Foliage map › National parks and forests
Fall foliage in national parks and forests
Some of the best fall color in the country is on public land, in national parks, national forests, and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. These areas often span thousands of feet of elevation, so the color moves through them over several weeks, starting on the high ridges and working down into the valleys. Each guide shows the typical peak by place and elevation, today’s estimated status, where to see the color, and the best scenic drive.
Peak calendar
Bars show the typical best-viewing window across each area, from the high country to the valleys. The last column shows today’s estimated status at a central spot.
Park or forestSep 1Oct 1Nov 1Typical peak
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National ForestsColorado · peak Sep 24–Sep 30
Peak Sep 28
Rocky Mountain National ParkColorado · peak Sep 24–Oct 1
Peak Oct 1
White River National ForestColorado · peak Sep 25–Oct 1
Peak Oct 1
Grand Teton National ParkWyoming · peak Sep 30–Oct 2
Peak Sep 30
Glacier National ParkMontana · peak Oct 1–Oct 7
Peak Oct 7
White Mountain National ForestNew Hampshire and Maine · peak Oct 3–Oct 10
Peak Oct 9
Green Mountain National ForestVermont · peak Oct 6–Oct 14
Peak Oct 6
Blue Ridge ParkwayVirginia and North Carolina · peak Oct 7–Oct 30
Peak Oct 19
Pisgah and Nantahala National ForestsNorth Carolina · peak Oct 7–Oct 26
Peak Oct 18
Great Smoky Mountains National ParkTennessee and North Carolina · peak Oct 8–Oct 31
Peak Oct 28
Monongahela National ForestWest Virginia · peak Oct 10–Oct 24
Peak Oct 17
Shenandoah National ParkVirginia · peak Oct 15–Oct 30
Peak Oct 15
Acadia National ParkMaine · peak Oct 16
Peak Oct 16
New River Gorge National Park and PreserveWest Virginia · peak Oct 22–Oct 28
Peak Oct 24
Cuyahoga Valley National ParkOhio · peak Oct 22–Oct 24
Peak Oct 24
The parks and forests
The Rockies
- Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National ForestsColorado. Kebler Pass near Crested Butte runs through some of the state’s largest aspen groves, and the Dallas Divide looks across aspen to the Sneffels Range.
- Rocky Mountain National ParkColorado. Aspen line Bear Lake Road, and elk gather in Moraine Park and Horseshoe Park in fall.
- White River National ForestColorado. Aspen ring Maroon Lake below the Maroon Bells, and Independence Pass climbs to the Continental Divide.
- Grand Teton National ParkWyoming. Aspen and cottonwood glow at Oxbow Bend and Schwabacher Landing, with the Tetons behind.
- Glacier National ParkMontana. Cottonwood, birch, and larch along Lake McDonald, and aspen around Swiftcurrent Lake at Many Glacier.
New England
- White Mountain National ForestNew Hampshire and Maine. The Kancamagus Highway and Franconia Notch, with overlooks, waterfalls, and the Flume Gorge.
- Green Mountain National ForestVermont. Mountain gaps such as Middlebury Gap and Brandon Gap cross the forest, past waterfalls and the Robert Frost trail.
- Acadia National ParkMaine. Cadillac Mountain looks over Frenchman Bay, and the carriage roads wind through the woods around Jordan Pond.
The Appalachians
- Monongahela National ForestWest Virginia. Spruce Knob, Seneca Rocks, the red blueberry plains of Dolly Sods, and the Highland Scenic Highway.
- New River Gorge National Park and PreserveWest Virginia. Rim overlooks of the New River Gorge Bridge, the Endless Wall Trail, and the river bend at Grandview.
- Shenandoah National ParkVirginia. Skyline Drive and its overlooks, Skyland, Hawksbill, and Dark Hollow Falls near Big Meadows.
- Blue Ridge ParkwayVirginia and North Carolina. The Peaks of Otter, Mabry Mill, the Linn Cove Viaduct, and Linville Falls, with color moving through over several weeks.
- Pisgah and Nantahala National ForestsNorth Carolina. Looking Glass Falls, Graveyard Fields, Linville Gorge, and the waterfalls of the Cullasaja Gorge.
- Great Smoky Mountains National ParkTennessee and North Carolina. Newfound Gap Road climbs through every band of color, and the Cades Cove loop circles a broad valley.
The Midwest
For other ways to explore, see fall foliage tours, including hikes and walks, bike rides, and photography.