When do the leaves change in Atlanta?
The city in a forest earns its name in November, when Atlanta's oaks, hickories, and maples finally turn — and the southern Appalachians, two hours north, deliver some of the longest-running color in the country.
Peak: November 11–November 15
Color builds from October 29 · mostly bare by December 7
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures (Open-Meteo) drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model, sampled at Atlanta’s own coordinates rather than a regional average. Dates are computed for Atlanta itself at 327 m elevation. Estimates, not promises — street trees vary block to block. Check locally before you plan around a weekend.
Fall activities in Atlanta
Where locals go
Things to do in fall in Atlanta
Orchards, cider, haunts, and harvest season — the iconic fall stops within a day trip of Atlanta.
Fright Fest at Six Flags Over Georgia
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks November 13
The Austell park hands its midway over to scare zones, haunted mazes and after-dark coaster rides on select nights from Sep 12 through Nov 1, 2026. A daytime Tricks and Treats program runs the same window, so families can split the day between candy and carnage.
Don’t miss: Scare zones and haunted mazes · Coasters in the dark · Daytime Tricks and Treats
Stone Mountain Park Pumpkin Festival
Fall festivalColor nearby peaks November 13
Stone Mountain Park runs its Pumpkin Festival every Friday through Sunday from mid-September to early November, daytime character meet-and-greets giving way after dark to a giant glowing pumpkin tree and a drone light show over the mountain. It is included with a regular attractions ticket, twenty minutes from downtown Atlanta.
Don’t miss: Drone and light show after dark · Character meet-and-greets by day · Friday through Sunday, mid-September to November
NETHERWORLD Haunted House
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks November 13
One of the most decorated haunts in America, NETHERWORLD is known for enormous custom creatures and effects built in-house. Its 2025 run was billed as the 29th Season of Screams, and it took USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice honors in both 2024 and 2025.
Don’t miss: Giant custom monsters · Two haunts plus midway · Nearly 30 seasons running
Southern Belle Farm
24 miCorn maze
Color nearby peaks November 15
A 330-acre working farm south of Atlanta that turns its fields over to fall each year, a four-acre corn maze, a pumpkin patch and more than twenty other attractions strung across the property. It is the same farm that runs berry and peach picking all summer, just dressed for October by the time the corn comes down.
Don’t miss: Four-acre corn maze · Pumpkin patch and 20+ attractions · 330-acre working farm
in Georgia
Scottsdale Farms
29 miFarm
Color nearby peaks November 11
A 65-acre garden center north of Atlanta that turns part of its grounds into a pumpkin patch each fall, set behind a timber-frame barn full of home goods and a cafe. Most of what is for sale here, plants included, is built for the yard rather than just the season.
Don’t miss: Fall pumpkin patch · 65-acre garden center · Cafe inside a timber-frame barn
in Georgia
Burt's Farm
56 miPumpkin patch
Color nearby peaks November 5
This 40-acre family farm on Georgia 52 just south of Amicalola Falls has grown pumpkins since the 1980s, with hundreds of varieties spread across the fields alongside popcorn, gourds, hayrides, and boiled peanuts every September and October.
Don’t miss: Hundreds of pumpkin varieties · Hayrides · Boiled peanuts and kettle corn
in Georgia
Guides
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in Atlanta in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for November 11–November 15 (best estimate November 13). Color starts around October 29 and trees are mostly bare by December 7. These dates are computed for Atlanta itself — at 327 m elevation — from the same weather model as the tracker.
- When is fall foliage season in Atlanta?
- Atlanta colors during autumn (September–November). The city in a forest earns its name in November, when Atlanta's oaks, hickories, and maples finally turn — and the southern Appalachians, two hours north, deliver some of the longest-running color in the country.
- What's the best foliage near Atlanta?
- Amicalola Falls State Park (57 mi). For a longer trip: Georgia (92 mi, peak ~November 18); Alabama (143 mi, peak ~November 16); Tennessee (178 mi, peak ~November 8).
- What are the best things to do in fall in Atlanta?
- Beyond the leaves: Fright Fest at Six Flags Over Georgia (9 mi); Stone Mountain Park Pumpkin Festival (15 mi); NETHERWORLD Haunted House (16 mi); Southern Belle Farm (24 mi); Scottsdale Farms (29 mi). All of them are mapped on this page.
- What are the best things to do in autumn near Atlanta?
- Come autumn — autumn (September–November) — locals head for Fright Fest at Six Flags Over Georgia (9 mi); Stone Mountain Park Pumpkin Festival (15 mi); NETHERWORLD Haunted House (16 mi); Southern Belle Farm (24 mi); Scottsdale Farms (29 mi). Each is on the map with the distance from Atlanta.