National Park·West Virginia·52,890 acres
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
Photograph: More Than Just Parks
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 New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve around Oct 22, and the four days to aim for are Oct 21 to 24.
The park runs from about 1,239 to 2,814 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 7 days: the high stands around Oct 19, 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 park | 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 2,000 ft, 2,000 to 2,500 ft, 2,500 to 3,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak | 1,000 to 1,500 ft |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Just past peak |
- 2,500–3,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1926%
- 2,000–2,500 ftFadingpeak Oct 2128%
- 1,500–2,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2331%
- 1,000–1,500 ftFadingpeak Oct 2615%
Height off 3DEP inside the park’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the park 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.
Wednesday, October 21 to Thursday, October 22
You’ll find it just past peak up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 2,500 feet the stands peak around Oct 19; down at 1,500 feet they hold on until about Oct 26. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 2,500–3,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 19
- 2,000–2,500 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 21
- 1,500–2,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 23
- 1,000–1,500 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 26
- Where to drive
- Highland Scenic Highway (Route 150), about 58 miles · Route 39 (Goshen Pass), about 85 miles · Hocking Hills Scenic Byway (Route 374), about 135 miles
- What turns
- white oak, northern red oak, red maple, shagbark hickory, blackgum
What turns, and when
- white oak30%
- northern red oak23%
- red maple19%
- shagbark hickory11%
- blackgum4%
- tulip poplar4%
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 New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
- When is peak fall foliage at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve?
Our forecast puts peak color at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve around Oct 22, and the four days to aim for are Oct 21 to 24.
- Where is the best fall color at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve right now?
On Nov 10 the park is fading. The last band to peak was 1,000 to 1,500 feet, around Oct 26.
- How long does peak last at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve?
About four days at the top, Oct 21 to 24, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the park's elevations the color moves over about 7 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 11 days.
- Is New River Gorge National Park and Preserve past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 22, and on Nov 10 it's fading.
- What trees turn color at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve?
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 Cranberry Wilderness and George Washington and Jefferson and Monongahela are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 24 best Oct 23 to 26
- Peak Oct 20 best Oct 19 to 22
Fall color roads near New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the park, 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.