2 West Virginia spots among best places for early fall leaf peeping: Study

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Counting down the days until West Virginia gets its fall color in October? You might not have to wait that long.

A recent study named two places in West Virginia as the nation’s top spots for leaf peeping in mid-September. The Monongahela National Forest, which was already starting to see some bursts of color in late August , was ranked 27th on the list. Even though the leaf change might not be as bright due to the effects of the ongoing drought in the state , it is still expected to be an impressive display peaking in mid-to-late September .

Canaan Valley, which has already been seeing winter-like temperatures , is also expected to be a great place to see the leaf change early and was ranked 53rd. Because of its unique bog-like ecosystem, you might see plants in the valley that you wouldn’t see in other parts of the state. Its fall color is expected to pick up by mid-September and peak around the same time at the Monongahela National Forest near the end of the month.

For regular updates on fall color in West Virginia, check out the Forest Service’s Eastern Region Fall Color Report and subscribe to the West Virginia Department of Tourism’s weekly fall foliage updates .

Lowland areas of West Virginia will be better for leaf peeping once the fall season officially starts and will peak around mid-October to early November.

The full ranking by Gunther Volkswagen of Coconut Creek said that the top 10 best places for early leaf peeping are:

1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee
2. Shenandoah National Park in Virginia
3. Catskill Mountains in New York
4. Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in Virginia
5. Mohawk Trail in Massachusetts
6. Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest in Georgia
7. North Cascades National Park in Washington
8. Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania
9. Apalachicola National Forest in Florida
10. Acadia National Park in Maine

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