Field notes · 2026 estimate
When to see peak color at Mesa Falls Scenic Byway
Peak fall color is predicted around September 21. Plan for the strongest viewing window from September 16 to September 26.
Predicted peakSeptember 21
Best windowSeptember 16 – September 26
Confidence range±5 days
The prediction is a 24-year climatology built from NASA MODIS MOD13Q1 vegetation-index data, with the definition of peak calibrated against PhenoCam ground cameras. Where state foliage spotters report peak (New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Missouri), it has landed inside our ±5-day window about two years in three. An unusual summer or autumn can still move it further.
Nearby locales
Other places to see color near Mesa Falls Scenic Byway
Driving distance and time by road, not straight-line.