National Forest·West Virginia·922,098 acres
Monongahela National Forest
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 Monongahela National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Monongahela National Forest around Oct 14, and the four days to aim for are Oct 13 to 16.
The forest runs from about 1,870 to 4,023 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 11 days: the high stands around Oct 10, the low ground around Oct 21. That's 3 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Nearly peak | 4,000 to 4,500 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | 2,000 to 2,500 ft, 2,500 to 3,000 ft, 3,000 to 3,500 ft, 3,500 to 4,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak | 1,500 to 2,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak |
- 4,000–4,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 106%
- 3,500–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1221%
- 3,000–3,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1424%
- 2,500–3,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1623%
- 2,000–2,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1818%
- 1,500–2,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 218%
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 3 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.
Tuesday, October 13 to Wednesday, October 14
You’ll find it peak color up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 3,500 feet the stands peak around Oct 12; down at 2,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 21. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 3,500–4,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 12
- 3,000–3,500 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 14
- 2,500–3,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 16
- 2,000–2,500 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 18
- 1,500–2,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 21
- Where to drive
- Highland Scenic Highway (Route 150), about 20 miles · Route 39 (Goshen Pass), about 49 miles · Skyline Drive, about 81 miles
- What turns
- northern red oak, red maple, white oak, shagbark hickory, sugar maple
What turns, and when
- northern red oak25%
- red maple23%
- white oak23%
- shagbark hickory12%
- sugar maple7%
- blackgum6%
Also named across West Virginia, outside what the canopy read measures here: 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.
Questions people ask about Monongahela National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Monongahela National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Monongahela National Forest around Oct 14, and the four days to aim for are Oct 13 to 16.
- Where is the best fall color at Monongahela National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 1,500 to 2,000 feet, around Oct 21.
- How long does peak last at Monongahela National Forest?
About four days at the top, Oct 13 to 16, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 11 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 15 days.
- Is Monongahela National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 14, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Monongahela National Forest?
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
George Washington and Jefferson and Shenandoah are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 14 best Oct 13 to 16
- Peak Oct 16 best Oct 15 to 18
- Peak Oct 24 best Oct 23 to 26
- Peak Oct 22 best Oct 21 to 24
Fall color roads near Monongahela National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, 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.
- 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.