Leaf peeping

Fall colors in Washington

Typical peak runs Oct 18 – 30. Pick the week, then the place.

Photo: Bear Ridge Trail

Fall color in Washington typically peaks between Oct 18 and Oct 30, with the middle of the season around Oct 23. Color starts in the high country (Long View Peak Trail around Oct 13) and finishes lower (Bear Ridge Trail around Oct 26). We track 204 places here: 158 hikes, 19 campgrounds, 17 mountain biking trails, 6 waterfalls, and 4 summits. Above 2,000 ft, color typically peaks around Oct 26; under 1,000 ft, around Oct 22.

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

    4 places
    HEYBROOK LOOKOUT TRAILTop pick · hike

  2. Oct 6 – 12

    This week

    34 places
    Eagle FallsTop pick · waterfall

  3. Oct 13 – 19

    156 places
    Squak MountainTop pick · summit

  4. Oct 20 – 26

    Busiest

    196 places
    Canyon FallsTop pick · waterfall

  5. Oct 27 – Nov 2

    169 places
    Sunset FallsTop pick · waterfall

  6. Nov 3 – 9

    48 places
    Poo Top TrailTop pick · hike

  7. Nov 10 – 16

    4 places
    Whatcom Meadows Camping AssociationTop pick · campground

  8. Nov 17 – 23

    1 places

Elevation

Color walks downhill

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

  1. 2,000+ ftOct 26
  2. 1,000–2,000 ftOct 25
  3. 0–1,000 ftOct 22

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 Washington

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.

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 Washington, grouped by where it is in its typical window.

  • In typical peak now (20)
  • Coming up (80)

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 Washington: FAQ

When is peak fall color in Washington?

Across the 204 places we track in Washington, typical peak runs from Oct 18 to Oct 30, with the middle of the season around Oct 23. Where you are in the state matters: higher elevations come earlier and valleys later.

Where do leaves change first in Washington?

Among the places we track in Washington, Long View Peak Trail has the earliest typical peak, around Oct 13. The latest is Bear Ridge Trail, around Oct 26. Above 2,000 ft, color typically peaks around Oct 26; under 1,000 ft, around Oct 22.

What are the best fall hikes in Washington?

Hikes with strong typical color in Washington include Bear Ridge Trail, East Fork Trail, Long View Peak Trail, Deceiver Trail, and Precipice Top 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.