Forecasts from the Old Farmer’s Almanac project that much of the Northeast will hit peak fall colour around 11 October, with Western and Midwestern forests peaking earlier in October. The Southeast is predicted to follow, sometimes stretching into November. The window of vivid hues generally lasts just seven to ten days in any given region.
At the heart of autumn’s drama lie parks with rich deciduous forests and elevation gradients. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, straddling Tennessee and North Carolina, is widely heralded as delivering the richest fall display among the national parks, owing to its mix of maples, oaks, birch and hickory. Observers expect brilliant oranges, reds and golds from mid-October onward as leaves respond to shorter days and cooling nights.
Shenandoah National Park in Virginia offers perhaps the most accessible display. Its 105-mile Skyline Drive traverses ridges lined with sugar maple, red oak, and sweetgum, creating a ribbon of colour. The park’s relatively low altitude means its peak foliage overlaps with much of the Northeast’s timing.
In New England, Acadia National Park blends coastal scenery with woodland hues. Peak foliage here is anticipated in early to mid-October, with crimson and gold shades backing rocky shores and reflecting in Atlantic waters. Webcams and state foliage trackers monitor its progression.
The Rockies and the high Western states showcase a different palette. In Rocky Mountain National Park, thousands of aspen trees turn golden, forming luminous swathes across high valleys. These aspens typically shift early—late September into early October—owing to altitude and latitude. Further north, Glacier National Park offers a compact yet dramatic canvas of fall colours visible along trails, lakeshores and from alpine passes.
Less expected but increasingly noted is Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. Although not a mountain park, it boasts rolling forest hills, scenic trails, and scenic overlooks—the Ledges being a prime vantage point. Peak colour is expected around 10–24 October.
Foliage tracking tools like ExploreFall and the SmokyMountains. com interactive map help visitors time their trips based on real-time data. These platforms combine local reports, meteorological data, and satellite imagery to estimate where and when peak colour will emerge each year.
Drivers, hikers and photographers all benefit from a few key pointers. Colour develops first at higher altitudes and higher latitudes, meaning that parks in New England or the Rockies may reach peak earlier, while lowland forests further south may linger. A sunny, dry autumn accelerates the transition, but heavy rain, wind or early snow can truncate the optimal viewing window.
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