Leaf peeping

Fall colors in Maine

Typical peak runs Oct 2 – 16. Pick the week, then the place.

Photo: Appalachian Trail

Fall color in Maine typically peaks between Oct 2 and Oct 16, with the middle of the season around Oct 6. Color starts in the high country (Seboeis River Trail around Sep 21) and finishes lower (Hemlock Trail around Oct 16). We track 770 places here: 433 hikes, 113 campgrounds, 96 mountain biking trails, 78 summits, and 48 waterfalls. Above 3,000 ft, color typically peaks around Oct 2; under 1,000 ft, around Oct 9.

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 8 – 14

    1 places
    Oji TrailTop pick · hike

  2. Sep 15 – 21

    13 places
    Seboeis River TrailTop pick · hike

  3. Sep 22 – 28

    278 places
    Appalachian TrailTop pick · hike

  4. Sep 29 – Oct 5

    647 places
    North Peak TrailTop pick · hike

  5. Oct 6 – 12

    This week

    714 places
    Dorr Mountain South Ridge TrailTop pick · hike

  6. Oct 13 – 19

    492 places
    Hemlock TrailTop pick · hike

  7. Oct 20 – 26

    122 places
    Stratheden PathTop pick · hike

  8. Oct 27 – Nov 2

    43 places
    Great Meadow LoopTop pick · hike

Elevation

Color walks downhill

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

  1. 3,000+ ftOct 2
  2. 2,000–3,000 ftOct 6
  3. 1,000–2,000 ftOct 6
  4. 0–1,000 ftOct 9

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 Maine

Places whose usual window includes today.

Plan ahead

Coming up next

Typical peak starts within the next three weeks.

Where

By park and forest

Typical timing for the public lands with the most places, and the best-known spots in each.

Hikes

Best fall hikes

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

Drives

Scenic drives

The easiest way to cover a lot of color, and a good fit for a wide window.

Camp

Campgrounds in the color

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

Views

Summits and waterfalls

Overlooks for the big picture, falls for the doubled-up reflection.

Ride

Mountain biking through the color

Singletrack with a canopy overhead.

Everything

Map and full list

Every place we track in Maine, 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 Maine: FAQ

When is peak fall color in Maine?

Across the 770 places we track in Maine, typical peak runs from Oct 2 to Oct 16, with the middle of the season around Oct 6. Where you are in the state matters: higher elevations come earlier and valleys later.

Where do leaves change first in Maine?

Among the places we track in Maine, Seboeis River Trail has the earliest typical peak, around Sep 21. The latest is Hemlock Trail, around Oct 16. Above 3,000 ft, color typically peaks around Oct 2; under 1,000 ft, around Oct 9.

What are the best fall hikes in Maine?

Hikes with strong typical color in Maine include Appalachian Trail, Hemlock Trail, Adam's Lookout Trail, Jack Williams Trail, and McGaffey Mountain Crown. 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.