The 8 Best Spots for Leaf Peeping in Maryland: Peak Dates, Top Driving Routes, and More

It may be a smaller state, but there is no denying that Maryland is overflowing with beauty — especially in the fall! Of course, the best part of fall is all the fun activities you can do with your friends and family. In Maryland, you can go apple picking, visit a petting zoo, pick out pumpkins at a local farm, or go for a drive to see all the pretty fall leaves. Leaf peeping in Maryland is easily one of the most enjoyable things to do in the fall. There is a wide variety of trees and forests all throughout the state.

The leaves first begin to change in the northwestern regions of Maryland, often in the middle of September. Toward the end of September leaves in north-central Maryland begin to change as well. Some leaves may wait until October to start showing their new colors. Southern Maryland sees fall colors emerge around late October. It may still have colorful fall trees all the way through November.

Maryland’s Eastern Shore is often the state’s fall foliage finale. It has fall colors showing on the trees in October and wrapping up by Thanksgiving. You can also check out Maryland’s weekly fall foliage reports to see which areas are peeking each week.

With so many different regions and timetables, where should you go to see beautiful fall colors? Here are the eight best spots for leaf peeping in Maryland!

Elk Neck State Park

For beautiful fall landscapes on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, head to Elk Neck State Park on the peninsula between the Elk River and Chesapeake Bay. The park is filled with a mix of marshlands, sandy beaches, wooded bluffs, and some of the most colorful forests in the state. You can also enjoy camping, hiking, biking, fishing, and picnicking under the brilliant fall foliage. The fall colors usually begin to shift in mid-October. Peak foliage emerges toward the end of the month and often into the first several weeks of November.

One of the highlights of Elk Neck State Park is the historic Turkey Point Lighthouse. It sits on a 100-foot bluff on the southern tip of Elk Neck Peninsula. Climb to the top for majestic views of Chesapeake Bay, Northeast River, Elk River, and of course, all the glorious fall colors of the park. If you park in the Turkey Point parking lot off Route 272 South, you only need to walk about one mile to get there. If the water is too beautiful to resist, you can also take a short drive over to Charlestown. You can rent a pontoon, kayak, or paddle boat to cruise along the water and enjoy the fall colors reflecting around you.

Chestertown and Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge

Nestled along the Eastern Shore of Maryland is Chestertown, which is about an hour south of Elk Neck State Park. During the fall the trees are overcome with spectacular hues of ruby red, bright orange, and sparkling gold colors. The leaves in this region usually begin to change color in the middle of October. Starting in the north and then moving south with an array of colors. Some years you can even enjoy beautiful fall foliage all the way through Thanksgiving!

Chestertown itself is a charming historic town lined with trees and brick sidewalks. The town offers an abundance of restaurants and delicious dining of all kinds. If you visit on a Saturday, you can check out the Chestertown Farmers and Artisans Market. The town’s Historic District also has elegant colonial residences to explore.

Chestertown’s Brampton Inn is one of many historic B&Bs in the area. Enjoy strolling through the inn’s gorgeous gardens, or take a picnic along the Chester River, either by foot or by kayak! If you’d rather enjoy the fall season from the comfort of your own car, take a drive along the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway for some truly spectacular views.

You can also take a short drive to the Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge in Rock Hall to see not only beautiful fall colors but also several types of birds in their natural habitats, like bald eagles and osprey. This is the ideal leaf-peeping spot for animal lovers. You can get up close to the beautiful colors as well as the wildlife in the refuge. There are trails in the refuge that offer stunning views of the fall foliage along Chesapeake Bay and the Chester River. There are also several picnic areas throughout the refuge where you can stop to relax and enjoy the fall scenery.

Swallow Falls State Park

With forests of trees that are at least 360 years old, Swallow Falls State Park offers a beautiful spot for leaf peeping in northwestern Maryland. The park is easy to reach and is just nine miles north of Oakland. If you visit during the middle of October, you can also enjoy the Annual Autumn Glory Festival. The festival is a celebration of fall with craft showers, music, parades, a farmer’s market, and many other fun activities.

Leaves in the park begin changing color early in the season. In September you can often already see the bright pink leaves from black gum or tupelo trees sprinkling the dark forest floor. The trees usually reach peak foliage in early October. Some years the changes may extend to the last few weeks of the month as well.

There are numerous trails in Swallow Falls State Park for hiking. You can enjoy the fresh air and autumn foliage throughout the park’s old-growth forest. Take the Canyon Loop Trail through the trees to see the stunning colors surrounding the cascades of the nearly 60-foot-tall Muddy Creek Falls waterfall. You can also head over to Deep Creek Lake to see the stunning fall colors reflected off the water’s surface. If it’s warm enough, you can go swimming, fishing, paddle boarding, and boating as well.

C&O Canal

The C&O Canal (Chesapeake and Ohio Canal) runs from western Maryland down to the central regions of the state. It covers a wide expanse of beautiful fall leaves to explore. In the westernmost areas of the canal, the leaves begin to change first, often in the middle or end of September. Trees in the central areas around the canal may not begin to change until a few weeks later.

Stretching 184 miles through Maryland, the C&O Scenic Byway is a fun way to experience some of the best fall leaves in the state. You can walk, bike, fish, boat, or ride a horse along the canal to see the vivid colors up close. You can also hike up on Billy Goat Trail (southeast of the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center). This trail provides stunning vistas of the Potomac River and surrounding forests. There are seven visitor centers along the Canal with many fun activities to enjoy as well. At the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center, for example, you can ride a mule-drawn canal boat!

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park surrounds the C&O Canal, with 20,000 acres of pawpaw, tulip poplar, American sycamore, silver maple, and box elder trees. The Gold Mine Trail takes you to the Great Falls Overlook for breathtaking views of the fall foliage.

Seneca Creek State Park

For a more leisurely leaf-peeping experience, check out Seneca Creek State Park in central Maryland’s Montgomery County. With 6,300 acres and 14 miles along the scenic Seneca Creek, this beautiful park is a great spot for leaf peeping in Maryland. If you want a little more of an outdoorsy experience, there are also hiking trails surrounding the 90-acre Clopper Lake. The lake provides picnic areas and even a playground. The leaves in the park usually do not hit their peak foliage until late October. They sometimes last through the beginning of November as well.

You can drive over to King Fisher’s Viewpoint for some beautiful panoramic views of Clopper Lake. It often has golden leaves reflecting off its surface. If you hike down toward the lake and to the right, you will enjoy some of the best views from the bridge there. There are also more great areas for photography near the boathouse in the park as well. Another fun option for leaf peeping in Maryland is to take a horseback ride down the 16.5-mile Seneca Creek Greenway Trail.

Annapolis

The state’s capital city of Annapolis is another great spot for leaf peeping in Maryland. The city provides for loads of family fun. The leaves in Annapolis do not begin to change color until later in the season, often around the middle of October. They peak toward the end of the month, although some years they may peak well into November.

You and your family can visit the local farms to enjoy picking pumpkins, hayrides, and horseback riding. Or you can take a stroll around the city to observe the beautiful fall colors amid the architecture of Historic Annapolis, with 18^th-century buildings on just about every corner. The Naval Academy also provides some beautiful views of the vibrantly colored fall leaves. Or if you visit closer to the end of October, you can participate in the Greenstreet Fall Festival.

Annapolis’s “Ren Fest” is an annual event that people in Maryland and many neighboring states look forward to. Located in Crownsville (just 20 minutes from Annapolis), this Renaissance Fair runs from the end of August through the end of October and is another unique and fun way to experience the beautiful fall scenery near Annapolis.

If you’re looking for some spooky Halloween fun as well, Annapolis is the place to go! You can take a walking ghost story tour or even a “haunted pub tour” of Annapolis. Or for a less spooky fall experience, you can take one of the many guided historic walking tours through the city and the Naval Academy. Tour guides dress in colonial-style clothing and share their knowledge of Maryland’s history and folklore with visitors of all ages.

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad

One of the most unique ways to experience excellent leaf peeping in Maryland is by taking a train ride through the fall foliage. With the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, you can ride on an old-fashioned steam-train through vividly colored forests and trees, starting in Cumberland and going west through the Allegheny Mountains on to Frostburg. You’ll pass many other beautiful sights along the way as well, like Helmstetter’s Horseshoe Curve, the iron truss bridge, and the Piney Mountain Brush Tunnel. The fall leaves in this area begin to change in September and often peak around the beginning or middle of October.

The Walkersville Southern Railroad also offers some beautiful leaf-peeping train rides from Walkersville, Maryland, through Monocacy Valley. You can choose to sit in a regular passenger car or in an open flatcar! If it’s a nice day, you may want to ride the flatcar to enjoy the crisp autumn air. There are some really beautiful views along the ride, including forests of colorful leaves and sparkling water as you pass over bridges. The leaves in this region begin changing color a little later than those seen by the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. The fall colors usually start emerging late in September, and peak by mid-October.

Rides on both railroads are often limited to weekends only, so plan ahead and book in advance.

Patapsco Valley State Park

Stretching along 32 miles of the Patapsco River, the Patapsco Valley State Park has over 16,000 acres of fall foliage to explore. With over 200 miles of trails, this park has just about everything any fall explorer could want. Located in central Maryland, the leaves of Patapsco Valley State Park usually begin to change color at the end of September or the beginning of October, with peak foliage at the end of October and the first week or two of November.

The Overlook at the Hollofield Area offers ideal and picturesque views of the rich red and stunning gold leaves below. The Hollofield Area is at the center of the park and is a great place for a peaceful break. You can stop by during your lunch hour or bring the kids after school for a lovely fall picnic. Within just a few minutes of Baltimore, you can walk the Ole Ranger Trail or Peaceful Pond Trail for a quiet break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

The park also has eight developed recreational areas and plenty of opportunities for camping, hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, canoeing, and picnicking. The fall colors are really pretty along the riverbanks, and you can go fishing for trout there too. The big tulip poplars have golden colors that look really nice reflecting off the water. There are also orange beech trees, amber sycamores, and rich red oaks that look almost magical when their leaves are fluttering in the breeze.

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