The Best State for Fall Foliage This Year Isn’t the One You Expect
Fall might officially start on September 22 this year, but let’s be real — it doesn’t actually feel like summer is over until there’s a slight chill in the air and you see the green leaves turn to vibrant shades of crimson, orange, maroon, and yellow. Luckily for leaf peepers who are hoping to see the best foliage shows this year, the 2024 Smoky Mountains fall foliage map is finally here.
The 2024 fall foliage map tracks when and where you can expect to see the colors changing around the U.S., helping leaf-peeping enthusiasts plan their autumn getaways this year. If you’re basing your fall travel plans around when you can get maximum leaf-peeping enjoyment, this map is a must-see. But of course, it’s also exciting to see just when the leaves will change where you are if you’re staying put this fall.
When Will the Leaves Start Changing?
According to SmokyMountains.com’s 2024 Fall Foliage Map and leaf prediction tool, fall foliage has already started popping up in the northern United States along Canada’s border as well as some Northwest and Northeast states.
There are also “minimal” and “patchy” changes of colors going down as far south as New Mexico, Georgia, and South Carolina.
By September 23 — just days away! — many of the Northwest states along Canada’s border will be “near peak” as well as some tiny pockets of Colorado, Maine, and Vermont. September 30 shows dramatic changes in the fall foliage department, as many states in the North and Northeast will be at “near peak” status.
When Will Fall Foliage Peak in 2024?
The fall foliage map shows that colors will peak somewhere between October 7 and October 28 for most regions in the United States. Unsurprisingly, states that are in the Northern areas will reach peak status first, and it looks like almost all of the Northeastern states as well as some Midwestern states like Minnesota and Michigan will be in full bloom by the first week of October. States like Washington, Montana, Wisconsin, and New York will be flooded with fall colors.
By October 21, the southernmost tips of Florida and Texas will be the only places not impacted by the changing colors. By this time, leaf peeping season in the Northern states will also be over as they are “past peak.”
Midwest states like the Dakotas, Iowa, and Nebraska will start to experience some changes around this time, as well as a few Great Lakes-adjacent states like Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.
Which U.S. Regions Will Have the Best Fall Foliage Colors in 2024?
Surprisingly enough, the best fall foliage will not be in New England states like Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine, which normally attract an influx of tourists chasing the best fall colors.
According to AccuWeather’s fall foliage predictions, which map out recent and upcoming weather patterns across the United States, upstate New York, northern Pennsylvania, and wide swaths of the Midwest are the best places to plan your leaf peeping adventures this year.
States like Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Ohio, and Indiana will all see much more vibrant displays this year compared with past seasons, largely because of this fall’s weather patterns.
Due to the heat and drought, which can lead to less leaf vibrancy as well as shorter foliage seasons, states along the eastern border like Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut can expect a duller than usual foliage show, as well as parts of Colorado and the southeastern states.
Before booking your leaf peeping getaway, you can check out the full map of the U.S.’s best foliage colors, as well as the map showing when and where foliage colors will be peaking across the country to make sure you’re catching the color displays at their best.
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