National Recreation Area·West Virginia·99,824 acres
Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area
Forecast issued Nov 11, 7:48am 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 Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area around Oct 16, and the four days to aim for are Oct 15 to 18.
The recreation area runs from about 1,279 to 4,040 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 13 days: the high stands around Oct 9, the low ground around Oct 22. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 5,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | 2,000 to 3,000 ft, 3,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak | 1,000 to 2,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak |
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 95%
- 3,000–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1319%
- 2,000–3,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1838%
- 1,000–2,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2238%
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.
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 15 to Friday, October 16
You’ll find it just past peak up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 3,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 13; down at 2,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 22. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 3,000–4,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 13
- 2,000–3,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 18
- 1,000–2,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 22
- Where to drive
- Skyline Drive, about 55 miles · Highland Scenic Highway (Route 150), about 56 miles · Route 39 (Goshen Pass), about 65 miles
- What turns
- northern red oak, white oak, red maple, shagbark hickory, sugar maple
What turns, and when
- northern red oak28%
- white oak25%
- red maple21%
- shagbark hickory14%
- sugar maple5%
- blackgum4%
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 Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area
- When is peak fall foliage at Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area?
Our forecast puts peak color at Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area around Oct 16, and the four days to aim for are Oct 15 to 18.
- Where is the best fall color at Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area right now?
On Nov 11 the recreation area is leaves down. The last band to peak was 1,000 to 2,000 feet, around Oct 22.
- How long does peak last at Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area?
About four days at the top, Oct 15 to 18, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the recreation area's elevations the color moves over about 13 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 17 days.
- Is Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 16, and on Nov 11 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks 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
Monongahela and Shenandoah and Cranberry Wilderness and George Washington and Jefferson are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 24 best Oct 23 to 26
- Peak Oct 29 best Oct 28 to 31
Fall color roads near Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the recreation area, so allow more by road.
- 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.
- 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.