Leaf peeping

Fall colors in Rhode Island

Typical peak runs Oct 19 – 28. Pick the week, then the place.

Photo: Jerimoth Hill

Fall color in Rhode Island typically peaks between Oct 19 and Oct 28, with the middle of the season around Oct 22. Color starts in the high country (Jerimoth Hill around Oct 14) and finishes lower (Vin Gormley Trail around Oct 18). We track 169 places here: 84 hikes, 54 campgrounds, 23 mountain biking trails, 5 summits, and 3 waterfalls.

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. Oct 6 – 12

    This week

    35 places
    Bailey HillTop pick · summit

  2. Oct 13 – 19

    142 places
    Jerimoth HillTop pick · summit

  3. Oct 20 – 26

    Busiest

    169 places
    Wolf HillTop pick · summit

  4. Oct 27 – Nov 2

    134 places
    Vin Gormley TrailTop pick · hike

  5. Nov 3 – 9

    27 places
    AscentionTop pick · mountain biking trail

This week

In typical peak now in Rhode Island

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.

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 Rhode Island, grouped by where it is in its typical window.

  • In typical peak now (2)
  • Coming up (98)

In typical peak now

Today falls inside the usual peak window for these places.

Coming up

Typical peak starts within the next three weeks.

Questions

Fall colors in Rhode Island: FAQ

When is peak fall color in Rhode Island?

Across the 169 places we track in Rhode Island, typical peak runs from Oct 19 to Oct 28, with the middle of the season around Oct 22. Where you are in the state matters: higher elevations come earlier and valleys later.

Where do leaves change first in Rhode Island?

Among the places we track in Rhode Island, Jerimoth Hill has the earliest typical peak, around Oct 14. The latest is Vin Gormley Trail, around Oct 18.

What are the best fall hikes in Rhode Island?

Hikes with strong typical color in Rhode Island include Vin Gormley Trail, Sammy C Trail, Tomaquag Trail, Paul Cook Mem. Trail (Blue), and Benson Mountain 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.