Foliage map › Destinations › Iowa › Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Des Moines area peaks around October 19, with the best viewing from roughly October 18 to October 26.
- Typical peak
- October 19
- Best viewing
- Oct 18 – Oct 26
- Color starts
- Around Oct 7
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Nov 1
- Elevation
- 850 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 19. 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 Des Moines on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Des Moines
Des Moines’s color is in its parks and along its rivers. Gray’s Lake Park has a trail around the lake with views of downtown, and Water Works Park follows the Raccoon River. About 40 miles northwest, Ledges State Park has sandstone bluffs along Pea’s Creek and the Des Moines River.
Scenic drive
Head northwest from Des Moines toward Boone and Ledges State Park, where park roads and trails wind through the sandstone canyon. Nearby, the High Trestle Trail crosses the Des Moines River valley on a long, high bridge.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Nothing nearby turns earlier
None of the destinations we track within 150 miles of Des Moines typically peaks much earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Try these nearby
Omaha, NE (122 miles away) typically peaks about 5 days later.
Nearby destinations
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Des Moines?
In a typical year, fall color in the Des Moines area peaks around October 19, with the best viewing from roughly October 18 to October 26. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Des Moines?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around October 7, and most leaves are down by about November 1.
What trees color up around Des Moines?
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.