Answered from today's forecast, not last year's.
When is peak fall foliage in 2026?
It depends on where you stand. Region by region, the middle park or forest peaks around Oct 1 in the Rocky Mountains, Oct 6 in the New England, Oct 8 in the Pacific Northwest, Oct 9 in the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, Oct 13 in the Northern Plains, Oct 16 in the California, Oct 20 in the Desert Southwest, Oct 20 in the Mid-Atlantic, Oct 25 in the Southeast Appalachia, Oct 26 in the Capital Region, Oct 29 in the Central Midwest, Nov 1 in the Ohio Valley, Nov 6 in the Southern Plains and Nov 16 in the Gulf South. Inside any region the high ground goes first and the low ground last, which is why every state page carries a county-by-county map rather than one date.
Where is fall foliage peaking right now?
As of Oct 12, 72 of the parks and forests we forecast are at peak, among them Toiyabe National Forest, Dixie National Forest, San Juan National Forest and Coconino National Forest. Willamette National Forest is next, around Oct 20. The weekend report names where color is at peak this weekend, region by region.
Is fall foliage early or late this year?
Across the 48 states with a September temperature reading, this autumn runs about 3 days late, latest in Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky and earliest in Washington. That shift is already in every date on this map. It’s a real signal but a modest one: temperature explains under a tenth of how much peak moves year to year.
Where’s the best leaf peeping this weekend, Oct 17 to Oct 18?
At peak this weekend: Toiyabe National Forest, George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and Willamette National Forest. The weekend report ranks every region on Friday, and the map above lets you scrub to any day of the season.
Is there a fall foliage map for my state?
Yes, one for each of the 48 states in the lower 48, listed above with the date its middle turns. Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin call it a fall color map, New Hampshire calls it a foliage tracker, and every one has its county map as a picture you can save or embed.
How is this map made?
From the trees, not the latitude: the species in every county and every park, its elevation, this September’s weather, live forest cameras, reports from the ground and a decade of our own frames from the field. How this map is made shows the working, including what it got wrong.
