National Scenic River·West Virginia·3,035 acres
Bluestone National Scenic River
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
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.
When is peak fall foliage at Bluestone National Scenic River in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Bluestone National Scenic River around Oct 23, and the four days to aim for are Oct 22 to 25.
The river runs from about 1,443 to 2,340 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 4 days: the high stands around Oct 22, the low ground around Oct 26. That's 4 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the river | 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 | 1,500 to 1,750 ft, 1,750 to 2,000 ft, 2,000 to 2,250 ft, 2,250 to 2,500 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak | 1,250 to 1,500 ft |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Just past peak |
- 2,250–2,500 ftFadingpeak Oct 2212%
- 2,000–2,250 ftFadingpeak Oct 2319%
- 1,750–2,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2424%
- 1,500–1,750 ftFadingpeak Oct 2529%
- 1,250–1,500 ftFadingpeak Oct 2616%
Height off 3DEP inside the river’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the river 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.
Thursday, October 22 to Friday, October 23
You’ll find it peak color up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 2,250 feet the stands peak around Oct 22; down at 1,500 feet they hold on until about Oct 26. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 2,250–2,500 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 22
- 2,000–2,250 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 23
- 1,750–2,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 24
- 1,500–1,750 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 25
- 1,250–1,500 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 26
- Where to drive
- Highland Scenic Highway (Route 150), about 69 miles · Route 39 (Goshen Pass), about 86 miles · Blue Ridge Parkway (NC Section), about 140 miles
- What turns
- white oak, northern red oak, red maple, shagbark hickory, blackgum
What turns, and when
- white oak30%
- northern red oak20%
- red maple20%
- shagbark hickory10%
- blackgum5%
- tulip poplar5%
Also named across West Virginia, outside what the canopy read measures here: Sugar Maple, American Beech.
West Virginia is almost entirely forested, and when the sugar maples, oaks, and tulip poplars turn, the entire state becomes a continuous canopy of orange, gold, burgundy, and bronze.
Questions people ask about Bluestone National Scenic River
- When is peak fall foliage at Bluestone National Scenic River?
Our forecast puts peak color at Bluestone National Scenic River around Oct 23, and the four days to aim for are Oct 22 to 25.
- Where is the best fall color at Bluestone National Scenic River right now?
On Nov 10 the river is fading. The last band to peak was 1,250 to 1,500 feet, around Oct 26.
- How long does peak last at Bluestone National Scenic River?
About four days at the top, Oct 22 to 25, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the river's elevations the color moves over about 4 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 8 days.
- Is Bluestone National Scenic River past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 23, and on Nov 10 it's fading.
- What trees turn color at Bluestone National Scenic River?
Sugar Maple, Red Maple, Red Oak, Tulip Poplar, American Beech. West Virginia is almost entirely forested, and when the sugar maples, oaks, and tulip poplars turn, the entire state becomes a continuous canopy of orange, gold, burgundy, and bronze.
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
Mountain Lake Wilderness and George Washington and Jefferson and Blue Ridge Parkway are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 24 best Oct 23 to 26
- Peak Oct 14 best Oct 13 to 16
- Peak Oct 24 best Oct 23 to 26
Fall color roads near Bluestone National Scenic River
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the river, so allow more by road.
- 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.
- Route 39 (Goshen Pass)
A quiet Valley of Virginia gem that follows the Maury River through a gorge of red oaks and hemlocks.
- Blue Ridge Parkway (NC Section)
Mile markers 217 to 469. The highest and most dramatic section. Waterrock Knob, Craggy Gardens, and Graveyard Fields are must-stop overlooks.