Love Leaf Peeping? Here's The Best Places To Photograph Foliage In The US This Fall

Congratulations, Autumn lovers. It’s finally your time to shine. Latte foam art? Tiny pumpkins? Fuzzy, comfy socks? Go wild, you’ve earned it, and if it’s fabulous fall foliage in the US you’re hankering for then hoo boy, do we have news for you.

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Vibrant fall foliage has been forecast across the Midwest and New England by those mad-for-meteorology folks over at AccuWeather. They’re predicting vivid colors across parts of 25 states, but while they’ll be spectacular, they’re also likely to be short-lived. Good news for some if you can make it to the right place at the right time, but Fall 2025 is going to be a bit of a mixed bag for leaf peepers in the United States.

“There will be drastic differences in fall foliage across this country this year,” said AccuWeather® Lead Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok in a release sent to IFLScience. “We expect vibrant colors across much of New England and the Midwest this autumn. Don’t wait too long to check out the leaves as they approach peak color. The fall foliage may not last very long this year.”

For an unlucky 23 states, including three fall tourism hotspots, it’s going to be a rather blander leafy landscape. The Appalachians and the Northwest are forecast to experience dull autumn leaf colors. A sobering reminder that those reds, oranges, and yellows we all love to frolic in are not guaranteed.

“You can blame heavy rainfall and flooding this spring and summer for dull colors in the Appalachians and the Smoky Mountains,” said Pastelok. “Insect and fungus damage can occur across southwest Pennsylvania, western Maryland and Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, extending to Mississippi and Alabama from heavy rain.”

“This can lead to duller colors and early droppage of leaves. Heat, drought conditions, and even wildfire smoke will limit the vibrancy of colors in much of the interior West. Stressed trees in the lower elevations could drop leaves a week or two earlier than average this autumn.”

Yep, it seems there is a perfect recipe if you want the most dazzling display of autumn color. For the best fall foliage, you want:

•  Steady rainfall through spring and summer so that trees experience a healthy growing season
• An evening temperature drop that will trap sugars in leaves, the drivers of those reddish-purple colors
• A calm autumn, as everything from drought, wind, heavy rain, early frosts, or even insects can cut the season short

So, lattes, tiny pumpkins, and fuzzy socks at the ready – we’re going leaf peeping, losers.

Ever wondered why leaves change color in fall? We've got you covered.