Get Excited for Fall With the 2024 Peak Foliage Map

The season of scarves, sweaters, and pumpkin spice everything is almost upon us. No matter how you feel about the end of summer, it’s hard not to appreciate the colorful foliage when it reaches its peak in autumn. Those red, orange, and gold leaves may be visible outside your window sooner than you think, and this interactive map from SmokyMountains.com shows you exactly when to expect them.

Fall foliage normally peaks some time after the autumnal equinox, which falls on September 22 in 2024; but exactly when depends on variables like rainfall and temperature. Each year, the SmokyMountains.com tourism website looks at weather forecasts and historical trends from NOAA and puts together an interactive map showing when foliage is predicted to peak across the contiguous United States.

According to the map, the northernmost parts of the northern states—like Montana, Maine, and North Dakota—should already see minimal autumn foliage by early September. Fall colors at these latitudes will peak between late September and early October. Meanwhile, mid-Atlantic states like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia won’t be treated to the best of the season’s offerings until the middle of October. By the end of that month, most of the northern half of the country will have already had its share of fall colors. Peak foliage won’t arrive in southern states like Georgia, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana until early November.

By sliding the scale beneath the map at SmokyMountains.com, you can see when foliage is expected to peak in your part of the country. You can also use the tool to plan trips around the changing leaves.

If you can’t pick just one spot to take in the foliage this fall, you don’t have to—here are the best spots around the world for watching the leaves change.

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A version of this story ran in 2019; it has been updated for 2024.