Field notes · 2026 estimate
When to see peak color at Cunningham Falls State Park
Peak fall color is predicted around October 23. Plan for the strongest viewing window from October 18 to October 28.
The prediction comes from 14 years of fall color records at this spot, checked against what observers on the ground saw. 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. Explore fall color around Frederick County and across Maryland.
That is 1 day later than usual (October 22): the six weeks to October 13 ran 1.0°F warmer than the 2001–2025 average, and a warmer run before peak delays the color. This will settle about ten days before peak, as the weather comes in.
Nearby locales
Other places to see color near Cunningham Falls State Park
30 to 60 minutes
- Gettysburg24 mi · 35 minPennsylvaniaPeak: Oct 24Status: Early color
- Sugarloaf Mountain27 mi · 44 minPeak: Oct 30Status: Moderate color
- Washington Monument State Park26 mi · 45 minPeak: Oct 30Status: Early color
- Sweet Run State Park33 mi · 45 minVirginiaPeak: Oct 26Status: Early color
- Black Hill Regional Park31 mi · 46 minPeak: Oct 28Status: Moderate color
- Western Maryland (Garrett & Allegany Counties)33 mi · 53 minPeak: Oct 23Status: Moderate color