Best Places to See Fall Foliage and Colors
Discover the best spots in Maryland to catch stunning fall foliage and colors. Members of the Things to Do in Maryland group have you covered! They’ve shared their top picks for breathtaking fall foliage and destinations across Maryland. No matter where you are, a gorgeous autumn view is waiting nearby. And guess what? You don’t have to head west to the mountains to find it—there are plenty of vibrant fall scenes to the east and south, too! Get ready to be wowed by the beauty of the season! 🍁🍂
Maryland Fall Foliage Map
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources produces a Fall Foliage map every year that predicts when colors across Maryland will peak.
In 2023 the colors just started to change in Western Maryland the week of September 21. By the first week in November the foliage colors were past peak all across Maryland. We’ll update the map here as it becomes available.
Annapolis Area Fall Colors
Beverly Triton Nature Park is located where the South and West Rivers join the Chesapeake Bay. The Pond loop takes walkers through the forest for a beautiful view.
Downtown Annapolis is on the list simply because the decorations are fun to see. There are gigantic pumpkins from the Market House up through the first block of West Street. Scarecrows attached to the lightpoles are part of a contest between local businesses.
Truxtun Park is at the headwaters of Spa Creek and overlooks downtown from the boat ramp. Trails wrap around the park at the water’s edge for spectacular views.
Baltimore Area Fall Colors
Take a trip through the country roads ANYWHERE!! Ellicott City down by Daniels DAM is beautiful.
Maryland Route 25, Falls Road, was just named second best road for Beautiful Fall Foliage. It starts in Baltimore, just north of Penn Station and runs up to Pennsylvania for a total of nearly 27 miles.
Elk Neck State Park in North East, Maryland and close to B-more. The walk to the lighthouse is easy and dog friendly thru a wooded area.
“The Cylburn Arboretum is nice to visit when the leaves change in Baltimore city I looked back at my pictures and seems First week of November was when I went,” commented one group member.
The roads to the Coverbridges are beautiful. There are three covered bridges in Frederick County, two in Cecil and one shared between Baltimore and Harford counties.
Catoctin Mountains Fall Colors
Try the Catoctin Mountains in Thurmont along with the nearby towns of Emmittsburg and Frederick.
Recommended parks for hiking with beautiful views:
Frederick Municipal Forest, all along the ridge, Tower Road, hiking etc.
Greenridge State Forest in Maryland
Deep Creek Lake and Western Maryland
100% Deep Creek. Take in the gorgeous lake and foliage. Hike Swallow Falls State Park. Rent a house on the lake for the night (tons of rentals available online) and enjoy pizza and a beer at Mountain State Brewing. Perfect weekend.
Autumn Glory weekend in Oakland (near Deep Creek) is scheduled for October 9-13, 2024. Autumn Glory is a fun event with an old Town parade, fireman’s foods, turkey dinner, and craft shows.
“My husband’s family travels to Herrington Manor/Swallow Falls every year in October. We absolutely love the waterfalls and the hikes. It is well worth the drive in our opinion!”
Eastern Shore Fall Colors
Not all fall foliage is in the mountains.
The Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway: Maryland Route 213 and Maryland Route 18 between the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge takes travelers from Chesapeake City, through Chestertown, Rock Hall, and Eastern Neck NWR. Along the way the rural byways provide scenic fall views.
St Michaels is is a beautiful place to visit.
Montgomery County Fall Colors
“I suggest the 50-mile Agricultural Driving Tour in Montgomery County.” It winds past farms, silos, historic homes and farms, and a vineyard and orchard. It has been named a Maryland Scenic Drive. The tour starts at the King Barn Dairy Mooseum, which is now part of the South Germantown Recreational Park. This is a wonderful park to explore
Take a Train Ride to See Fall Colors
Something new to try on Fall foliage, check out the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad.
“We will do the train ride from Cumberland to Frostburg (4 to 5 hours drive) there is 90 min layover in Frostburg before going back to cumberland.”
Walkersville Southern Railroad and Museum for an Autumn Train ride! Ride on a track originally built in 1872.
Tracks and Yaks for Fall Colors
“We did Tracks and Yaks in Frostburg a few weeks ago. They offer train rides or you can pedal a cart on the train tracks. We pedaled and had a great time!” There are two locations in Maryland, Frostburg, and Berlin.
