[title]
Fall is in the air and Central Park is about to show off its most cinematic side.
The Central Park Conservancy has flipped the switch on its annual Fall Foliage Tracker, the interactive map that keeps tabs on the color-changing schedules of more than 18,000 trees across the park’s 843 acres. Think of it as a cheat sheet for leaf peeping—no need to wander aimlessly when you can head straight for the sugar maples or tupelos that are about to set Instagram ablaze.
RECOMMENDED: The best fall activities in NYC to do with the arrival of autumn
At the moment, the map shows most zones are still in “pre-peak,” but don’t let that stop you from scouting. Early September is the calm before the crimson storm. Soon enough, the North Woods, the Ramble and the Mall will explode into reds, oranges and yellows fit for a Nora Ephron movie.
The map updates daily, with Conservancy arborists supplying intel on which sections are pre-peak, peak, or past their prime. That means you can plan a morning stroll around the Reservoir when the pin oaks bronze, or save your weekend for a meander through Tupelo Meadow, where the black tupelo’s leaves blaze fire-engine red.
And the tree lineup is A-list. Sugar maples (also New York’s state tree) put on the classic red-and-orange show; hickories turn a vibrant yellow; sweetgums dazzle with every shade from purple to pink. Even the bald cypress gets in on the act—what looks like an evergreen suddenly drops bronze needles in autumn, surprising first-time visitors.
It’s not just pretty pictures, either. Central Park’s trees are working overtime behind the scenes: Each mature tree absorbs about 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and helps capture millions of gallons of stormwater. The Conservancy even lets you “adopt” a tree, so you can support the leafy stars of this seasonal spectacle.
Grab your coziest sweater, pour a thermos of cider and bookmark the tracker. Whether you’re a die-hard foliage chaser or just want an excuse to stroll hand-in-hand down Literary Walk, this is your best bet for catching the park in all its golden glory.
Peak season doesn’t last long—by November, most of the color will be gone. Until then, the map is your ticket to fall’s best show, no matter which corner of Central Park you claim as your favorite backdrop.