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Prepare for leaf-peeping season! When will the fall colors reach their peak? Find out with our 2024 fall foliage map! Plus, here’s a list of 21 great places to see autumn’scolors.
When Do Fall Leaves ChangeColor?
Leaves can change their color from as early as mid-September all the way through early November. Typically, the second and third week of October are the peak times, but it shifts depending on where you live and your local weather conditions.
- Foliagestarts to change in the northern-tier states out West and in the Midwest by late September. ByOctober 4, the leaves in some areas will be past theirprime.
- Much of New England as well as the Pacific Northwest, will be at or near peak fall color by October11.
- A little further southin the Blue Ridge Mountains, it looks like mid-October is your bestbet.
Fall Foliage ColorMap
Below is ananimated mapshowing the progression of fall colors across the U.S. based on foliage reports from Almanac readers. Of course, past results do not necessarily indicate what will happen this year, but it should give you a fairly good idea of how fall leaves typically progress.In this depiction, yellow marks the beginning of foliage season, orange and red are peak season, and brown is past peak.
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Where Do the Fall Leaves ChangeColor?
Here are some of the best places to see fall foliage in the United States. Perhaps some of these destinations are near you! We welcome your tips on other great places to see fall’s colors. Please commentbelow.
- Acadia National Park,Maine
- Ozark Mountains,Arkansas
- Adirondackand Catskill Mountains,NewYork
- Traverse City,Michigan
- Black Hills, SouthDakota
- Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia and NorthCarolina
- Kancamagus Highway, White Mountains, NewHampshire
- Pere Marquette State Park,Illinois
- Blue Ridge Parkway,Virginia
- Jackson,Wyoming
- Connecticut River Valley, S.E.Connecticut
- Logan Canyon Scenic Byway,Utah
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park,Ohio
- Buckhorn Lake State Park,Kentucky
- Vogel State Park and Chattahoochee National Forest,Georgia
- Door County,Wisconsin
- Poconos,Pennsylvania
- Green Mountain Byway,Vermont
- Gatlinburg & Smoky Mountains,Tennessee
- The Berkshires,Massachusetts
- Taos, NewMexico
What is FallFoliage?
“Foliage” simply refers to the leaves of a tree or plant. “Fall,” of course, refers to theAutumnal Equinox when the day length shortens (marking toward the shortest day of the year: the Winter Solstice).
“Fall foliage” is the time when the leaves start changing colors from green to beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow. However, here are a couple ofsurprises:
- Those vivid leaf colors were actually hidden underneath the green all along! As sunlight decreases and cold increases, tree growth slows, and the production of green chlorophyll in their leaves begins to slow, revealing fall leaves’ brilliant yellow, orange, andred.
- Not all tree leaves change color. It’s “deciduous trees” (oak, birch, beech) with broad leaves that show off those gorgeous reds, yellows, oranges, and evenpurples.
Want to read more about fall leaves? Check out this article: Why Do Leaves Change Color?
How Weather Affects LeafColor
Another important part of leaf-peeping is knowing the right time to go! For the best experience, not only should leaves be near their peak colors, but the weather should be agreeable,too.
- Avoid rainy, windydays, when the leaves (and you) will be soggy. Strong wind in late fall can even result in prematurely bare trees, so keep that in mind whileplanning.
- Some say that alightly overcastday actually improves the colors of the leaves, making them pop against the somberskies.
- Others prefer to bask in autumn’sbrilliance underblue skies and full sun—and we can’t say we blamethem!
Now, you’re ready to enjoy the fall colors. Share your leaf-peeping tips in thecomments!
