Foliage map › Destinations › Pennsylvania › Wellsboro
Wellsboro, Pennsylvania fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Wellsboro (Pine Creek Gorge) 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
- 1,310 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 Wellsboro on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Wellsboro
Wellsboro is the gateway to Pine Creek Gorge, often called the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. The gorge runs for about 47 miles and reaches about 1,450 feet deep at its deepest point. Near Wellsboro, two state parks sit on opposite rims about 800 feet above Pine Creek: Leonard Harrison State Park on the east rim, with the best-known views into the canyon, and Colton Point State Park on the west rim. At both parks, the steep Turkey Path descends to the canyon floor past waterfalls, and the Pine Creek Rail Trail follows the creek along the bottom of the gorge.
Scenic drive
From Wellsboro, Route 660 heads west about 10 miles to Leonard Harrison State Park on the east rim. To reach the west rim, take US 6 west to Ansonia and follow the road to Colton Point State Park. US 6 continues across Pennsylvania’s forested northern tier, one of the state’s best-known scenic drives.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Look for higher ground
None of the destinations we track within 150 miles of Wellsboro (Pine Creek Gorge) typically peaks much earlier. Look for higher ground nearby: in this part of the country, color tends to arrive about 4 to 5 days earlier for every 1,000 feet you climb.
Too late? Already past peak
Head lower or farther south
State College, PA (72 miles away, farther south) typically peaks about 5 days later, and Jim Thorpe, PA (101 miles away, lower down) typically peaks about 8 days later.
Nearby destinations
- Watkins Glen, NYTypical peak Oct 17, about the same time. 49 miles away.
- Ithaca, NYTypical peak Oct 16, about the same time. 63 miles away.
- Letchworth State Park, NYTypical peak Oct 14, 2 days earlier. 69 miles away.
- State College, PATypical peak Oct 21, 5 days later. 72 miles away.
- Jim Thorpe, PATypical peak Oct 24, 8 days later. 101 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Wellsboro?
In a typical year, fall color in the Wellsboro 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 Wellsboro?
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.
Is Wellsboro early or late compared with the rest of Pennsylvania?
Wellsboro typically peaks about 7 days earlier than the Pennsylvania average of Oct 23. It ranks 1 of 6 Pennsylvania destinations from earliest to latest.
What trees color up around Wellsboro?
The main fall color in this area comes from sugar maple, red maple, northern red 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.