Leaf peeping

Fall colors in Vermont

Typical peak runs Oct 5 – 17. Pick the week, then the place.

Photo: Appalachian Trail - Massachusetts

Fall color in Vermont typically peaks between Oct 5 and Oct 17, with the middle of the season around Oct 9. Color starts in the high country (Big Jay around Sep 27) and finishes lower (Partridge Trail around Oct 13). We track 1,170 places here: 763 hikes, 169 mountain biking trails, 116 campgrounds, 98 summits, and 23 waterfalls. Above 4,000 ft, color typically peaks around Oct 8; under 1,000 ft, around Oct 14.

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 22 – 28

    144 places
    Appalachian Trail; Long TrailTop pick · hike

  2. Sep 29 – Oct 5

    872 places
    Deer LeapTop pick · hike

  3. Oct 6 – 12

    This week

    1,153 places
    Appalachian Trail - MassachusettsTop pick · hike

  4. Oct 13 – 19

    1,026 places
    Partridge TrailTop pick · hike

  5. Oct 20 – 26

    298 places
    Grandpa KnobTop pick · summit

  6. Oct 27 – Nov 2

    17 places
    Pease MountainTop pick · summit

Elevation

Color walks downhill

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

  1. 4,000+ ftOct 8
  2. 3,000–4,000 ftOct 7
  3. 2,000–3,000 ftOct 8
  4. 1,000–2,000 ftOct 10
  5. 0–1,000 ftOct 14

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 Vermont

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 Vermont, 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 Vermont: FAQ

When is peak fall color in Vermont?

Across the 1,170 places we track in Vermont, typical peak runs from Oct 5 to Oct 17, with the middle of the season around Oct 9. Where you are in the state matters: higher elevations come earlier and valleys later.

Where do leaves change first in Vermont?

Among the places we track in Vermont, Big Jay has the earliest typical peak, around Sep 27. The latest is Partridge Trail, around Oct 13. Above 4,000 ft, color typically peaks around Oct 8; under 1,000 ft, around Oct 14.

What are the best fall hikes in Vermont?

Hikes with strong typical color in Vermont include Appalachian Trail - Massachusetts, Deer Leap, Velomont - Pesky Cairn, Appalachian Trail; Long Trail, and Honey Hollow 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.