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Fall Photo Guide

Fall foliage by state

All 50 states, earliest peak first. Color moves 50–100 miles south a week, and downhill as it goes.

Peak fall foliage dates by state, earliest first
State Typical peak Today Within the state
Alaska Sep 7 No change Interior Alaska peaks in the first half of September; the southcentral coast in late September.
Montana Sep 15 No change Aspen peaks late September; larch is a late-October into early-November event.
Wyoming Sep 16 No change The Tetons and high country peak in the last week of September; the basins in early October.
Washington Sep 17 No change Larch peaks in the second half of October; the Puget Sound lowlands in early November.
Idaho Sep 18 No change Sawtooth aspen peaks late September; Panhandle larch in late October.
Colorado Sep 20 No change Above 10,000 ft peaks in mid-September; the 8,000-ft valleys follow in early October.
South Dakota Sep 21 No change The Black Hills peak late September to mid-October; the eastern prairie in mid-October.
Utah Sep 23 No change The high Wasatch peaks late September; the canyons and Zion in mid-to-late October.
North Dakota Sep 24 No change Late September into the first week of October, statewide.
Nevada Sep 24 No change High aspen peaks late September to early October.
Minnesota Sep 26 No change The Arrowhead peaks in the last week of September; the Twin Cities and south in mid-October.
California Sep 27 No change Bishop Creek and the high Eastern Sierra peak late September; Yosemite Valley in late October into November.
New Mexico Sep 29 No change High aspen peaks late September to early October; the bosque cottonwoods in early November.
Michigan Sep 30 No change The western UP peaks around the start of October; the Detroit area lags by nearly a month.
Wisconsin Sep 30 No change Northern counties peak in the first week of October; Door County and the south run mid-to-late October.
Oregon Oct 1 No change The Cascades peak mid-October; the Willamette Valley in early November; eastern larch in late October.
Arizona Oct 2 No change The Flagstaff aspen belt peaks early October; Sedona and Oak Creek in late October to early November.
New Hampshire Oct 3 No change Notches and high passes peak in late September; the Lakes Region and seacoast hold on into mid-October.
Maine Oct 4 No change Aroostook and the North Woods peak late September; Acadia and the midcoast run mid-to-late October.
New York Oct 4 No change The Adirondacks peak in the last days of September; the Hudson Valley and Long Island run into late October.
Vermont Oct 5 No change The Northeast Kingdom turns roughly a week before the southern valleys; ridgelines lead the valley floors by 10–14 days.
Iowa Oct 10 No change Northeast bluffs peak in mid-October; southern Iowa about a week later.
Massachusetts Oct 11 No change The Berkshires lead Boston and the Cape by about two weeks.
Pennsylvania Oct 11 No change The northern tier peaks in early October; the southeast corner waits until the end of the month.
West Virginia Oct 12 No change The Allegheny highlands peak in early October, a full three weeks before the Ohio River valley.
Nebraska Oct 12 No change Mid-to-late October along the eastern river corridors.
Connecticut Oct 13 No change Northwest hills peak roughly a week before the shoreline.
Maryland Oct 13 No change Western mountains peak in early-to-mid October; the Eastern Shore is a November event.
Virginia Oct 13 No change Skyline Drive ridgetops peak mid-October; the Piedmont and Tidewater follow two to three weeks later.
New Jersey Oct 14 No change Northwest highlands lead the Pine Barrens by about two weeks.
Rhode Island Oct 15 No change Essentially one window statewide, in the back half of October.
Illinois Oct 15 No change Northern Illinois peaks mid-October; Shawnee in the south, late October.
North Carolina Oct 17 No change Above 5,000 ft peaks in early October; Asheville mid-to-late October; the foothills into early November.
Ohio Oct 18 No change Northeast Ohio peaks around mid-October; the southwest a week or so later.
Tennessee Oct 19 No change Newfound Gap and the high ridges peak in mid-October; Cades Cove and the valleys wait until the very end of the month.
Indiana Oct 19 No change Northern counties peak in mid-October, the Ohio River valley in late October.
Kansas Oct 19 No change A fairly compressed late-October window across the eastern third.
Delaware — No real season A single late-October to early-November window statewide.
Kentucky Oct 21 No change Eastern mountains peak mid-to-late October; the western Purchase region in early November.
Georgia Oct 23 No change The Blue Ridge corner peaks late October; Atlanta and south are early-to-mid November.
Missouri Oct 23 No change Northern Missouri peaks mid-October; the southern Ozarks late October into early November.
Arkansas Oct 24 No change The Ozark highlands peak in late October; the Delta lowlands in early-to-mid November.
South Carolina Oct 26 No change Upstate peaks late October; the Lowcountry barely registers a season.
Oklahoma Oct 27 No change The Ouachitas peak late October into early November; the western plains barely register.
Alabama Oct 28 No change Northeast corner peaks early November; the Gulf Coast effectively has no season.
Mississippi — No real season Northern hills early November; the coast late November if at all.
Louisiana — No real season Northern parishes early November; the swamps and coast late November.
Texas Nov 8 No change The Hill Country and Panhandle peak in early November; East Texas mid-November.
Florida — No real season Panhandle late November to early December. Everywhere else, no meaningful season.
Hawaii — No real season No fall foliage season.