The 2026 Fall Foliage Map Has Landed

SmokyMountains.com has been producing its fall foliage maps for more than a decade. The Smoky Mountains 2026 Fall Foliage Prediction Map has now been released to visualize this year's expected progression of fall foliage across the contiguous US. 

Rather than simply highlighting where autumn is happening now, the interactive map lets you travel through the season week by week to see when different parts of the country are expected to change colour. The map divides the US into counties, with each county coloured according to its predicted foliage stage. The legend ranges from No Change and Minimal through Patchy, Partial, Near Peak, Peak and Past Peak. This makes it particularly easy to see the gradual movement of autumn across the country.

If you're planning a trip to see the spectacular colours of autumn in the USA, the Fall Foliage Map 2026 is another useful guide to knowing where and when to go. This interactive map covers the Lower 48 states and lets you track the changing foliage through the season, from the first hints of colour in September through to the final displays in November and December.

The map includes a timeline running through the autumn months. Drag the date slider and the map updates to show the estimated state of the foliage on that date. Areas are coloured according to their predicted foliage stage, making it easy to see the gradual progression of autumn from the northern states and higher elevations towards the south.

There are two particularly useful ways to explore the data. Color Report shows the estimated foliage conditions for a particular date, while Peak Timing switches the map to show when different areas are expected to reach peak colour. The latter is especially useful if you're trying to work out when to visit a particular region rather than simply wondering where autumn has arrived.

You can search for a city, national park or other destination using the map's search bar. This zooms the map to the location and provides a link to a more detailed local forecast. You can also turn local foliage reports on and off, allowing you to compare the modelled estimates with reports from people actually seeing the leaves on the ground.