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Fall foliage forecast! Where and when to see beautiful fall colors in Kentuckiana

Fall is here and the leaves are beginning to change! Here are the best places in Kentucky and southern Indiana to see those beautiful colors!

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The fall season is upon us and that means time to enjoy pumpkin-flavored goodies, cider, football, cozy sweaters and, of course, the changing colors of our fall foliage!

Many areas of the country are already seeing their leaves change to bright yellow, orange and red. Cooler areas of the country tend to see their leaves change before ours do across the country. Cooler temperatures and shorter days trigger leaves to change their colors. 

Leaves produce "food" for trees in the form of chlorophyll. This also helps give them their green color for most of the year. When they stop making chlorophyll, the colors of the leaves change to the brilliant yellows, oranges and reds we see during the fall season.

This drone video from Vermont gives us a good look at all of those colors!

Best places to see fall foliage in Kentucky and Indiana: 

  1. Bernheim Forest - Kentucky
  2. Red River Gorge - Kentucky
  3. Clifty Falls State Park - Indiana
  4. Turkey Run State Park - Indiana
  5. McCloud Nature Park - Indiana


Fall Colors Timeline

By early October, some areas near the Canadian border and across the Rocky Mountains are already seeing their peak fall foliage. 

As we get into the second week of October, more areas begin to experience partial color changes to many of their leaves. The areas in darker red are at their peak or past their peak and may begin to lose their leaves! 

The middle of October is typically a great time to start venturing out to the best "leaf peeping" spots across Kentuckiana. While the colors won't be at their peak here just yet, you'll still see plenty of changes. 


The last few weeks of the month mark our peak for fall foliage in Southern Indiana and the Commonwealth. Between Oct. 20-31, our colors tend to be at their brightest and most diverse.

We often see our peak fall colors right around the time of our first frost. 

Credit: WHAS11

Send us your fall photos!

Wherever you head to see the leaves, remember to send us your photos! Feel free to text us, email us or join our Kentucky/Indiana Cloud Watchers group on Facebook. 

Credit: WHAS

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