For residents and visitors in the Adirondacks, fall color is more than scenery — it is a seasonal economy and a point of local pride. In Lake Placid, one person has made a decade-long practice of watching that color arrive. Catherine Ericson has spent the past 10 years tracking the changing leaves around Lake Placid in upstate New York as one of New York State's official leaf peepers, a role that places her at the center of the region's autumn ritual.
The position is not merely ceremonial. Official leaf peepers monitor the progression of foliage and serve as a reliable source of information for travelers planning trips around peak color. For a community like Lake Placid, where autumn tourism supports local businesses, that reporting carries real weight. Ericson's observations help answer the question on every visitor's mind each October: when will the mountains be at their brightest?
Ericson's tenure spans 10 consecutive autumns in and around Lake Placid, according to NPR, which profiled her on October 17, 2026. The story was reported on that Saturday morning, placing her work squarely in the middle of the current foliage season. Her experience gives her a long-term view of how the season unfolds in the Adirondacks, from the first hints of color to the full display that draws leaf peepers from across the region.
For local readers, the takeaway is straightforward: the people who track the leaves are neighbors, not distant officials. Ericson's decade of work reflects the kind of local expertise that shapes how the Adirondacks present themselves to the world each fall. As the 2026 season continues, her observations remain a resource for anyone hoping to time a drive, a hike, or a weekend in Lake Placid to the height of autumn color.
