends checking the tracker for its top leaf-peeping spots. The map also shows which areas are already post-peak, which can save you a trip to a section whose colors have faded.
And if you get some good shots while you’re out there, the Conservancy invites visitors to tag @CentralParkNYC on their foliage photos for a chance to be featured on its social channels.
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