Cox Farms
Farm · Virginia
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
Color nearby peaks: October 29–November 2
Color builds from October 16 · mostly bare by November 22
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model, sampled at Cox Farms’s own coordinates and elevation (85 m) rather than a regional average. Estimates, not promises — check locally before you plan a trip around it.
Cox Farms on the map
More things to do in Virginia
Skyline Drive
Scenic drivePeak 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
Old Rag Mountain
TrailPeak 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
Great Falls Park
National parkPeak November 2
The Potomac drops 76 feet over jagged bedrock cascades at this 800-acre National Park Service site near McLean, with cliffside trails past the ruins of George Washington's Patowmack Canal offering some of the region's most dramatic river-gorge foliage views.
Don’t miss: 76-ft Potomac River cascades · Historic Patowmack Canal ruins · Cliffside overlook trails
Graves Mountain Farm
OrchardColor nearby peaks October 20
Family-run since 1965 at the foot of the Blue Ridge in Madison County, this 1,800-acre farm and lodge holds its Apple Harvest Festival across the first three weekends of October, with pick-your-own apples, hayrides, bluegrass, and a country buffet.
Don’t miss: Apple Harvest Festival, October weekends · Pick-your-own apples · Blue Ridge foothill setting
Plan from a city
Frequently asked
- When does Cox Farms peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 29–November 2 (best estimate October 31). Color starts around October 16 and is mostly bare by November 22.
- What is Cox Farms best for?
- The DC area's biggest fall festival.
- How do I get to Cox Farms?
- The closest city is Washington, DC, about 24 mi away. It's part of Virginia's fall lineup.
Own or manage Cox Farms? Update your listing or get in touch.