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Forecast issued Nov 9, 7:48am ET

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Wilderness Area·Virginia, West Virginia·16,585 acres

Mountain Lake Wilderness

Forecast issued Nov 9, 7:48am ET

Peak colorOct 17Aim for Oct 16 to 19
In the wilderness today, Nov 9Leaves down
SepOctNov

Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.

Weather Hard frost Friday night. Peak may come early and go fast.

No new reports from the ground here this week.

I-81I-64I-77I-19PembrokeBlacksburgRoanokeChristiansburgRadfordCave SpringHollinsPulaskiGeorge Washington and Jeffersonpeak Oct 25New River Gorgepeak Oct 22Blue Ridge Parkwaypeak Oct 20Monongahelapeak Oct 14Mountain Lake Wilderness
I-81I-64I-77I-220PembrokeBlacksburgChristiansburgSalemPulaskiDublinFairleaPrincetonGeorge Washington and Jeffersonpeak Oct 25New River Gorgepeak Oct 22Blue Ridge Parkwaypeak Oct 20Monongahelapeak Oct 14Mountain Lake Wilderness
Still greenStartingNearly peakPeakPast peakNo fall canopy we forecastInside the line, each band of elevation is painted on its own date.
Around Mountain Lake Wilderness Craig County holds most of the wilderness and is fading today. That’s the county as a whole, which peaks 6 days later than the wilderness’s own stands: the wilderness is leaves down. Giles County, to the southwest, is 6 days ahead. Monroe County, to the northwest, is 1 day ahead.
Mountain Lake Wilderness fall foliage map 2026: the place and the counties around it painted by how far along their color is on Nov 9. Peak forecast around Oct 17, best Oct 16 to 19.
Save or share this mapToday’s Mountain Lake Wilderness fall foliage map as a picture, redrawn every morning. Free to reuse with credit to More Than Just Parks and a link back; the terms.Save the mapPin itFacebookXEmail

When is peak fall foliage at Mountain Lake Wilderness in 2026?

Our forecast puts peak color at Mountain Lake Wilderness around Oct 17, and the four days to aim for are Oct 16 to 19.

The wilderness runs from about 2,042 to 3,850 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 9 days: the high stands around Oct 12, the low ground around Oct 19. That's 1 day later than our model alone would say, because this season's reports from the ground moved it.

Mountain Lake Wilderness, fall color week by week, 2026
WeekIn the wildernessElevation at peak
Sep 28 to Oct 4Starting to turn
Oct 5 to Oct 11Nearly peak
Oct 12 to Oct 18Peak color2,500 to 3,000 ft, 3,000 to 3,500 ft, 3,500 to 4,000 ft
Oct 19 to Oct 25Peak color2,000 to 2,500 ft
Oct 26 to Nov 1Just past peak
By elevation The wilderness runs from about 2,042 to 3,850 feet. That’s 9 days of season between the top and the bottom: the high stands peak around Oct 12, the low ground holds until about Oct 19, and the color comes downhill in between. The date at the top of this page is the 2,500 to 3,000 foot band.
  1. 3,500–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1218%
  2. 3,000–3,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1523%
  3. 2,500–3,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1726%
  4. 2,000–2,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1930%

Height off 3DEP inside the wilderness’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the wilderness stands in it.

The latest daylight frame from the NEON.D07.MLBS.DP1.00033 camera, 6 km from Mountain Lake Wilderness
Latest daylight frame PhenoCam Network, Mountain Lake Biological Station camera, 6 km away, captured Nov 8.

That’s 1 day later than our model alone would say. This season’s reports from the ground moved it, and they outrank us.

Plan this trip

If 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 16 to Saturday, October 17

You’ll find it just past peak up high, nearly peak lower down.

Up at 3,500 feet the stands peak around Oct 12; down at 2,500 feet they hold on until about Oct 19. Pick your elevation for the day you come.

  • 3,500–4,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 12
  • 3,000–3,500 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 15
  • 2,500–3,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 17
  • 2,000–2,500 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 19
Where to drive
Highland Scenic Highway (Route 150), about 65 miles · Route 39 (Goshen Pass), about 66 miles · Skyline Drive, about 138 miles
What turns
northern red oak, white oak, red maple, shagbark hickory, sugar maple

What turns, and when

Also named across Virginia, outside what the canopy read measures here: Tulip Poplar, Sourwood.

Shenandoah's overlooks reveal a warm mosaic of gold tulip poplars, scarlet maples, bronze hickories, and the deep wine of white oaks stretching along the Blue Ridge.

Questions people ask about Mountain Lake Wilderness

When is peak fall foliage at Mountain Lake Wilderness?

Our forecast puts peak color at Mountain Lake Wilderness around Oct 17, and the four days to aim for are Oct 16 to 19.

Where is the best fall color at Mountain Lake Wilderness right now?

On Nov 9 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 2,000 to 2,500 feet, around Oct 19.

How long does peak last at Mountain Lake Wilderness?

About four days at the top, Oct 16 to 19, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 9 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 13 days.

Is Mountain Lake Wilderness past peak?

Yes. Peak was around Oct 17, and on Nov 9 it's leaves down.

What trees turn color at Mountain Lake Wilderness?

Red Maple, Tulip Poplar, White Oak, Hickory, Sourwood. Shenandoah's overlooks reveal a warm mosaic of gold tulip poplars, scarlet maples, bronze hickories, and the deep wine of white oaks stretching along the Blue Ridge.

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

All of Virginia

Nearby, and when they turn

George Washington and Jefferson and New River Gorge are on the map above, with their own date.

  1. Bluestone National Scenic RiverWV · about 30 miles
    Peak Oct 23 best Oct 22 to 25
  2. Cranberry WildernessWV · about 62 miles
    Peak Oct 14 best Oct 13 to 16
  3. Gauley River National Recreation AreaWV · about 62 miles
    Peak Oct 24 best Oct 23 to 26
  4. Mount Rogers National Recreation AreaVA · about 70 miles
    Peak Oct 24 best Oct 23 to 26

Fall color roads near Mountain Lake Wilderness

Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the wilderness, so allow more by road.

  • Highland Scenic Highway (Route 150) · about 65 miles, WV · 22 miles of road

    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.

  • Route 39 (Goshen Pass) · about 66 miles, VA · 18 miles of road

    A quiet Valley of Virginia gem that follows the Maury River through a gorge of red oaks and hemlocks.

  • Skyline Drive · about 138 miles, VA · 105 miles of road

    The full length of Shenandoah National Park from Front Royal to Rockfish Gap. 75 overlooks in 105 miles. Best in mid-to-late October.

  • Blue Ridge Parkway (NC Section) · about 147 miles, NC · 252 miles of road

    Mile markers 217 to 469. The highest and most dramatic section. Waterrock Knob, Craggy Gardens, and Graveyard Fields are must-stop overlooks.