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Autumn officially began Sept. 22, and we're now in the thick of leaf-peeping season.
Where and when the foliage will be most colorful depends on location, altitude and weather. Leaves turn earlier in places with higher elevations and lower temperatures. Some northern states and mountainous regions are already past their peak, while other destinations may not peak until later in October or even November.
And while some national parks have historically been favorite leaf-peeping spots, you can expect delays due to the ongoing government shutdown. Check out our favorite state park dupes to visit instead.
If you'd like to plan a last-minute leaf-peeping trip, we've got you covered. Here are the best destinations you can visit right now and in the coming weeks to see spectacular foliage.
Related: Fall foliage cruises in New England, Canada and beyond
When and where can we see fall foliage at its peak?
Each fall, various forecast tools aim to predict the arrival of autumn foliage across the U.S. using precipitation and temperature statistics, historic trends for peak leaf peeping, local observations, and model outputs from previous years. Our favorites include The Old Farmer's Almanac and the Smoky Mountains Fall Foliage Prediction Map.
Plus, camping app Hipcamp launched an interactive map to help you find campgrounds for leaf-peeping trips.
Even with these tools, no one can guarantee exactly where and when foliage will peak — especially with unusual weather patterns on the rise.
"Of course, past results do not necessarily indicate what will happen this year, but it should give you a fairly good idea of how fall leaves typically progress," an Old Farmer's Almanac representative said.
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Here, we'll cover the country's top destinations for leaf peeping, and when to visit each for your best chance at seeing spectacular fall colors.
Best places in the US to see fall foliage
Northeast
For travelers on the East Coast, the foliage in New England's most popular leaf-peeping states has mostly peaked already. A flash drought affecting much of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine has caused the leaves to drop early this year, cutting the fall foliage season short. For instance, Vermont's map of current conditions shows the entire state is already at or past its prime.
However, you still have a chance to catch the best fall color in some northeastern areas. Lower-elevation parts of New York are approaching their peak, according to this report, as are coastal regions of Maine such as Bar Harbor. Meanwhile, warm weather in Pennsylvania has delayed the leaf-peeping season, but a recent temperature drop is causing leaves to finally start to turn.
Related: A long way from Sandals: My first all-inclusive experience at a super-luxe upstate New York resort
West
It may be too late for prime leaf peeping in the mountains of Colorado — known for their glorious aspen forests — which peaked in late September and early October. However, lower-elevation destinations along the Front Range and the plains, such as Boulder, still have a couple of weeks of color left.
Utah's unearthly landscapes may be best known for their sandstone cliffs and gravity-defying arches, but they're also great places to enjoy the fall foliage of canyon maple, scrub oak and more come mid-to-late October. Plus, the autumnal light illuminates the red rocks spectacularly.
On the West Coast, the area surrounding Portland, Oregon, is renowned for its scenery, and Oregon's wild landscapes explode with bursts of color at every turn. This year, Portland's foliage is expected to peak in mid-October to early November. Take a steamboat ride to admire the changing leaves from the river, or drive the Columbia River Highway, a stretch of interstate designed specifically for its scenic vistas.
Related: Mountains, desert and waterfalls: A points-fueled autumn road trip through Oregon's natural wonders
Midwest
Due to the Great Lakes' insulating effect, parts of Michigan enjoy a long leaf-peeping season, often stretching from late September to late October. Enjoy the colorful views from a ferry to Mackinac Island or a scenic drive along the M-22 highway around the shores of Lake Michigan near Traverse City. If you head to the Upper Peninsula, check out the region's weekly fall color report, which shows several counties that haven't peaked yet.
Consider Kansas and parts of Missouri, such as Lake of the Ozarks, in your leaf-peeping plans this year, too. By Nov. 1, the maple, oak, hickory and ash trees along the 1,150 miles of the lake's shoreline will be a riot of painterly hues. However, the American smoke tree, which turns an almost electric shade of pink, tends to peak much earlier.
For Kansas, most of the state's deciduous forests are expected to peak around the end of October and/or the first week of November.
Related: 5 stunning fall foliage road trips in the Midwest
Mid-Atlantic and Southeast
As late October approaches, travelers will want to turn their sights toward the mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states.
For example, North Carolina boasts a very long leaf-peeping season thanks to a wide range of elevations. You can see spectacular color in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the state's western side right now, and that peak will shift east over the coming weeks, not hitting the coast until mid-to-late November. Plan a road trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway or the North Carolina coast.
Virginia's plentiful deciduous trees and varied landscape provide a long fall foliage season as well — and this year, warm weather, rain and wind have slowed the process, giving you extra time to plan a trip. The Virginia Department of Forestry's weekly foliage report shows that most of the state has just started to change color.
South
Although much of the U.S. will be past its leaf-peeping peak by November, the southernmost reaches of the country will still offer beautiful fall color late in the season. Travelers can head to the southern edges of Arizona and New Mexico, for example, where foliage should peak by mid-November this year.
Try Garner State Park in southern Texas, where the foliage shouldn't peak until at least mid-November. You can explore 11 miles of hiking trails and take in the varied hues of cypress, oak, mesquite and persimmon trees.
Or, consider a trip to Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana. The area has more than 600,000 acres of woodland, and most of the state is generally at its prime fall foliage from mid- to late November.
Bottom line
Although the window for prime leaf peeping has already closed in some parts of the U.S., there's still plenty of time to take in spectacular foliage — as long as you know where to look. If you're still dreaming of a leaf-peeping trip, now is the time to book it.
Though tools like The Old Farmer's Almanac and the Smoky Mountains Fall Foliage Prediction Map can't make any guarantees, they are useful guides for determining where and when to travel for optimal fall colors. This is especially true for the maps, which update based on real-world user data gathered as the season unfolds.
But remember, any weather changes over the coming weeks could adjust the predicted peak timing for any of these places, so try to be as flexible as possible with your plans. We recommend booking changeable flights and hotel stays whenever possible.
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