Seasonal Nature Report: Week of October 19, 2026

This is the Seasonal Nature Report for the week of October 19, 2026. In the Lehigh Valley right now, fall color is approaching peak, the golden eagle push is beginning along the Kittatinny Ridge, and the first frost of the season has already arrived. Here is what is happening this week and where to see it, based on the latest Pennsylvania DCNR foliage report, local hawk-watch and birding notes, and National Weather Service forecasts.

Fall Foliage: Approaching Peak

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Fall Foliage Report for the week of October 15-21, 2026, released October 15, Lehigh, Northampton, and Carbon counties are all at or near peak but not yet fully at peak. DCNR describes the region as "approaching peak." In the southeastern region, which includes Lehigh and Northampton counties, DCNR foresters report that fall color is advancing in all parts of the counties, with red maple, black gum, and birch showing the most color. In Carbon County, part of the central region served by the Weiser State Forest, foresters report the northern two-thirds of the district is approaching peak, with red maple, sweet birch, and sassafras showing the most color.

DCNR notes that cold nights have hastened the color change this year, while recent heavy rain has stripped some leaves. With a cooldown expected to continue, the transition to full, vibrant color is likely to arrive right around or just after this week, so the strongest peak color is still building across the Lehigh Valley.

Where to See Fall Color This Week

• 🌳 Hickory Run State Park, Carbon County. DCNR foresters recommend this park as one of the best viewing areas in the region this week, with ridgetop and streamside trails where color is approaching peak, a short drive north of the Lehigh Valley. Map link.
• 🌳 Lehigh Gorge State Park, Carbon County. Another DCNR-recommended viewing spot this week, where maple, birch, sassafras, and oak color the gorge walls along the Lehigh River north of Jim Thorpe. Map link.
• 🌳 Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville. More than 18 miles of trails and high viewpoints over the Jordan Creek valley, a good spot for the advancing color on the ridgetops close to home. Map link.
• 🌳 Jacobsburg State Park, Nazareth. Wooded trails along Bushkill Creek near the Easton area with a mix of turning maples and streamside views. Map link.
• 🌳 Lehigh Parkway, Allentown. A scenic park along the Little Lehigh Creek with a mix of turning maples and oaks, an easy walk close to the city. Map link.

Bird Migration: The Golden Eagle Push Is Underway

Late October is the heart of golden eagle season along the Kittatinny Ridge, a globally significant flyway and Pennsylvania's largest Important Bird Area. At Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the world's longest-running raptor count, the fall 2026 season-to-date total through October 13 was just 7 golden eagles, 6 of them counted during the week of October 5-11. That is consistent with the known pattern: the last week of October typically brings the first big golden eagle push, with peak golden eagle passage in November. Broad-winged hawks have dominated the 2026 season total so far, with 11,712 counted by October 13, while red-tailed hawks, at 244 season-to-date, build through October and November.

At Bake Oven Knob, on the Lehigh-Carbon county line in State Game Land 217, Lehigh Gap Nature Center's fall count averages roughly 96 golden eagles and 194 bald eagles per season, with the late-October-to-November window the peak. Among waterfowl, Leaser Lake, the only lake in Lehigh County, is a documented stopover for waterfowl and other migrants, and early-arriving ducks begin gathering there as lakes to the north start to freeze. The Lehigh Valley Audubon Society runs guided bird walks at the lake through the season.

Where to Watch Migrating Birds This Week

• 🐦 Bake Oven Knob, Lehigh County. A ridgetop hawk watch on the Appalachian Trail run by Lehigh Gap Nature Center, counting from August 15 through November 30, and the local site where the golden eagle push peaks in late October and November. Map link.
• 🐦 Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Kempton. A short drive from the Lehigh Valley, with scenic ridgetop viewing and a fall raptor count running from August 15 through December 15. Map link.
• 🐦 Leaser Lake, New Tripoli. The only lake in Lehigh County and a documented waterfowl stopover, a regular site for Lehigh Valley Audubon Society field trips as ducks gather in late October. Map link.
• 🐦 Lake Muhlenberg, Allentown. A city lake in Allentown that is a convenient local spot to check for early migrating waterfowl. Map link.

First Frost Has Arrived

The first frost of the season has already reached the Lehigh Valley. The first widespread frost arrived around October 6-7, and a strong cold front on October 16-17 brought the coldest air of the fall so far, with the National Weather Service issuing a freeze warning for the morning of Sunday, October 18, with temperatures as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a frost advisory for the morning of Monday, October 19. For the week ahead, the National Weather Service forecast for the Allentown area calls for mostly sunny days with highs mainly in the 60s and overnight lows in the mid-30s to mid-40s, so frost is likely on the clearest, coldest nights.

These cold nights are part of why the foliage color is intensifying so quickly this week. They also mean early-season migrants are moving: late October is a peak window for deer activity as the rut picks up, and Pennsylvania's fall turkey season opens October 31 across most of the eastern part of the state.

What to Expect Later This Month

DCNR updates its fall foliage report every Thursday through October, and full peak color for the Lehigh Valley is expected to arrive right around or just after this week, with the northern part of the region peaking first. The golden eagle push should build through late October and into November, and waterfowl numbers on area lakes should keep rising as nights stay cold. Frost, and eventually the first snow of the season, typically arrive in the region during late October and November.

These are seasonal patterns, not guarantees. For the most current foliage status, check the Pennsylvania DCNR Fall Foliage Report, updated weekly. For up-to-date bird counts, check the daily hawk-watch reports from Lehigh Gap Nature Center and Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.