Green Lake Park

City park · Washington

The city's favorite 2.8-mile loop rings Green Lake with sweetgums, maples, and cottonwoods that color through late October. It's an easy golden-hour walk, with the water doubling every tree on a still evening.

Best for: an easy evening walk

Don’t miss

  • The 2.8-mile loop
2026 Forecast

Peak: October 11–October 15

Color builds from September 28 · mostly bare by November 2

Color starts: September 28Peak: October 13Bare: November 2AugustDecember

Method: daily ERA5 temperatures drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model, sampled at Green Lake Park’s own coordinates and elevation (49 m) rather than a regional average. Estimates, not promises — check locally before you plan a trip around it.

Green Lake Park on the map

More things to do in Washington

Washington Park Arboretum

Arboretum

Peak October 13 2026 forecast

The 230-acre arboretum on Lake Washington runs vivid from mid-October into November, with Japanese maples along Azalea Way, the Pacific Connections gardens, and canoe-level color from the Foster Island waterside trail.

Don’t miss: Azalea Way · Japanese Garden maples · Foster Island trail

Kubota Garden

Garden

Peak October 10 2026 forecast

Fujitaro Kubota's 20-acre Japanese garden in Rainier Beach layers maples over ponds, bridges, and stonework. It's Seattle's most concentrated fall-color spot, usually peaking late October into mid-November, free, and quieter than it deserves.

Don’t miss: Heart Bridge · Mountainside maples

Franklin Falls

Trail

Typically October 1–October 20

An easy two-mile round trip off Snoqualmie Pass through old-growth hemlock and cedar to a 70-foot waterfall, with vine maple burning red and gold through the understory in early-to-mid October.

Don’t miss: Vine maple understory · The falls amphitheater

Mount Rainier, Paradise

National park

Typically September 15–October 5

Paradise at 5,400 feet doesn't do tree color. It does tundra: huckleberry and mountain-ash meadows turn scarlet against Rainier's glaciers from mid-September to early October, some of the earliest fall color in the Lower 48.

Don’t miss: Skyline Trail meadows · Reflection Lakes

See all things to do in Washington →

Plan from a city

Seattle · 5 mi · in town

Frequently asked

When does Green Lake Park peak in 2026?
Peak color is predicted for October 11–October 15 (best estimate October 13). Color starts around September 28 and is mostly bare by November 2.
What is Green Lake Park best for?
An easy evening walk.
How do I get to Green Lake Park?
The closest city is Seattle, about 5 mi away (it's right in town). It's part of Washington's fall lineup.
See it on the map

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