Leaf peeping

Fall colors in Massachusetts

Typical peak runs Oct 14 – 26. Pick the week, then the place.

Photo: Appalachian Trail

Fall color in Massachusetts typically peaks between Oct 14 and Oct 26, with the middle of the season around Oct 21. Color starts in the high country (Appalachian Trail around Oct 2) and finishes lower (Craddock Trail around Oct 24). We track 840 places here: 440 hikes, 205 mountain biking trails, 101 summits, 73 campgrounds, and 20 waterfalls. Above 2,000 ft, color typically peaks around Oct 15; under 1,000 ft, around Oct 23.

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

    59 places
    Wilbur’s Clearing to SummitTop pick · hike

  2. Oct 6 – 12

    This week

    329 places
    Jones Nose to SummitTop pick · hike

  3. Oct 13 – 19

    Busiest

    791 places
    Appalachian TrailTop pick · hike

  4. Oct 20 – 26

    781 places
    Great Blue HillTop pick · summit

  5. Oct 27 – Nov 2

    511 places
    Race Brook TrailTop pick · hike

  6. Nov 3 – 9

    49 places
    Savoy PathTop pick · hike

Elevation

Color walks downhill

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

  1. 2,000+ ftOct 15
  2. 1,000–2,000 ftOct 17
  3. 0–1,000 ftOct 23

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 Massachusetts

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.

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 Massachusetts, 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 Massachusetts: FAQ

When is peak fall color in Massachusetts?

Across the 840 places we track in Massachusetts, typical peak runs from Oct 14 to Oct 26, with the middle of the season around Oct 21. Where you are in the state matters: higher elevations come earlier and valleys later.

Where do leaves change first in Massachusetts?

Among the places we track in Massachusetts, Appalachian Trail has the earliest typical peak, around Oct 2. The latest is Craddock Trail, around Oct 24. Above 2,000 ft, color typically peaks around Oct 15; under 1,000 ft, around Oct 23.

What are the best fall hikes in Massachusetts?

Hikes with strong typical color in Massachusetts include Appalachian Trail, Jones Nose to Summit, Wilbur’s Clearing to Summit, Thoreau’s Footsteps, and Finerty 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.