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2023 Fall Color Schedule for Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains

2023 Fall Foliage & Leaf Viewing for Virginia's Blue Ridge

Plan your trip to see the vibrant fall colors and foliage of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains! Seeing the autumn leaves around the Roanoke Valley and along the Blue Ridge Parkway is a favorite annual tradition for locals and visitors to Virginia’s Blue Ridge.

According to a variety of weather forecasts and predictions, it appears we’ll be experiencing peak fall color in mid-to-late October in 2023.

2022 Fall Color Schedule - Blue Ridge Mountains

The 2023 Fall Foliage Prediction Map from SmokyMountains.com shows the second half of October being the prime period for seeing peak fall color in Roanoke & Virginia’s Blue Ridge.

While no prediction tool is perfect, the Fall Foliage Prediction Map combines an advanced weather algorithm that factors in thousands of data points and scientific factors to come up with the most accurate forecast possible.

The Farmers Almanac is projecting peak fall color for the inland portion of Virginia for October 12-28.

2023 Fall Foliage Prediction Map - SmokyMountains.com
Image via SmokyMountains.com

Expect Peak Fall Color in Virginia's Blue Ridge in Mid-to-Late October

Due to the various changes in elevation throughout Virginia’s Blue Ridge, it’s important to remember that different areas will see peak fall color at different times. Higher elevations, such as along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Appalachian Trail will see peak fall color earlier in the season compared to lower lying areas, including the Roanoke Valley.

Plan Your Adventure: Best Places to See Fall Color in Virginia's Blue Ridge >

In order to see fall colors at their best and brightest, we should hope for warm, sunny days accompanied by cool nights. Less daylight is a key step in the color changing process, as chlorophyll production slows and eventually stops, allowing the yellow, orange, and red pigments to become more dominant in the leaves before they fall. 

Still, regardless of the weather leading up to the fall foliage viewing season, you can always count on finding some great areas full of color in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and we encourage you to be a #Trailsetter and go find them!

The video below showcases some of the fall colors scenes we've experienced in the region over the past few years.

Here are some of the best ways to experience fall in Virginia's Blue Ridge. 

Additional Fall Color Resources

There are many other fantastic resources to help you plan your trip to see the fall colors in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, including the following:

Roanoke Valley Spotlight

Special offers, packages, and deals on places to stay in Virginia's Blue Ridge.


13 local restaurants featuring delicious comfort food in Virginia's Blue Ridge.


Roanoke - Fall Getaway - Travel + Leisure


Pitch your tent and rest your head under the starlit as you breathe in the fresh air of the Blue Ridge Mountains.


Be a Trailsetter - Virginia's Blue Ridge

Explore the fall foliage of Virginia's Blue Ridge in some truly adventurous, off-road ways!