Pennsylvania Fall Foliage 2026
The northern tier—Allegheny National Forest, the Pennsylvania Wilds—peaks in early October while the Poconos and Laurel Highlands follow mid-month. The southeast corner, including Bucks and Chester counties, holds color until late October. Sugar maple, red maple and birch dominate the higher ground; oak and tulip poplar anchor the valleys. This elevation spread gives you two full weeks to work different zones.
When Pennsylvania peaks
Oct 7 – Oct 15
Centered on Oct 11. The northern tier peaks in early October; the southeast corner waits until the end of the month.
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
- sugar maple
- red maple
- oak
- birch
- tulip poplar
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 11Typical color progression for Pennsylvania. No change from Sep 3 to Sep 20. First color from Sep 20 to Sep 29. Approaching peak from Sep 29 to Oct 7. Peak from Oct 7 to Oct 15. Past peak from Oct 15 to Oct 25. Bare from Oct 25 to Nov 8.
Color starts around Sep 20.
Peak by elevation
15 days between the ridges and the valleys. County maps average this away, which is how you miss peak at the right place.
| Elevation band | Approx. elevation | Typical peak | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| High ridges & passes | 4,100 ft | Oct 2 | No change |
| Mid elevation | 1,600 ft | Oct 11 | No change |
| Valleys & lowlands | 0 ft | Oct 17 | 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
Pennsylvania on October 11, the day it typically peaks. Knowing when color arrives is one thing. Knowing where the sun will be is another.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:50 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 99° | 7:18 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 37 min of low, warm light | 7:55 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:58 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 37 min before sunset | 6:00 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 261° | 6:37 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:05 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 19m · 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 Pennsylvania
7 researched locations, earliest peak first.
- Leonard Harrison Overlook No change
Pine Creek Gorge · 1,826 ft · peaks Oct 9
The east rim of Pine Creek Gorge stands 800 feet above the water, with the opposite wall and a bend of Pine Creek filling the frame. Morning sun front-lights the west rim and valley fog often sits in the gorge below the railing.
- Mount Davis Observation Tower No change
Allegheny Mountains · 3,213 ft · peaks Oct 9
Pennsylvania's highest ground is a flat plateau of scrub oak and blueberry with a steel tower that clears the canopy. From the platform the color runs across Somerset County ridges in every direction, so the tower is the only way to get above the trees.
- Canyon Vista, Worlds End No change
Loyalsock Canyon · 1,750 ft · peaks Oct 10
A drive-up ledge about 800 feet above Loyalsock Creek, looking northwest down a steep hardwood valley with hemlock stringers in the draws. The Rock Garden boulder field sits a short distance up the same road when you want foreground.
- Colton Point Overlook No change
Pine Creek Gorge · 1,684 ft · peaks Oct 10
The quieter west rim sits 142 feet lower than Leonard Harrison and looks east across the gorge at the promontory the crowds are standing on. Evening light hits the east wall square, and the CCC stone overlooks give a built foreground.
- Ganoga Falls, Ricketts Glen No change
Endless Mountains · 1,939 ft · peaks Oct 10
A 94-foot curtain of water drops through a hemlock ravine where sugar maple and yellow birch lean over Kitchen Creek. Wet shale and constant spray keep the rock dark, so leaf color reads strongest under flat cloud cover.
- Baughman Rock Overlook No change
Laurel Highlands · 2,012 ft · peaks Oct 13
A sandstone ledge roughly 780 feet above the Youghiogheny gorge, looking east up-river at Ohiopyle's forested walls. The exposed slab works as foreground and nothing blocks the drop from the lens to the river.
- Hawk Mountain North Lookout No change
Kittatinny Ridge · 1,521 ft · peaks Oct 13
Boulder seating on the ridge crest with a 200-degree view north over the Kettle and the ridges beyond it. Migrating raptors cross at eye level through October, which is the reason to carry the long lens up.
Recent reports from Pennsylvania
Report what you sawCommon questions
- When do the leaves change in Pennsylvania?
- Pennsylvania typically peaks Oct 7 – Oct 15, centered on Oct 11. The northern tier peaks in early October; the southeast corner waits until the end of the month. These are typical dates from a latitude and elevation model, not a live reading of this year's canopy.
- Does elevation change when fall color peaks in Pennsylvania?
- Yes, by about 15 days. High ground around 4,100 ft peaks near Oct 2, while valleys near 0 ft wait until Oct 17. Peak moves roughly 3.5 days earlier for every 1,000 feet you climb, so if you miss it low you can often drive up and find it.
- Where are the best places to see fall color in Pennsylvania?
- We track 7 verified locations in Pennsylvania, including Leonard Harrison Overlook, Mount Davis Observation Tower, Canyon Vista, Worlds End. Leonard Harrison Overlook turns first, around Oct 9, and Hawk Mountain North Lookout is last, around Oct 13. Each has real coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.
- What trees turn color in Pennsylvania?
- Mainly sugar maple, red maple, oak, birch, tulip poplar. 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.