Branch Brook Park in Newark: fall foliage walks in an Olmsted-designed park

Branch Brook Park, a 360-acre green space in Newark, New Jersey, is nearing peak fall color, which makes it a foliage outing for New Yorkers about 30 minutes from the city.

The park is best known for its spring cherry blossoms. In autumn, its lawns, woods, streams and lake make it a quieter escape across the Hudson River. Most of it sits in Newark, and it stretches into neighboring Belleville.

An Olmsted park with a long history

The idea for the park came from Frederick Law Olmsted Sr., the landscape architect whose work helped shape Central Park. The Olmsted Brothers firm later drew up its landscape plans in the late 1800s. Its historic value has official recognition too: the park is listed by the state of New Jersey as well as on the federal register.

Where to walk for fall foliage at Branch Brook Park

Branch Brook Lake is a good place to begin, with paths that follow the shoreline and open views over the water. From there, paved walkways, winding trails and old pedestrian bridges lead past open meadows, wooded patches, streams and ponds, and there are plenty of places to stop for photos.

The park runs for nearly four miles, so a visit can be a short loop or a whole afternoon on foot or by bike. The weather decides when the leaves turn and how bright they get, so the timing changes from year to year. Anyone hoping to catch peak color should look at recent local foliage reports before going.

Spring is when the park is at its busiest. Its cherry trees, of Japanese origin, number over 5,300 and come in 18 varieties, which puts Branch Brook among the country’s best-known spots for seeing the blossoms. Every year they draw crowds for the Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival.