Connecticut Fall Foliage Report

State foresters say this year's Connecticut's foliage season is filled with vibrant colors. Peak foliage runs for several weeks in Connecticut due to our diversified terrain and variety of trees, offering travelers even more opportunities to see and experience the autumn beauty.

"Despite recent (episodic) dry periods, Connecticut has received sufficient rainfall this past year to set us up for a spectacular fall foliage season," said Christopher Martin, Director/State Forester, Division of Forestry, Bureau of Natural Resources, DEEP. "Recent cooler nights have set the stage for leaves to start their annual color change on time, with peak season expected mid-October in our hillier terrain."

Here are estimated peak foliage timeframes for each section:

• Connecticut Northwest/Northeast Corners: October 7 – 13
• Connecticut Eastern and Western Mid-State Counties: October 14 - 20
• Shoreline and lower Connecticut River Valley: October 28 - November 3
• Southwest Corner: November 4 - 10

A little known fact is that the Connecticut River, starting at the mouth of the Long Island Sound (between Old Saybrook and Old Lyme) and going up toward East Haddam, will change color last - into the first week or so of November. If you're leaf-peeping later in the season, the southern coastal parts of the state are the place to look. 

The diverse range of destinations and attractions across the state provides hundreds of interesting and unique vantages from which to view the gorgeous foliage. From Mystic Seaport Museum’s harbor to a farm in the quiet countryside, from the top of Gillette Castle to the middle of a classic Connecticut corn maze, fall in Connecticut is not to be missed.

For those planning visits to Connecticut for the foliage season, a good additional resource is DEEP’s Connecticut’s Fall Foliage pages:

• Where to view the fall foliage
• Which trees turn which fall leaf colors
• Why leaves change color