National Forest·Ohio·243,092 acres
Wayne National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
Roadsides and wetland edges turn first, and the woods behind them run a few days later.
Weather Hard frost Friday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Wayne National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Wayne National Forest around Oct 24, and the four days to aim for are Oct 23 to 26.
The forest runs from about 643 to 1,034 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 2 days: the high stands around Oct 23, the low ground around Oct 25. That's 4 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Nearly peak | |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Peak color | 500 to 750 ft, 750 to 1,000 ft, 1,000 to 1,250 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Peak color | |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Just past peak |
- 1,000–1,250 ftFadingpeak Oct 2310%
- 750–1,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2468%
- 500–750 ftFadingpeak Oct 2522%
Height off 3DEP inside the forest’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the forest stands in it.
That’s 4 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.
Friday, October 23 to Saturday, October 24
You’ll find it peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- 1,000–1,250 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 23
- 750–1,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 24
- 500–750 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 25
- Where to drive
- Hocking Hills Scenic Byway (Route 374), about 30 miles · Highland Scenic Highway (Route 150), about 124 miles
- What turns
- white oak, red maple, northern red oak, shagbark hickory, tulip poplar
What turns, and when
- white oak30%
- red maple20%
- northern red oak19%
- shagbark hickory10%
- tulip poplar5%
- sweetgum5%
Also named across Ohio, outside what the canopy read measures here: Sugar Maple, American Beech.
Hocking Hills' sandstone gorges frame sugar maples in vivid orange, red oaks turn deep burgundy across the unglaciated Appalachian Plateau, and beeches fade to bronze in the ravines.
Questions people ask about Wayne National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Wayne National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Wayne National Forest around Oct 24, and the four days to aim for are Oct 23 to 26.
- Where is the best fall color at Wayne National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is fading. The last band to peak was 500 to 750 feet, around Oct 25.
- How long does peak last at Wayne National Forest?
About four days at the top, Oct 23 to 26, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 2 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 6 days.
- Is Wayne National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 24, and on Nov 10 it's fading.
- What trees turn color at Wayne National Forest?
Sugar Maple, Red Oak, White Oak, Hickory, American Beech. Hocking Hills' sandstone gorges frame sugar maples in vivid orange, red oaks turn deep burgundy across the unglaciated Appalachian Plateau, and beeches fade to bronze in the ravines.
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 16 long-running forest cameras: two dates in three land within 7 days of the camera’s own peak. How this map is made
Nearby, and when they turn
- Peak Oct 24 best Oct 23 to 26
- Peak Oct 22 best Oct 21 to 24
- Peak Oct 14 best Oct 13 to 16
- Peak Oct 23 best Oct 22 to 25
- Peak Oct 14 best Oct 13 to 16
- Peak Oct 20 best Oct 19 to 22
Fall color roads near Wayne National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, so allow more by road.
- Hocking Hills Scenic Byway (Route 374)
Winds through the sandstone gorges of Hocking Hills. Old Man's Cave and Ash Cave are stunning framed by fall maples.
- Highland Scenic Highway (Route 150)
Runs along the crest of the Allegheny Mountains above 4,000 feet. One of the least-visited and most beautiful fall drives in the eastern US.