Autumn foliage is beginning to take hold across the northern Poconos, with warmer daytime hours giving way to noticeably cooler nights that are speeding up the seasonal shift. Sugar maples are leading the change across Wayne and Pike counties, including the towns of Honesdale and Hawley, painting the landscape in early streaks of orange, while red maple and birch remain the most consistently vibrant performers so far. Hickory and walnut trees are only just starting to turn, with their leaves shifting toward gold tones in the coming weeks.

As of this week, tourism officials estimate the region has reached roughly 15% full color, with all trees still holding their leaves. Peak color for the northern zone — which covers the area within the Northeast Herald’s coverage territory — is projected to fall between Oct. 8 and Oct. 14, putting the best viewing window a couple of weeks out.

The change comes as the region gears up for its busiest tourism stretch of the year. Fall foliage tourism represents one of the highest-demand travel periods for the Pocono Mountains, with the broader region pulling in billions in visitor spending annually. Local businesses, from scenic railway operators to harvest-themed farms, typically see a significant bump in activity as leaf-peepers begin planning trips around the changing colors.

Officials note that unlike some regions where color peaks and fades within a single week, the Poconos’ mix of elevation changes and diverse hardwood forest tends to stretch the season across three to four weeks, giving visitors a wider window to catch the region at its most vivid.