National Recreation Area·West Virginia·5,067 acres
Gauley River National Recreation Area
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 Thursday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Gauley River National Recreation Area in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Gauley River National Recreation Area around Oct 24, and the four days to aim for are Oct 23 to 26.
The recreation area runs from about 862 to 1,755 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 4 days: the high stands around Oct 23, the low ground around Oct 27. That's 4 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the recreation area | 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 | 1,000 to 1,250 ft, 1,250 to 1,500 ft, 1,500 to 1,750 ft, 1,750 to 2,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Peak color | 750 to 1,000 ft |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Just past peak |
- 1,750–2,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 236%
- 1,500–1,750 ftFadingpeak Oct 2328%
- 1,250–1,500 ftFadingpeak Oct 2432%
- 1,000–1,250 ftFadingpeak Oct 2522%
- 750–1,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2711%
Height off 3DEP inside the recreation area’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the recreation area stands in it.
That’s 4 days later than our model alone would say. This September has been running warm, which shifts peak color.
The place
The 25 miles of free-flowing Gauley River and the six miles of the Meadow River pass through scenic gorges and valleys containing a wide variety of natural and cultural features. The Gauley River contains several class V+ rapids, making it one of the most adventurous white water boating rivers in the east.
Established 1988.
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 23 to Saturday, October 24
You’ll find it peak color up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 1,500 feet the stands peak around Oct 23; down at 1,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 27. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 1,500–1,750 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 23
- 1,250–1,500 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 24
- 1,000–1,250 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 25
- 750–1,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 27
- Where to drive
- Highland Scenic Highway (Route 150), about 49 miles · Route 39 (Goshen Pass), about 86 miles · Hocking Hills Scenic Byway (Route 374), about 119 miles
- What turns
- white oak, red maple, northern red oak, shagbark hickory, tulip poplar
What turns, and when
- white oak29%
- red maple21%
- northern red oak17%
- shagbark hickory8%
- tulip poplar6%
- blackgum6%
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 Gauley River National Recreation Area
- When is peak fall foliage at Gauley River National Recreation Area?
Our forecast puts peak color at Gauley River National Recreation Area around Oct 24, and the four days to aim for are Oct 23 to 26.
- Where is the best fall color at Gauley River National Recreation Area right now?
On Nov 10 the recreation area is fading. The last band to peak was 750 to 1,000 feet, around Oct 27.
- How long does peak last at Gauley River National Recreation Area?
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 recreation area's elevations the color moves over about 4 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 8 days.
- Is Gauley River National Recreation Area past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 24, and on Nov 10 it's fading.
- What trees turn color at Gauley River National Recreation Area?
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
Cranberry Wilderness and George Washington and Jefferson and Monongahela are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 23 best Oct 22 to 25
- Peak Oct 17 best Oct 16 to 19
- Peak Oct 24 best Oct 23 to 26
Fall color roads near Gauley River National Recreation Area
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the recreation area, 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.
- 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.
- Skyline Drive
The full length of Shenandoah National Park from Front Royal to Rockfish Gap. 75 overlooks in 105 miles. Best in mid-to-late October.