When do the leaves change in Richmond?
Richmond's color comes with a river through it. The James River Park trails run under gold sycamores and oaks, Hollywood Cemetery's hills look down on the rapids, and Maymont's arboretum grounds are the city's showpiece. When the Blue Ridge calls, Skyline Drive and the Charlottesville hills are about ninety minutes west.
Peak: October 31–November 4
Color builds from October 18 · mostly bare by November 25
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures (Open-Meteo) drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model, sampled at Richmond’s own coordinates rather than a regional average. Dates are computed for Richmond itself at 55 m elevation. Estimates, not promises — street trees vary block to block. Check locally before you plan around a weekend.
Fall activities in Richmond
Virginia
80 miPeak October 27
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.
Maryland
122 miPeak November 3
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.
Delaware
145 miPeak November 6
Delaware's low, flat terrain turns gradually, with oaks and sweetgums coloring the Brandywine Valley by mid-October and bald cypress swamps at Trap Pond State Park holding russet tones into November.
North Carolina
171 miPeak November 17
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.
West Virginia
194 miPeak October 20
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.
Where locals go
Maymont
GardenPeak November 2
A hundred-acre Richmond estate built around a Gilded Age mansion, with an Italian garden, a Japanese garden, and an arboretum of mature trees that turn hard in October. It is free to walk in, close enough to downtown that locals treat it as a regular after-work loop.
Don’t miss: Italian and Japanese gardens · Arboretum of mature trees · Free admission
Pocahontas State Park
State parkPeak November 2
Virginia's largest state park sits just southwest of Richmond, close to 8,000 acres of pine and hardwood forest laced with more than 90 miles of trail for hikers, mountain bikers, and horses. Fall thins the canopy enough to open up views over Swift Creek Lake that summer crowds miss.
Don’t miss: 90+ miles of trail · Swift Creek and Beaver Lake · Virginia's largest state park
Things to do in fall in Richmond
Orchards, cider, haunts, and harvest season — the iconic fall stops within a day trip of Richmond.
Haunts of Richmond Ghost Tours
Ghost tourColor nearby peaks November 2
Billed as Richmond's original ghost tour company since 2004, running six walking tours at $27 a head through Shockoe Bottom, Church Hill and Capitol Square. The Shadows of Shockoe tour covers about three-quarters of a mile in 90 minutes.
Don’t miss: Six tours across historic Richmond · Shadows of Shockoe departs Richbrau Brewing · Haunted dinners and pub crawls
Hanover Vegetable Farm
Pumpkin patchColor nearby peaks November 1
A Hanover County farm north of Richmond that has been selling produce since 1902 and opens its pumpkin field each autumn. Through the peak season the farm is open every day 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., shifting to Monday-Saturday hours from early November.
Don’t miss: Pumpkin picking in the field · Farm market open daily · Farming the same land since 1902
Halloween Haunt at Kings Dominion
20 miHaunted attraction
Color nearby peaks November 1
Kings Dominion swaps its usual coasters for scare mazes and roaming actors on select nights from mid-September through Halloween week, with the park's regular rides staying open after dark. It is a Richmond-area staple for anyone who wants a real haunt attached to a real theme park.
Don’t miss: Scare mazes and roaming actors · Regular coasters running after dark · Select nights, mid-September to November
in Virginia
State Fair of Virginia
21 miFall festival
Color nearby peaks November 1
Virginia's state fair takes over Meadow Event Park in Doswell for about ten days each fall with livestock judging, a giant vegetable weigh-off, a carnival midway, and 4-H and FFA kids showing off a year of work. It is county fair energy scaled up to an entire state.
Don’t miss: Livestock judging and giant vegetable weigh-off · Carnival midway and concerts · 4-H and FFA competitions
in Virginia
The Original Ghost Tour of Williamsburg
44 miGhost tour
Color nearby peaks November 7
Williamsburg's original ghost walk leaves from Merchants Square every night at eight, ninety minutes past the Capitol and the old Public Hospital while guides work through two centuries of local hauntings. It runs rain or shine, all year, so you do not need to time a trip around Halloween.
Don’t miss: 90-minute candlelight walking tour · Meets nightly at Merchants Square · Runs year-round, not just October
in Virginia
Busch Gardens Williamsburg Howl-O-Scream
48 miHaunted attraction
Color nearby peaks November 7
After dark each fall, Busch Gardens Williamsburg turns its European-village theme park into Howl-O-Scream, with five haunted houses, six outdoor scare zones, four sinister shows and roller coasters running in the dark. Amplified scares start at 6 p.m. on select nights.
Don’t miss: Five haunted houses and six scare zones · Coasters running after dark · Select nights, 6 p.m. to park close
in Virginia
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 Richmond in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 31–November 4 (best estimate November 2). Color starts around October 18 and trees are mostly bare by November 25. These dates are computed for Richmond itself — at 55 m elevation — from the same weather model as the tracker.
- When is fall foliage season in Richmond?
- Richmond colors during autumn (September–November). Richmond's color comes with a river through it. The James River Park trails run under gold sycamores and oaks, Hollywood Cemetery's hills look down on the rapids, and Maymont's arboretum grounds are the city's showpiece. When the Blue Ridge calls, Skyline Drive and the Charlottesville hills are about ninety minutes west.
- What's the best foliage near Richmond?
- Virginia (80 mi, peak ~October 27); Maryland (122 mi, peak ~November 3); Delaware (145 mi, peak ~November 6).
- What are the best things to do in fall in Richmond?
- Beyond the leaves: Haunts of Richmond Ghost Tours (1 mi); Hanover Vegetable Farm (16 mi); Halloween Haunt at Kings Dominion (20 mi); State Fair of Virginia (21 mi); The Original Ghost Tour of Williamsburg (44 mi). All of them are mapped on this page.
- What are the best things to do in autumn near Richmond?
- Come autumn — autumn (September–November) — locals head for Haunts of Richmond Ghost Tours (1 mi); Hanover Vegetable Farm (16 mi); Halloween Haunt at Kings Dominion (20 mi); State Fair of Virginia (21 mi); The Original Ghost Tour of Williamsburg (44 mi). Each is on the map with the distance from Richmond.