Fall foliage

Fall foliage in Washington

Fall 2026 · updated daily

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Washington’s color starts on the eastern crest of the Cascades and reaches the lowlands about a month later.

Golden larches against a deep blue sky with jagged peaks and a forested valley beyond.
Larches at Cutthroat Pass, near Washington PassPhoto: Jeffhollett · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Larch and aspen around Washington Pass, Slate Peak and the Okanogan highlands turn in the second week of October;

Snowy Mount Shuksan reflected in a small lake, with golden grass and red shrubs along the shore.
Mount Shuksan over Picture LakePhoto: Michal Osmenda · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
A glaciated peak above a subalpine meadow of red, orange and yellow, with clumps of dark conifers.
Paradise Valley, in Mount Rainier National ParkPhoto: National Park Service · Public domain · source

the North Cascades, Picture Lake and the Rainier meadows follow in the middle of the month;

A gravel path curving past maples with yellow leaves and shrubs in gold and copper, under tall conifers.
Washington Park Arboretum, in SeattlePhoto: Chiwauk · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
The Columbia River winding between steep slopes in autumn gold and green, seen from a high overlook.
The Columbia River Gorge from Cape HornPhoto: U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region · Public domain · source

the lowland maples and cottonwoods of Puget Sound, the Gorge and the San Juans finish at the end of October and into early November.

Western larch, a deciduous conifer, is what gives the east side its yellow.

In a typical year

Bordering states

Color: Fallcast, the same map as the app. Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors, Protomaps. Place outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.