When do the leaves change in Maine?
Maine's mix of maple, birch and coastal spruce gives Acadia National Park and the western mountains an early, crisp foliage season.
Peak: October 3–October 11
Color builds from September 19 · mostly bare by October 27
This window comes from 18 weather points across Maine, nudged 1 day later to match 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com. This year's weather has the peak running 5 days earlier than a normal year. Peak dates spread about 8 days inside Maine, so the high ground turns well before the valleys. How the forecast works
Known for
Things to do in fall in Maine
10 iconic stops, including scenic drives, farms, haunts, and the views locals plan their October around.
Acadia National Park (Park Loop Road)
National parkPeak October 12
The 27-mile Park Loop Road threads Acadia's granite coastline and Mount Desert Island's hardwood forest past Sand Beach and Thunder Hole to…
Camden Hills State Park
State parkPeak October 13
A toll auto road switchbacks to the 800-foot summit of Mount Battie, where a stone tower frames the classic view of Camden Harbor…
Height of Land (Rangeley Lakes Scenic Byway)
Scenic drivePeak September 30
The best pull-off on the 52-mile Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway sits at 2,300 feet on Route 17, framing Mooselookmeguntic Lake…
Treworgy Family Orchards
OrchardColor nearby peaks October 11
Branded Maine's Pumpkin Farm since the 1980s, this Levant orchard plows a new corn maze design every year (repeatedly voted the country's…
Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta
Fall festivalColor nearby peaks October 15
For two weeks each October, Damariscotta's Main Street fills with giant pumpkins grown from a single seed strain distributed to locals…
Kennebunkport
Historic townColor nearby peaks October 16
A working harbor village turned genteel summer colony, Kennebunkport pairs Dock Square's shops and lobster shacks with the Ocean Avenue…
Farmington Fright Fest
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks October 10
Western Maine's biggest Halloween event, staged at the Farmington Fairgrounds with three separate haunts: a sea-hag-haunted fishing wharf…
Thompson's Orchard
Donuts & ciderColor nearby peaks October 12
A family orchard north of Portland that has fried apple cider doughnuts on site since 1906, still the reason most people pull off the road…
Farms & harvest
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.
The Best Fall Hikes in New England
Eight trail-tested fall hikes across Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts, from short overlooks to a full above-treeline ridge walk.
Understand the season in Maine
Short explainers on why and when the color arrives here.
Photography & Observation
Overcast Is Your Friend: Light and Weather for Foliage Photos
Clouds work like a giant softbox for fall color. How to read a forecast for photography instead of comfort, predict fog, and use the hour after rain.
2026-07-17 · 4 min read
Foliage Timing & Seasons
The Weather That Makes (or Ruins) a Great Foliage Year
Warm days, cool nights, and just enough rain make a vivid fall. Drought, wind, and an early hard freeze can flatten the same season fast.
2026-07-17 · 5 min read
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in Maine in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 3–October 11 (best estimate October 7). Color starts around September 19 and trees are mostly bare by October 27.
- How reliable is the Maine forecast?
- The forecast blends recent-year weather normals with photoperiod and elevation; it tightens as the season approaches. Against published peak dates the model lands within a few days for most regions, but it can be a week or more out. Mountains and coastlines are the hardest. Higher elevations turn roughly one day earlier per 300 m.
- When is Maine's autumn season?
- Maine is in the northern hemisphere, so its color season is autumn (September to November). The turn takes roughly 38 days end to end, centered on October 7, and the last 11 of those are thinning canopy rather than color.
- What are the best things to do in fall in Maine?
- The iconic stops: Acadia National Park (Park Loop Road), Camden Hills State Park, Height of Land (Rangeley Lakes Scenic Byway), Treworgy Family Orchards, Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta, Kennebunkport. Every one is mapped on this page with its peak-color timing.
Nearby & similar
Season by season
2026 (forecast)
Peak October 3–October 11
September 19 → October 27