When do the leaves change in Washington, DC?
The monuments get the postcards, but Washington is a genuinely leafy city. Rock Creek Park runs a wooded gorge right through town, the National Arboretum turns on with maples and hickories, and Great Falls frames the Potomac in color. Shenandoah's Skyline Drive is a morning's drive west, and the city itself peaks later — two chances at the show.
Peak: November 1–November 5
Color builds from October 19 · mostly bare by November 25
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures (Open-Meteo) drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model, sampled at Washington, DC’s own coordinates rather than a regional average. Dates are computed for Washington, DC itself at 25 m elevation. Estimates, not promises — street trees vary block to block. Check locally before you plan around a weekend.
Fall activities in Washington, DC
Cunningham Falls State Park
53 miState park
Peak October 29
Cunningham Falls tumbles 78 feet down a rock face in the Catoctin Mountains, the largest cascading waterfall in Maryland, reached by a short trail from the Houck day-use area of this roughly 6,000-acre park established in 1954 alongside the 43-acre Hunting Creek Lake.
Don’t miss: 78-ft Cunningham Falls · Catoctin Mountain fall color · Hunting Creek Lake
in Maryland
Skyline Drive
62 miScenic drive
Peak October 21
Shenandoah National Park's 105-mile ridge-top drive along the Blue Ridge crest strings together 75 overlooks of the Shenandoah Valley and Piedmont, with color typically peaking mid-to-late October at the higher elevations near the Front Royal entrance.
Don’t miss: 105 miles along the Blue Ridge crest · 75 scenic overlooks · Peak color mid-to-late October
in Virginia
Old Rag Mountain
71 miTrail
Peak October 20
The 9-mile circuit to Old Rag's 3,284-foot summit climbs through a mile-long boulder scramble that's become Virginia's most popular hike, so popular that a capped day-use ticket, bought in advance on recreation.gov, is now required year-round on top of the park entrance pass.
Don’t miss: Signature summit boulder scramble · 3,284-ft summit · Advance day-use ticket required
in Virginia
Where locals go
Things to do in fall in Washington, DC
Orchards, cider, haunts, and harvest season — the iconic fall stops within a day trip of Washington, DC.
Field of Screams Maryland
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks November 3
A multi-haunt scream park on Olney Laytonsville Road, north of the Capital Beltway, known for its Trail of Terror, Haunted Trail and Slaughter Factory haunted house. The park sat out the 2025 season for a full rebuild of its trail and says it will return in 2026.
Don’t miss: Trail of Terror and Haunted Trail · Slaughter Factory haunted house · Returning in 2026 after a full rebuild
Butler's Orchard
24 miOrchard
Color nearby peaks November 2
Five generations of the Butler family have farmed this roughly 300-acre Germantown property since 1950; its Pumpkin Festival, running since 1980, fills fall weekends with pick-your-own pumpkins, hayrides, and a corn maze.
Don’t miss: Pumpkin Festival since 1980 · Pick-your-own pumpkins · Hayrides and corn maze
in Maryland
Cox Farms
24 miFarm
Color nearby peaks October 31
This Centreville farm runs a daytime Fall Festival of slides, hayrides, and pumpkins alongside Fields of Fear, a nighttime haunted attraction with a scare-zone cornfield and hayride, on Friday and Saturday nights from late September into early November.
Don’t miss: Fall Festival slides and hayrides · Fields of Fear haunted nights · Cornightmare cornfield maze
in Virginia
Clark's Elioak Farm
24 miFarm
Color nearby peaks November 3
Once home to figures from Baltimore's old Enchanted Forest storybook park, Clark's Elioak Farm folds those fairy tale statues into a working petting farm outside Ellicott City. Its fall pumpkin patch runs alongside the usual barnyard animals and play areas, open most of the year from late March into November.
Don’t miss: Enchanted Forest storybook statues · Fall pumpkin patch · Petting farm and play areas
in Maryland
Maryland Renaissance Festival
25 miFall festival
Color nearby peaks November 5
A wooded fairground in Crownsville turns into a 16th century village every fall weekend, with jousting, jesters, and more than a hundred craft and food vendors under the trees. The 2026 run spans nineteen days between August 29 and October 25, weekends only, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., a short drive from both Annapolis and Baltimore.
Don’t miss: Jousting and live entertainment · 16th century village setting · Weekends, late August to late October
in Maryland
Ellicott City
28 miHistoric town
Color nearby peaks November 4
Three Quaker brothers founded this mill town on the Patapsco River in 1771, and its steep Main Street still holds the granite storefronts that grew up around their mills. Filled today with antique shops and restaurants, the historic district anchors the oldest surviving train station in the country, a short drive from both Baltimore and Washington.
Don’t miss: Granite mill-town Main Street · Oldest surviving US train station · Antique shops and restaurants
in Maryland
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 Washington, DC in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for November 1–November 5 (best estimate November 3). Color starts around October 19 and trees are mostly bare by November 25. These dates are computed for Washington, DC itself — at 25 m elevation — from the same weather model as the tracker.
- When is fall foliage season in Washington, DC?
- Washington, DC colors during autumn (September–November). The monuments get the postcards, but Washington is a genuinely leafy city. Rock Creek Park runs a wooded gorge right through town, the National Arboretum turns on with maples and hickories, and Great Falls frames the Potomac in color. Shenandoah's Skyline Drive is a morning's drive west, and the city itself peaks later — two chances at the show.
- What's the best foliage near Washington, DC?
- Cunningham Falls State Park (53 mi); Skyline Drive (62 mi); Old Rag Mountain (71 mi). For a longer trip: Virginia (140 mi, peak ~October 27); Maryland (25 mi, peak ~November 3); West Virginia (197 mi, peak ~October 20).
- What are the best things to do in fall in Washington, DC?
- Beyond the leaves: Field of Screams Maryland (19 mi); Butler's Orchard (24 mi); Cox Farms (24 mi); Clark's Elioak Farm (24 mi); Maryland Renaissance Festival (25 mi). All of them are mapped on this page.
- What are the best things to do in autumn near Washington, DC?
- Come autumn — autumn (September–November) — locals head for Field of Screams Maryland (19 mi); Butler's Orchard (24 mi); Cox Farms (24 mi); Clark's Elioak Farm (24 mi); Maryland Renaissance Festival (25 mi). Each is on the map with the distance from Washington, DC.