When do the leaves change in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's ridge-and-valley forests color early in the Poconos and again in the Laurel Highlands, with dense oak-hickory stands statewide.
Peak: October 9–October 18
Color builds from October 3 · mostly bare by November 5
Pennsylvania is sampled at 22 weather points, then moved 3 days later so the model agrees with 2 published peak dates from almanac.com and smokymountains.com. Pennsylvania is running 4 days earlier than its own average this year. Peak dates spread about 9 days inside Pennsylvania, so the high ground turns well before the valleys. How the forecast works
Known for
Things to do in fall in Pennsylvania
15 iconic stops, including scenic drives, farms, haunts, and the views locals plan their October around.
Eastern State Penitentiary
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks October 30
Philadelphia's crumbling 1829 penitentiary (one of the first true prisons in the world, abandoned in 1971) turns its cellblocks into…
Ricketts Glen State Park
State parkPeak October 14
The Falls Trail's 7.1-mile loop threads past 22 named waterfalls, including the 94-foot Ganoga Falls, through a National Natural Landmark…
Leonard Harrison State Park
State parkPeak October 10
The east rim overlook of Pine Creek Gorge (800 feet deep and nearly 4,000 feet across, and nicknamed the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon) turns…
Ghost Tours of New Hope
Ghost tourColor nearby peaks October 27
Lantern-lit walking tours have wound through this Bucks County river town since 1982, gathering at the corner of Main and Ferry streets…
Pool Forge Covered Bridge
Covered bridgeColor nearby peaks October 24
Built in 1859 by Levi Fink, this red Burr-arch truss bridge carries a quiet lane over the Conestoga River in Lancaster County…
Cherry Crest Adventure Farm
Corn mazeColor nearby peaks October 25
The Horst family cut Pennsylvania's first corn maze here in 1996; nearly three decades later the 5-acre maze still gets a new theme every…
Soergel Orchards
OrchardColor nearby peaks October 16
A German immigrant named John Conrad Soergel settled this spot in 1850 and began planting apple trees; six generations later the family…
Farms & harvest
Halloween
Guides
Understand the season in Pennsylvania
Short explainers on why and when the color arrives here.
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in Pennsylvania in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 9–October 18 (best estimate October 14). Color starts around October 3 and trees are mostly bare by November 5.
- How reliable is the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania's autumn season?
- Pennsylvania is in the northern hemisphere, so its color season is autumn (September to November). The turn takes roughly 33 days end to end, centered on October 14, and the last 13 of those are thinning canopy rather than color.
- What are the best things to do in fall in Pennsylvania?
- The iconic stops: Longwood Gardens, Eastern State Penitentiary, Ricketts Glen State Park, Leonard Harrison State Park, Ghost Tours of New Hope, Pool Forge Covered Bridge. Every one is mapped on this page with its peak-color timing.
Nearby & similar
Cities in Pennsylvania
Local peak timing and things to do in fall, computed for each city.
Season by season
2026 (forecast)
Peak October 9–October 18
October 3 → November 5