When To See The Best Fall Leaves In Eastern Iowa

As August comes to an end and school starts, people are getting more and more excited for fall, or as some call it “spooky season”.

Each year thousands of Iowans and visitors go out of their way to travel the countryside to see all the different colors of fall.

Here in northeast Iowa, we are fortunate to live surrounded by the best colors in the state. According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, northeast Iowa sees peak fall colors during the weekend closest to October 10^th.

Peak fall colors in other areas of the state happen later and later the further south you go.

According to the DNR, fall leaves are expected the last week of September through the second of October, central Iowa should expect them the first through the third week of October, and then southern Iowa's peak fall colors are the second through the fourth week of October.

Only in Your State has a road trip route through eastern Iowa that gives people the opportunity to combine leisurely drives with a little hiking.

Some stops perfect for seeing those crisp fall colors in eastern Iowa include:

• Wildcat Den State Park
• Lake Macbride State Park
• Palisades-Kepler State Park
• Wapsipinicon State Park
• Maquoketa Caves State Park
• Bellevue State Park
• Pikes Peak State Park
• Effigy Mounds National Monument

It’s best to get out and look at the fall foliage at its peak time. Typically, by the time November hits, the colors start petering off and you have to wait another year to go on your leaf-viewing tour.