Javascript is not enabled.

Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.

Skip to content

What do you need to know about vaccines after 50? Check out our guide.

Content starts here
CLOSE ×
Search
Popular Searches

Games

Car rental

AARP daily Crossword Puzzle

Hotels with AARP discounts

Life Insurance

AARP Dental Insurance Plans

Travel

Suggested Links
Help Show me my account info Change my Address How do I contact AARP? Where is my membership card? How do I get a digital card?
Red Membership Card

AARP MEMBERSHIP

AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal

Get instant access to members-only products, hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. 

 

120x30-AARP-logo-red
Join
Renew
Enroll
Rejoin

AARP en Español

Join
Renew
Enroll
Rejoin
Leaving AARP.org Website

You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

Continue Cancel

Where to Find Fall Foliage This Year

Maps that can help you locate the most colorful leaves

Peak autumn foliage in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire
DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images
By

Jim Byers,

 
AARP
Published September 25, 2019

You drive for hours in hopes of seeing a gorgeous blaze of fall colors, only to find the leaves are either still as green as an Irish shamrock or already brown or fallen.

Wannabe leaf peepers now can avoid such disappointments, thanks to online maps that help travelers pinpoint the perfect time to see colorful landscapes across the country. The site smokymountains.com, for one, offers a color-coded map of the United States depicting seven types of leaf conditions — ranging from “no change” (green) to “partial” (orange) to “past peak” (brown) — so you know precisely what to expect.

This year's display is a bit delayed, in some places by a week or more, according to the Weather Channel, because of warmer temperatures. While the map now shows colors beginning to change in the northern part of the U.S. and at higher altitudes, much of the country still has about a month or more before reaching peak foliage.

Many people don't realize that you can see signs of autumn as far south as Florida. I found beautiful yellows and even a sprinkling of red leaves on a kayak ride in central Florida last December. And the Rockies may not leap to mind for fall foliage viewing, but the sight of deep yellow aspen trees lining a winding river in Colorado or Montana is a magical thing. California wine country colors are usually spectacular beginning in late October and into December (the site California Fall Color — whose motto is “Dude, autumn happens here, too” — has a rough foliage map of the state).

Featured discussion: Where do you go leaf peeping?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee is particularly breathtaking in fall, with leaves beginning to change in mid-October and peaking just after Halloween.

Of course, fall color isn't limited to the United States. If you'd like to spot some beautiful foliage sooner than later, try heading north into Canada. Ontario's Fall Colour Report, issued twice a week, shows the percentage of trees that have changed hue in areas all over the province. It also offers useful information for planning road trips in each region. Banff in Alberta and Nova Scotia are two more lovely fall destinations in Canada.

 

Jim Byers is a travel writer based in Toronto. He served as travel editor at the Toronto Star newspaper for five years and freelances for travel publications around the world.

AARP Travel Center

Or Call: 1-800-675-4318

Enter a valid departing date

Enter a valid returning date

Age of children:

Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats:

Enter a valid departing date

Age of children:

Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats:

Enter a valid departing date

Age of children:

Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats:

Flight 2

Enter a valid departing date

Flight 3

Enter a valid departing date

Flight 4

Enter a valid departing date

Flight 5

Enter a valid departing date

+ Add Another Flight

Enter a valid checking in date

Enter a valid checking out date

Occupants of Room 1:

Occupants of Room 2:

Occupants of Room 3:

Occupants of Room 4:

Occupants of Room 5:

Occupants of Room 6:

Occupants of Room 7:

Occupants of Room 8:

Enter a valid departing date

Enter a valid returning date

Age of children:

You didn't specify child's age

Occupants of Room 1:

There are children in room 1 without an adult

You didn't specify child's age for room 1

Age of children:

You didn't specify child's age

Occupants of Room 2:

There are children in room 2 without an adult

You didn't specify child's age in room 2

Age of children:

You didn't specify child's age

Occupants of Room 3:

There are children in room 3 without an adult

You didn't specify child's age in room 3

Age of children:

You didn't specify child's age

Occupants of Room 4:

There are children in room 4 without an adult

You didn't specify child's age in room 4

Age of children:

You didn't specify child's age

Occupants of Room 5:

There are children in room 5 without an adult

You didn't specify child's age in room 5

Age of children:

You didn't specify child's age

Age of children:

You didn't specify child's age

Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats:

You have more than 6 people total

Please select a trip duration less than 28 days

There must be at least 1 traveler (age 12+) for each infant in a lap

Enter a valid start date

Please select a Pick Up Time from the list

Enter a valid drop off date

Please select Drop Off Time from the list

Select a valid to location

Select a month

Enter a valid from date

Enter a valid to date

Benefits Recommended For You

See All