Foliage map › Destinations › Illinois › Galena
Galena, Illinois fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Galena area peaks around October 16, with the best viewing from roughly October 15 to October 23.
- Typical peak
- October 16
- Best viewing
- Oct 15 – Oct 23
- Color starts
- Around Oct 4
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Oct 29
- Elevation
- 610 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 16. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s estimated status and the five-week outlook.
The season at a glance
Bar height shows how good the viewing typically is on each day, from September 1 through November 30. Colors show the stage, from green through peak red to bare.
Open Galena on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Galena
Galena sits in the hilly Driftless country of northwestern Illinois, its brick downtown from the 1800s climbing the bluffs above the Galena River. The surrounding hills are covered in oak, maple, and hickory, and just outside town the overlook at Horseshoe Mound looks out over the valley and the town below.
Scenic drive
The Stagecoach Trail follows the old stagecoach route east from Galena through rolling hills, small valleys, and farms toward Warren. To the south, the Great River Road follows the Mississippi down to Mississippi Palisades State Park near Savanna, where trails lead to overlooks on the limestone bluffs above the river.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head farther north
Decorah, IA (92 miles away, farther north) typically peaks about 5 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Try these nearby
Chicago, IL (148 miles away) typically peaks about 6 days later.
Nearby destinations
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Galena?
In a typical year, fall color in the Galena area peaks around October 16, with the best viewing from roughly October 15 to October 23. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Galena?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around October 4, and most leaves are down by about October 29.
What trees color up around Galena?
The main fall color in this area comes from sugar maple, northern red oak, bur oak, and shagbark hickory. See the leaf guide to identify them.
Estimates come from the Leaves.com model of typical years, based on latitude, elevation, and distance from large bodies of water. They are not live observations. How it works.