When do the leaves change in Cleveland?
Cleveland's Emerald Necklace was made for this season — the Metroparks ring the city with river gorges like Rocky River and Tinkers Creek that fill with color. Cuyahoga Valley National Park runs its towpath through the middle of it all, and Holden Arboretum's canopy walk puts you at eye level with the show east of town.
Peak: October 17–October 21
Color builds from October 10 · mostly bare by November 10
Sampled at Cleveland’s own coordinates rather than a regional average. Dates are computed for Cleveland itself at 202 m elevation. Street trees vary block to block, so check locally before you plan a weekend around it.
22 weather points cover Ohio, and the model shifts their answer 1 day later, which is what it takes to match 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com. This year's weather has the peak running 5 days earlier than a normal year. Ohio turns close to together, with about 2 days between its earliest corner and its latest. How the forecast works
Fall activities in Cleveland
Drag the date slider to see when color moves through the country around Cleveland, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
Mohican State Park
69 miState park
Peak October 16
A 300-foot-deep gorge cut by the Clear Fork River anchors this park near Loudonville, crossed by a covered bridge built in 1968 from…
in Ohio
Where locals go
Things to do in fall in Cleveland
Orchards, cider, haunts, and harvest season. These are the iconic fall stops within a day trip of Cleveland.
Mapleside Farms
Pumpkin patchColor nearby peaks October 18
Mapleside has farmed this stretch of Medina County since 1927, and every fall the fields turn into Pumpkin Village, more than 100 acres of…
Patterson Fruit Farm
19 miOrchard
Color nearby peaks October 19
Seven generations of the same family have worked this Chesterland orchard southeast of Cleveland, and the pick-your-own rows still fill up…
in Ohio
Moe's Cider Mill
34 miCider mill
Color nearby peaks October 19
A small family cider mill on the Vermilion River between Cleveland and Sandusky, pressing unpasteurized apple cider the old way and frying…
in Ohio
Haunted attraction
Color nearby peaks October 18
One of America's oldest amusement parks, open in Sandusky since 1870, turns its midway into haunted mazes and zombie-themed shows on fall…
in Ohio
Historic town
Color nearby peaks October 16
Berlin anchors the largest Amish settlement in the world, a patchwork of Holmes County farmland where buggies share the road with cars past…
in Ohio
Apple Hill Orchards
72 miOrchard
Color nearby peaks October 16
A working orchard between Columbus and Cleveland where you pick your own apples starting with Paula Reds in August and running into fall.
in Ohio
Guides
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in Cleveland in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 17–October 21 (best estimate October 19). Color starts around October 10 and trees are mostly bare by November 10. These dates are computed for Cleveland itself, at 202 m elevation, using the same weather model as the tracker.
- When is fall foliage season in Cleveland?
- Cleveland colors during autumn (September to November). Counting from the first turn to bare branches that is about 31 days, and the best of it falls in the week either side of October 19.
- What's the best foliage near Cleveland?
- Mohican State Park (69 mi). For a longer trip: Ohio (101 mi, peak ~October 17); West Virginia (201 mi, peak ~October 15); Pennsylvania (224 mi, peak ~October 14).
- What are the best things to do in fall in Cleveland?
- Beyond the leaves: Mapleside Farms (17 mi); Patterson Fruit Farm (19 mi); Moe's Cider Mill (34 mi); Cedar Point HalloWeekends (52 mi); Holmes County Amish Country (65 mi). All of them are mapped on this page.