When do the leaves change in Detroit?
Detroit's comeback includes its trees. Belle Isle floats in the river with woods, lagoons, and skyline views in two countries — Canada is right across the water — while the Huron-Clinton Metroparks like Kensington and Stony Creek wrap the region in oak and maple color. Cranbrook's grounds in Bloomfield Hills are the polished version.
Peak: October 12–October 16
Color builds from October 5 · mostly bare by November 4
Sampled at Detroit’s own coordinates rather than a regional average. Dates are computed for Detroit itself at 182 m elevation. Street trees vary block to block, so check locally before you plan a weekend around it.
47 weather points cover Michigan, and the model needs no correction to land on 2 published peak dates from smokymountains.com and almanac.com. This year's weather has the peak running 5 days earlier than a normal year. Peak dates spread about 4 days inside Michigan, so the high ground turns well before the valleys. How the forecast works
Fall activities in Detroit
Drag the date slider to see when color moves through the country around Detroit, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
Michigan
217 miPeak October 9
Sugar maples and birches ring the Great Lakes shoreline, with the Tunnel of Trees along M-119 and Upper Peninsula waterfalls framed in color by late September.
Ontario — Algonquin & Muskoka
538 mi · worth the flightPeak October 6
Algonquin Park's maple-covered ridges are Canada's classic fall postcard, with Muskoka's lake country close behind for canoe-side color.
Ohio
141 miPeak October 17
Sugar maple, oak, beech, and sassafras color the sandstone gorges of Hocking Hills State Park and Mohican State Forest, with much of the state reaching peak color in mid-October.
Where locals go
Things to do in fall in Detroit
Orchards, cider, haunts, and harvest season. These are the iconic fall stops within a day trip of Detroit.
Cider mill
Color nearby peaks October 12
An urban cider mill tucked among the historic homes of Northville's Cabbage Town, thanking visitors for over 150 years of business.
in Michigan
Yates Cider Mill
24 miCider mill
Color nearby peaks October 12
Founded in 1863 on the Clinton River in Rochester Hills, Yates has pressed cider since 1876 from the same water-turbine building it…
in Michigan
Haunted attraction
Color nearby peaks October 12
A four story haunted house in downtown Pontiac with a reputation as one of the most intense in the country.
in Michigan
Orchard
Color nearby peaks October 12
The original Blake Farms orchard in Armada, marking 80 years as a family operation.
in Michigan
Cider mill
Color nearby peaks October 11
Michigan's longest continuously operating cider mill, pressing on the Huron River since 1886 and marking its 140th season in 2026.
in Michigan
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
Guides
2026 Fall Foliage Forecast: When Leaves Peak in Every State
Our 2026 fall foliage forecast for the US and Canada, region by region, built from ERA5 weather data and a phenology model, with live peak dates on the map.
5 Leaf-Peeping Road Trips for 2026
Five real fall road trips for 2026, from Vermont's Route 100 to Germany's Alpine Road, with route feel, standout stops, and how many days to plan for each.
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in Detroit in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 12–October 16 (best estimate October 14). Color starts around October 5 and trees are mostly bare by November 4. These dates are computed for Detroit itself, at 182 m elevation, using the same weather model as the tracker.
- When is fall foliage season in Detroit?
- Detroit colors during autumn (September to November). Counting from the first turn to bare branches that is about 30 days, and the best of it falls in the week either side of October 14.
- What's the best foliage near Detroit?
- Michigan (217 mi, peak ~October 9); Ontario — Algonquin & Muskoka (538 mi, peak ~October 6); Ohio (141 mi, peak ~October 17).
- What are the best things to do in fall in Detroit?
- Beyond the leaves: Parmenter's Northville Cider Mill (23 mi); Yates Cider Mill (24 mi); Erebus Haunted Attraction (24 mi); Blake's Orchard & Cider Mill (36 mi); The Dexter Cider Mill (43 mi). All of them are mapped on this page.