Nebraska Fall Foliage 2026
In a typical season, Nebraska’s peak centers on October 12, 2026. High ground near 1,350 feet typically peaks around October 12, while valleys near 1,000 feet peak around October 13. Plan the Missouri River bluffs and Pine Ridge in the northwest, with eastern river corridors extending into mid-to-late October.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
When Nebraska peaks
Oct 8 – Oct 16
Centered on Oct 12. Mid-to-late October along the eastern river corridors.
low confidence. Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Where peak usually lands. Drought or an early freeze moves it by a few days. Method
What turns here
- cottonwood
- oak
- ash
- sumac
Yellows show up every year. Reds need sunny days and cool, frost-free nights. A bad year takes those first.
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 12Typical color progression for Nebraska. No change from Sep 4 to Sep 21. First color from Sep 21 to Sep 30. Approaching peak from Sep 30 to Oct 8. Peak from Oct 8 to Oct 16. Past peak from Oct 16 to Oct 26. Bare from Oct 26 to Nov 9.
Nebraska is typically at no change on this date.
Nebraska by county
18 days from Sioux County to Richardson County.
Tap a location marker for coordinates and light times. Where peak usually lands. Boundaries: US Census, 2023. Elevation: USGS 3DEP + SRTM. Method
Every county, as text
| County | Typical peak | Stage today | Median elev. | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | Oct 8 – Oct 16 | No change | 1,923 ft | 0 days |
| Antelope County | Oct 4 – Oct 12 | First color | 1,870 ft | 0 days |
| Arthur County | Sep 30 – Oct 8 | First color | 3,604 ft | 1 days |
| Banner County | Sep 26 – Oct 4 | First color | 4,705 ft | 3 days |
| Blaine County | Oct 2 – Oct 10 | First color | 2,671 ft | 1 days |
| Boone County | Oct 5 – Oct 13 | No change | 1,875 ft | 1 days |
| Box Butte County | Sep 26 – Oct 4 | First color | 4,138 ft | 2 days |
| Boyd County | Oct 2 – Oct 10 | First color | 1,822 ft | 1 days |
| Brown County | Oct 1 – Oct 9 | First color | 2,600 ft | 1 days |
| Buffalo County | Oct 6 – Oct 14 | No change | 2,176 ft | 1 days |
| Burt County | Oct 7 – Oct 15 | No change | 1,291 ft | 1 days |
| Butler County | Oct 8 – Oct 16 | No change | 1,579 ft | 1 days |
| Cass County | Oct 10 – Oct 18 | No change | 1,207 ft | 1 days |
| Cedar County | Oct 4 – Oct 12 | First color | 1,504 ft | 1 days |
| Chase County | Oct 3 – Oct 11 | First color | 3,342 ft | 1 days |
| Cherry County | Sep 29 – Oct 7 | First color | 3,228 ft | 3 days |
| Cheyenne County | Sep 28 – Oct 6 | First color | 4,291 ft | 2 days |
| Clay County | Oct 9 – Oct 17 | No change | 1,750 ft | 1 days |
| Colfax County | Oct 7 – Oct 15 | No change | 1,481 ft | 0 days |
| Cuming County | Oct 6 – Oct 14 | No change | 1,400 ft | 1 days |
| Custer County | Oct 4 – Oct 12 | First color | 2,616 ft | 1 days |
| Dakota County | Oct 5 – Oct 13 | No change | 1,309 ft | 1 days |
| Dawes County | Sep 26 – Oct 4 | First color | 3,890 ft | 3 days |
| Dawson County | Oct 5 – Oct 13 | No change | 2,503 ft | 2 days |
| Deuel County | Sep 30 – Oct 8 | First color | 3,712 ft | 1 days |
| Dixon County | Oct 5 – Oct 13 | No change | 1,462 ft | 1 days |
| Dodge County | Oct 8 – Oct 16 | No change | 1,297 ft | 1 days |
| Douglas County | Oct 9 – Oct 17 | No change | 1,166 ft | 1 days |
| Dundy County | Oct 4 – Oct 12 | First color | 3,207 ft | 1 days |
| Fillmore County | Oct 9 – Oct 17 | No change | 1,614 ft | 0 days |
| Franklin County | Oct 9 – Oct 17 | No change | 2,023 ft | 1 days |
| Frontier County | Oct 5 – Oct 13 | No change | 2,703 ft | 1 days |
| Furnas County | Oct 8 – Oct 16 | No change | 2,321 ft | 1 days |
| Gage County | Oct 11 – Oct 19 | No change | 1,360 ft | 0 days |
| Garden County | Sep 28 – Oct 6 | First color | 3,855 ft | 1 days |
| Garfield County | Oct 4 – Oct 12 | First color | 2,237 ft | 1 days |
| Gosper County | Oct 6 – Oct 14 | No change | 2,454 ft | 1 days |
| Grant County | Sep 28 – Oct 6 | First color | 3,774 ft | 1 days |
| Greeley County | Oct 5 – Oct 13 | No change | 2,038 ft | 0 days |
| Hall County | Oct 7 – Oct 15 | No change | 1,955 ft | 0 days |
| Hamilton County | Oct 8 – Oct 16 | No change | 1,795 ft | 1 days |
| Harlan County | Oct 8 – Oct 16 | No change | 2,083 ft | 1 days |
| Hayes County | Oct 5 – Oct 13 | No change | 2,925 ft | 1 days |
| Hitchcock County | Oct 6 – Oct 14 | No change | 2,897 ft | 1 days |
| Holt County | Oct 3 – Oct 11 | First color | 2,017 ft | 2 days |
| Hooker County | Sep 29 – Oct 7 | First color | 3,431 ft | 1 days |
| Howard County | Oct 6 – Oct 14 | No change | 1,902 ft | 1 days |
| Jefferson County | Oct 11 – Oct 19 | No change | 1,450 ft | 1 days |
| Johnson County | Oct 11 – Oct 19 | No change | 1,260 ft | 1 days |
| Kearney County | Oct 7 – Oct 15 | No change | 2,167 ft | 0 days |
| Keith County | Oct 2 – Oct 10 | First color | 3,313 ft | 1 days |
| Keya Paha County | Oct 1 – Oct 9 | First color | 2,358 ft | 2 days |
| Kimball County | Sep 26 – Oct 4 | First color | 4,863 ft | 2 days |
| Knox County | Oct 4 – Oct 12 | First color | 1,665 ft | 1 days |
| Lancaster County | Oct 9 – Oct 17 | No change | 1,363 ft | 1 days |
| Lincoln County | Oct 4 – Oct 12 | First color | 2,882 ft | 1 days |
| Logan County | Oct 2 – Oct 10 | First color | 3,017 ft | 1 days |
| Loup County | Oct 3 – Oct 11 | First color | 2,394 ft | 1 days |
| Madison County | Oct 5 – Oct 13 | No change | 1,729 ft | 1 days |
| McPherson County | Oct 1 – Oct 9 | First color | 3,308 ft | 1 days |
| Merrick County | Oct 7 – Oct 15 | No change | 1,705 ft | 0 days |
| Morrill County | Sep 28 – Oct 6 | First color | 4,009 ft | 2 days |
| Nance County | Oct 7 – Oct 15 | No change | 1,720 ft | 1 days |
| Nemaha County | Oct 11 – Oct 19 | No change | 1,051 ft | 1 days |
| Nuckolls County | Oct 10 – Oct 18 | No change | 1,673 ft | 0 days |
| Otoe County | Oct 10 – Oct 18 | No change | 1,191 ft | 1 days |
| Pawnee County | Oct 11 – Oct 19 | No change | 1,259 ft | 1 days |
| Perkins County | Oct 2 – Oct 10 | First color | 3,395 ft | 0 days |
| Phelps County | Oct 7 – Oct 15 | No change | 2,336 ft | 1 days |
| Pierce County | Oct 5 – Oct 13 | No change | 1,701 ft | 1 days |
| Platte County | Oct 6 – Oct 14 | No change | 1,647 ft | 1 days |
| Polk County | Oct 7 – Oct 15 | No change | 1,649 ft | 1 days |
| Red Willow County | Oct 7 – Oct 15 | No change | 2,529 ft | 1 days |
| Richardson County | Oct 12 – Oct 20 | No change | 989 ft | 1 days |
| Rock County | Oct 1 – Oct 9 | First color | 2,467 ft | 1 days |
| Saline County | Oct 10 – Oct 18 | No change | 1,465 ft | 1 days |
| Sarpy County | Oct 9 – Oct 17 | No change | 1,083 ft | 1 days |
| Saunders County | Oct 8 – Oct 16 | No change | 1,295 ft | 1 days |
| Scotts Bluff County | Sep 27 – Oct 5 | First color | 4,046 ft | 2 days |
| Seward County | Oct 9 – Oct 17 | No change | 1,504 ft | 1 days |
| Sheridan County | Sep 26 – Oct 4 | First color | 3,875 ft | 1 days |
| Sherman County | Oct 6 – Oct 14 | No change | 2,133 ft | 1 days |
| Sioux County | Sep 24 – Oct 2 | Approaching peak | 4,556 ft | 3 days |
| Stanton County | Oct 6 – Oct 14 | No change | 1,593 ft | 1 days |
| Thayer County | Oct 10 – Oct 18 | No change | 1,552 ft | 1 days |
| Thomas County | Oct 1 – Oct 9 | First color | 2,988 ft | 2 days |
| Thurston County | Oct 6 – Oct 14 | No change | 1,330 ft | 0 days |
| Valley County | Oct 5 – Oct 13 | No change | 2,183 ft | 1 days |
| Washington County | Oct 8 – Oct 16 | No change | 1,278 ft | 2 days |
| Wayne County | Oct 5 – Oct 13 | No change | 1,610 ft | 1 days |
| Webster County | Oct 9 – Oct 17 | No change | 1,882 ft | 1 days |
| Wheeler County | Oct 4 – Oct 12 | First color | 2,110 ft | 0 days |
| York County | Oct 8 – Oct 16 | No change | 1,642 ft | 0 days |
Peak by elevation
1 day between the ridges and the valleys below them. The county map above averages that away.
| Elevation band | Approx. elevation | Typical peak | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| High ridges & passes | 1,350 ft | Oct 12 | No change |
| Mid elevation | 1,200 ft | Oct 12 | No change |
| Valleys & lowlands | 1,000 ft | Oct 13 | No change |
Foliage stages
- No change 0–10%
- First color 10–25%
- Approaching peak 25–60%
- Peak 60–90%
- Past peak 40–70%, dropping
- Bare <20%
Light at peak
Nebraska on October 12, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:05 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 99° | 7:32 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 37 min of low, warm light | 8:10 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:11 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 37 min before sunset | 6:11 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 261° | 6:48 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:16 PM |
Times in America/Chicago · day length 11h 16m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises E, sets W.
Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.
Location pages name the light directly.
Where to shoot in Nebraska
3 researched locations, earliest peak first.
- Smith Falls State Park First color
Niobrara National Scenic River · 2,375 ft · peaks Oct 4
Nebraska's tallest waterfall, a 63-foot spring-fed drop into a cool side canyon off the Niobrara. The canyon holds Ice Age relict paper birch and spruce left behind when the glaciers retreated, so the palette here is birch gold against dark conifer rather than the oak rust the rest of the state turns.
- Fontenelle Forest Boardwalk No change
Missouri River bluffs · 1,160 ft · peaks Oct 13
Oak savanna and bluff hardwood fifteen minutes from downtown Omaha, with a mile of raised boardwalk running out through the canopy. Flat light suits a closed canopy, and the boardwalk gives a clean receding line that a leaf-covered forest floor never does.
- Indian Cave State Park No change
Missouri River bluffs · 944 ft · peaks Oct 16
Three thousand acres of loess bluff forest above the Missouri, steep enough to surprise anyone who expects Nebraska to be flat. The park carries flora of southern affinities, so bur oak and hickory hold the dry ridges while basswood fills the draws and the color arrives in layers rather than all at once.
Recent reports from Nebraska
Report what you sawCommon questions
- When do the leaves change in Nebraska?
- Nebraska typically peaks Oct 8 – Oct 16, centered on Oct 12. Mid-to-late October along the eastern river corridors. These are typical dates from a latitude and elevation model; current conditions may differ.
- Where are the best places to see fall color in Nebraska?
- The guide includes 3 researched locations in Nebraska, including Smith Falls State Park, Fontenelle Forest Boardwalk, Indian Cave State Park. Smith Falls State Park turns first, around Oct 4, and Indian Cave State Park is last, around Oct 16. Each includes coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.
- What trees turn color in Nebraska?
- Mainly cottonwood, oak, ash, sumac. Yellows and oranges come from carotenoids that are already in the leaf, so they show up every year. Reds are made fresh each autumn and need warm sunny days with cool, frost-free nights, which is why a dry summer or a warm September produces a duller year.