I grew up in southern Connecticut and autumn has always been the most beautiful season there. When the leaves hit their peak, the reds, oranges and yellows rival the fall displays found anywhere else in the country.
One of my favorite places to take a walk around in mid to late November is New York City’s Central Park. The photo above was captured on November 20, 2018, from the JW Essex House Hotel.
If you want to experience fall color at its best, now is the time to start planning. I rarely suggest booking last-minute trips because they are usually more expensive, but planning a foliage getaway is different. Since only Mother Nature knows when the leaves will actually start changing, timing becomes the real challenge.
Shifts in weather patterns have made that timing even harder to predict. That is why resources like Explorefall.com and SmokyMountains.com’s annual fall foliage map are so useful. Their 2025 interactive map has just been released, and it breaks the continental U.S. into counties. By blending multiple data sources, it predicts when each area will hit its peak colors. Using it is simple: slide the timeline at the bottom and watch the county-by-county colors change to match the date.
Screenshot of Fall Foliage Map Prediction Map
How reliable is it? Last year my sister was in Vermont when the map showed it as one of the first regions where leaves had already turned. She confirmed the forecast was right on target. It is not a perfect science, but this tool has proven to be one of the most accurate ways to plan. The data includes NOAA temperature and precipitation records and forecasts, plus historical peak and observation trends.
Try the map for yourself and you might just be able to schedule a perfectly timed leaf-peeping trip.