When do the leaves change in Oregon?
Bigleaf and vine maple flare red and gold through the Columbia River Gorge by mid-October, while aspen colors eastern Oregon's Wallowas and Steens Mountain a few weeks earlier. Both regions draw dedicated leaf-peeping drives.
Peak: October 15–October 25
Color builds from October 5 · mostly bare by November 10
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures (Open-Meteo) drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model; terrain shifts timing ~1 day earlier per 300 m of elevation. Temperature alone can’t tell a maritime autumn from a continental one — two places at the same latitude and the same September can peak weeks apart, because the trees differ — so each region is also calibrated against published peak dates. Estimates, not promises: typically within a few days, occasionally a week or more out. Check locally before you travel.
Known for
Things to do in fall in Oregon
15 iconic stops — scenic drives, farms, haunts, and the views locals plan their October around.
Columbia River Gorge
Scenic drivePeak October 19
The Historic Columbia River Highway threads waterfalls and bigleaf maples between Troutdale and Hood River, with Vista House at Crown Point framing the gorge 700 feet below. The route's maples turn in late October, after summer's crowds thin out.
Don’t miss: Vista House at Crown Point · Historic Columbia River Highway · Waterfalls and bigleaf maples
Silver Falls State Park
State parkPeak October 20
The Trail of Ten Falls loop passes behind and beside ten waterfalls through a canyon of vine maple and Douglas fir that color through October. South Falls, a 177-foot curtain you can walk behind, anchors Oregon's largest state park.
Don’t miss: Trail of Ten Falls loop · South Falls walk-behind curtain · Vine maple color
Portland Japanese Garden
GardenPeak October 24
Terraced ponds and a strolling garden in Washington Park turn deep red and gold as Japanese and vine maples color through late October into November. Regularly ranked among the finest Japanese gardens outside Japan, it's Portland's most concentrated fall-color stop.
Don’t miss: Japanese and vine maples · Strolling pond garden · Tea house and terraces
Hood River Fruit Loop
OrchardColor nearby peaks October 13
A signed 35-mile drive loops through the orchards and vineyards between Hood River and Parkdale, where pear and apple trees turn color alongside Mount Hood views. Farm stands along the route sell fresh-pressed cider through the October harvest.
Don’t miss: 35-mile signed farm drive · Fresh-pressed cider stands · Mount Hood views
Mount Angel Oktoberfest
Fall festivalColor nearby peaks October 24
The Pacific Northwest's largest Oktoberfest fills this small Willamette Valley town's streets with biergartens, a Grand Parade, and Northwest wines and microbrews each September. It's been running since 1966 and draws crowds many times the town's population.
Don’t miss: Grand Parade · Biergartens and folk dancing · Northwest wine and beer garden
Bauman's Farm & Garden
FarmColor nearby peaks October 25
Bauman's Harvest Festival turns this fourth-generation Gervais farm into one of Oregon's biggest fall outings, with a corn maze cut fresh each year, a pumpkin patch, and a bakery running daily through October.
Don’t miss: Fresh-cut corn maze · Pumpkin patch · On-site bakery
Topaz Farm
FarmColor nearby peaks October 22
Twenty minutes from downtown Portland, this 130-acre farm on Sauvie Island opened as Kruger's Farm in 1999 and now runs cow train rides, u-cut flowers, and farm-animal visits through summer before its pumpkin patch and corn maze take over the fields in October.
Don’t miss: Cow train rides and u-cut flowers · October pumpkin patch and corn maze · Farm animals and weekend market
Bella Organic Farm
Corn mazeColor nearby peaks October 22
A hundred-acre certified organic farm on Sauvie Island, twenty five minutes from Portland, where summer u-pick berries give way to a fall corn maze, a pumpkin patch, and a haunted version of the maze after dark. Free hayrides out to the pumpkin fields start in late September, and the farm's small winery stays open through the season.
Don’t miss: Corn maze and pumpkin patch · Haunted corn maze after dark · Free hayrides from late September
Guides
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in Oregon in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 15–October 25 (best estimate October 20). Color starts around October 5 and trees are mostly bare by November 10.
- How reliable is the Oregon 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 Oregon's autumn season?
- Oregon colors during autumn (September–November). Bigleaf and vine maple flare red and gold through the Columbia River Gorge by mid-October, while aspen colors eastern Oregon's Wallowas and Steens Mountain a few weeks earlier. Both regions draw dedicated leaf-peeping drives.
- What are the best things to do in fall in Oregon?
- The iconic stops: Columbia River Gorge, Silver Falls State Park, Portland Japanese Garden, Hood River Fruit Loop, Mount Angel Oktoberfest, Bauman's Farm & Garden. Every one is mapped on this page with its peak-color timing.
- What are the best things to do in autumn in Oregon?
- Autumn — autumn (September–November) — is peak season here. Pair the color with Columbia River Gorge, Silver Falls State Park, Portland Japanese Garden, Hood River Fruit Loop, Mount Angel Oktoberfest; each is on the map above with the window to catch it.
Nearby & similar
Cities in Oregon
Local peak timing and things to do in fall, computed for each city.
Season by season
2026 (forecast)
Peak October 15–October 25
October 5 → November 10