National Forest·Indiana·204,315 acres
Hoosier National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 9, 7:48am ET
Roadsides and wetland edges turn first, and the woods behind them run a few days later.
Weather Hard frost Thursday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Hoosier National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Hoosier National Forest around Oct 29, and the four days to aim for are Oct 28 to 31.
That's 5 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the forest |
|---|---|
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Starting to turn |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Nearly peak |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Peak color |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Just past peak |
That’s 5 days later than our model alone would say. This September has been running warm, which shifts peak color.
Plan this tripIf you can only come on certain days
Set the days you can be here. Everything under them answers for those days, not for peak.
Wednesday, October 28 to Thursday, October 29
You’ll find it peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- Where to drive
- Route 46 through Brown County, about 47 miles
- What turns
- white oak, red maple, northern red oak, shagbark hickory, blackgum
What turns, and when
- white oak30%
- red maple20%
- northern red oak19%
- shagbark hickory10%
- blackgum5%
- sweetgum5%
Also named across Indiana, outside what the canopy read measures here: Sugar Maple, Tulip Poplar, Sassafras.
Brown County's rolling hills of sugar maples turn vivid orange and scarlet, with sassafras adding electric orange and tulip poplars fading to clear gold in the hollows.
Across Indiana as a whole: Mid-October in the north, late October in Brown County and southern Indiana.
Questions people ask about Hoosier National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Hoosier National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Hoosier National Forest around Oct 29, and the four days to aim for are Oct 28 to 31.
- Where is the best fall color at Hoosier National Forest right now?
On Nov 9 the forest is just past peak.
- How long does peak last at Hoosier National Forest?
About four days at the top, Oct 28 to 31, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive.
- Is Hoosier National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 29, and on Nov 9 it's just past peak.
- What trees turn color at Hoosier National Forest?
Sugar Maple, Tulip Poplar, Red Oak, Hickory, Sassafras. Brown County's rolling hills of sugar maples turn vivid orange and scarlet, with sassafras adding electric orange and tulip poplars fading to clear gold in the hollows.
This forecast is built from the species that stand here, their elevation and this September’s weather, and corrected in season by cameras, foresters and our own crew. We score it here against 13 long-running forest cameras: two dates in three land within 9 days of the camera’s own peak. How this map is made
Nearby, and when they turn
- Peak Oct 21 best Oct 20 to 23
- Peak Nov 1 best Oct 31 to Nov 3
- Peak Nov 2 best Nov 1 to 4
- Peak Nov 4 best Nov 3 to 6
- Peak Oct 28 best Oct 27 to 30
- Peak Oct 31 best Oct 30 to Nov 2
Fall color roads near Hoosier National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, so allow more by road.
- Route 46 through Brown County
The heart of Indiana's Little Smokies. Brown County State Park and the artist colony of Nashville are the anchors. Peak is usually the last two weeks of October.