Leaf peeping

Fall colors in Iowa

Typical peak runs Oct 10 – 22. Pick the week, then the place.

Photo: Red Oak Loop Trail

Fall color in Iowa typically peaks between Oct 10 and Oct 22, with the middle of the season around Oct 16. The earliest typical peak we track is at Nelson Bridge Loop (around Sep 30) and the latest is at White Pine Trail (around Oct 17). We track 201 places here: 131 hikes, 67 campgrounds, and 3 mountain biking trails. Above 1,000 ft, color typically peaks around Oct 14; under 1,000 ft, around Oct 17.

When to go

Week by week

How many places are in their typical peak window each week, with the top pick. Today’s week is highlighted.

  1. Sep 29 – Oct 5

    56 places
    Red Oak Loop TrailTop pick · hike

  2. Oct 6 – 12

    This week

    143 places
    Cedar Point Overlook TrailTop pick · hike

  3. Oct 13 – 19

    Busiest

    201 places
    Lake TrailTop pick · hike

  4. Oct 20 – 26

    145 places
    Firetower TrialTop pick · hike

  5. Oct 27 – Nov 2

    58 places
    Beach TrailTop pick · hike

Elevation

Color walks downhill

In Iowa, the higher the ground, the earlier the turn. Each row is a 1,000-foot band.

  1. 1,000+ ftOct 14
  2. 0–1,000 ftOct 17

Dot = median typical peak for places in that band. Bands with fewer than 10 places are left out.

This week

In typical peak now in Iowa

Places whose usual window includes today.

Plan ahead

Coming up next

Typical peak starts within the next three weeks.

Hikes

Best fall hikes

Trails ranked by how much hardwood forest surrounds them and how consistent the timing is across years.

Camp

Campgrounds in the color

Wake up in it. Check availability and any seasonal closures before you go.

Ride

Mountain biking through the color

Singletrack with a canopy overhead.

Everything

Map and full list

Every place we track in Iowa, grouped by where it is in its typical window.

  • In typical peak now (100)

In typical peak now

Today falls inside the usual peak window for these places.

Questions

Fall colors in Iowa: FAQ

When is peak fall color in Iowa?

Across the 201 places we track in Iowa, typical peak runs from Oct 10 to Oct 22, with the middle of the season around Oct 16. Where you are in the state matters: higher elevations come earlier and valleys later.

Where do leaves change first in Iowa?

Among the places we track in Iowa, Nelson Bridge Loop has the earliest typical peak, around Sep 30. The latest is White Pine Trail, around Oct 17. Above 1,000 ft, color typically peaks around Oct 14; under 1,000 ft, around Oct 17.

What are the best fall hikes in Iowa?

Hikes with strong typical color in Iowa include Red Oak Loop Trail, Firetower Trail, Cedar Point Overlook Rd., White Pine, and Cedar Point Overlook Trail. They are ranked by how much of the surrounding forest is hardwood and how consistent the timing has been across years.

Is this a forecast?

No. These dates are typical timing: when leaves have usually reached peak in past years, from NASA satellite vegetation data from 2017 to 2024 and USGS forest cover. A warm, dry or very wet year can shift them by a week or more, so treat them as a planning window, not a prediction for this year.

Keep going

Nearby states

Typical timing from NASA MODIS vegetation data (2017–2024) and USGS NLCD 2021 forest cover. Not a forecast. Timing is typical, not a forecast. How we time it.