Fall Foliage Peak 2023: When To Time Leaf-Peeping Tours In MD

MARYLAND — A new interactive map that helps leaf-peepers time their fall foliage tours suggests leaves in Maryland will be their most brilliant the week of Oct. 23.

The 2023 Fall Foliage Prediction Map, released last week from the travel group SmokyMountains.com, uses a refined data model that takes into consideration factors, including historical and forecast temperatures and precipitation, the types of trees prominent in specific geographic areas, and real-time user reports.

The map is easy to use. The slider at the bottom resets weekly to include the latest data. To see when leaves are expected to peak, move the slider to the right. Leaves haven’t started changing yet in green areas, and the brown color means foliage has passed its peak.

Like any meteorological forecast dependent upon weather variables, leaf predictions aren’t always 100 percent accurate, but the map does give Maryland leaf-peepers a pretty good shot at seeing autumn leaves when they turn their most blazing reds, vibrant orange and sunny yellows, map creator David Angotti said in a news release.

Angotti, an expert in statistics and a former airline transport pilot, used his understanding of weather patterns and meteorological tools to create the predictive map in 2013 as a tool for visitors to the Smoky Mountains who wanted to time their trips to the fall foliage peak.

As data collected in subsequent years has been added to the model, it has become a go-to tool for “tens of millions of people use our map each year to plan vacations, weddings and photography trips,” Angotti said.

“What started as a fun side project quickly became the most respected nationwide fall leaf map and one of the best fall resources in the country,” Angotti said.

New this year is the ability of map users to submit photos reflecting the actual progression of fall. That information will be added to the formula used to develop the map, which should make predictions next year more accurate, Angotti said.

Most map users are interested in learning when the leaves will peak close to where they live.

Patchy spots of color will show up the week of Oct. 2 across Maryland, with partial changes statewide a week later, and most of the state at near-peak color status the week of Oct. 16.

For people planning to travel, the site curated a list of the best places to see fall foliage in every state.

Some of the recommended places in Maryland to see fall leaves are:

• Patapsco Valley State Park stretches 32 miles along the Patapsco River in Baltimore and Howard counties and offers some of the best autumn scenery in Maryland.
• Turkey Point Lighthouse Trail, North East: Set atop a 100-foot bluff, the lighthouse provides a 360-degree view of the Chesapeake Bay and all the fall colors. As you take the two-mile trek up to the lighthouse, you’ll get to experience the beauty of Elk Neck State Park located on a peninsula between the Chesapeake Bay and the Elk River.
• Adkins Arborteum: Across its 400 acres, this garden features more than 600 species of plants, ranging from trees and shrubs to wildflowers and grasses near Ridgeley in Caroline County. Trek the five miles of paths through the grounds of the arboretum.
• Oregon Ridge Park near Cockeysville has hiking trails that showcase a tree-scape of yellow, orange and red.
• Other areas to visit close to the Baltimore-Washington metro area: Gwynnbrook Wildlife Management Area in Owings Mills, Baltimore County; Sugar Loaf Mountain Natural Resource Area in southern Frederick County; Seneca Creek State Park just southwest of Gaithersburg; and Dierssen Wildlife Management Area situated between the C&O Canal and the Potomac River in Montgomery County, offering first-rate opportunities for waterfowl watching and quiet interludes for strollers along the Canal Tow Path.