It's almost leaf peeping season in Ohio! In the next few weeks, northern Ohio will begin to see the reds, yellows and oranges associated with autumn. 

What You Need To Know

  • Colors will first pop in northern Ohio as early as late next week

  • Central Ohio gets the beat view mid to late October

  • Fall colors shine in southern Ohio into November

The window for the best leaf peeping is rapidly coming up, with northern Ohio seeing the best views first. Expect colors to start to really pop in the Snowbelt as early as late next week with peak across the northern third of Ohio generally from early to mid October. 

The following two weeks, we'll see colors really start to come alive in central Ohio, with peak in late October. For planning purposes, the weekend of the 21st could be a good bet. 

A later but nonetheless welcome arrival comes to southern Ohio a bit later, with colors peaking for some areas closer to Halloween into early November. 

There are no shortages of places to take a hike and take in the beautiful fall colors. Here are a few ideas:

Northern Ohio

  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
  • Rocky River Reservation
  • Whipps Ledges
  • Lanterman's Mill near Youngstown
  • Pearson and Secor Metroparks near Toledo

Central Ohio

  • Mohican State Park
  • Highbanks Metro Park
  • Slate Run Metro Park 
  • Island Metro Park

Southern Ohio

  • Hocking Hills State Park
  • Loveland Bike Trail
  • Strouds Run State Park

Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.