When do the leaves change in Raleigh?
They call it the City of Oaks for a reason. Umstead State Park holds thousands of acres of oak-hickory forest between downtown and the airport, the Eno River corridor glows upstream near Durham, and the Victorian streets of Historic Oakwood go amber under old hardwoods. Color runs late here, and it lingers.
Peak: November 9–November 13
Color builds from November 2 · mostly bare by December 4
Sampled at Raleigh’s own coordinates rather than a regional average. Dates are computed for Raleigh itself at 114 m elevation. Street trees vary block to block, so check locally before you plan a weekend around it.
This window comes from 25 weather points across North Carolina, nudged 6 days later to match 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com and almanac.com. North Carolina is running 7 days earlier than its own average this year. Across North Carolina the first place to turn and the last sit about 6 days apart. How the forecast works
Fall activities in Raleigh
Drag the date slider to see when color moves through the country around Raleigh, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
North Carolina
37 miPeak November 11
The Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park turn sourwood, maple, and hickory to scarlet by mid-October, while Piedmont oaks and the coastal plain hold color into November.
Virginia
120 miPeak October 22
Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway carry travelers through oak-hickory ridges and scattered sugar maples in Shenandoah National Park, with color typically peaking in mid-October at higher elevations.
South Carolina
183 miPeak November 9
Upstate maples and oaks around Table Rock and Caesars Head State Parks turn by late October, while blackwater cypress-tupelo swamps at Congaree National Park hold muted color into November across the Lowcountry.
West Virginia
231 miPeak October 15
Almost entirely mountainous, West Virginia's sugar and red maples turn early, with the Highland Scenic Highway and Blackwater Falls State Park in the Allegheny highlands often peaking by late September into early October.
Maryland
259 miPeak October 31
From Garrett County's sugar maple ridges peaking in early October to the oak-hickory woods around Catoctin Mountain Park and the Eastern Shore's cypress sloughs coloring into November, Maryland spans the season.
Where locals go
Things to do in fall in Raleigh
Orchards, cider, haunts, and harvest season. These are the iconic fall stops within a day trip of Raleigh.
North Carolina State Fair
Fall festivalColor nearby peaks November 10
Eleven days of rides and midway games at the state fairgrounds in west Raleigh, running mid to late October.
Haunted attraction
Color nearby peaks November 10
Five attractions on a Franklin County farm north of Raleigh, anchored by a half-mile Haunted Forest trail of 12 scenes.
in North Carolina
Dean's Farm Market
37 miFarm
Color nearby peaks November 12
A farm market and kitchen east of Raleigh in Wilson, where fall brings hayrides around the property and a free pumpkin for every paying…
in North Carolina
Orchard
Color nearby peaks November 11
An orchard and cider house near Ramseur, between Greensboro and Raleigh, built around an Apple Barn market and a weekend Cider House…
in North Carolina
Haunted attraction
Color nearby peaks November 9
Running since 1985 across 92 acres of working farm outside Greensboro, with 180+ scare actors staffing the trail every night and a 1925…
in North Carolina
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 Raleigh in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for November 9–November 13 (best estimate November 11). Color starts around November 2 and trees are mostly bare by December 4. These dates are computed for Raleigh itself, at 114 m elevation, using the same weather model as the tracker.
- When is fall foliage season in Raleigh?
- Raleigh colors during autumn (September to November). Counting from the first turn to bare branches that is about 32 days, and the best of it falls in the week either side of November 11.
- What's the best foliage near Raleigh?
- North Carolina (37 mi, peak ~November 11); Virginia (120 mi, peak ~October 22); South Carolina (183 mi, peak ~November 9).
- What are the best things to do in fall in Raleigh?
- Beyond the leaves: North Carolina State Fair (4 mi); Haunted Forest at Panic Point (20 mi); Dean's Farm Market (37 mi); Millstone Creek Orchards (53 mi); Kersey Valley Spookywoods (73 mi). All of them are mapped on this page.