The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has launched its annual fall foliage tracker, officially kicking off the 2026 leaf-peeping season. State forester David Parrott says early colors are starting to dot the tree canopies, and this year’s season is off to a slow but promising start.
“For the first time in numerous years, we are entering autumn with a potentially typical fall season,” Parrott said in a statement. “Some colors are starting to dot the tree canopies, and we seem to be on track for a great fall color season.” The earliest species showing color include buckeyes and dogwoods, along with poison ivy and sumacs turning vibrant reds.
Fall color typically peaks in Ohio from mid- to late October, moving from the northern counties southward. The state’s tracker lets residents and visitors check regional color conditions before heading to places like Hocking Hills, the Cuyahoga Valley and Ohio’s state parks, which draw some of the largest autumn crowds in the Midwest.
The forecast cooperates with the season’s start: after Friday’s rain moves out, Ohio settles into a stretch of sunny, dry fall weather with highs in the 60s and 70s — prime conditions for leaf-peepers through at least the middle of next week.
