Field notes · 2026 estimate
When to see peak color at Shawnee Lookout
Peak fall color is predicted around October 29. Plan for the strongest viewing window from October 24 to November 3.
- Predicted peak
- October 29
- Best window
- October 24 – November 3
- Confidence range
- ±5 days
- Color season
- October 17 – November 7
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 Hamilton County and across Ohio.
That is 4 days later than usual (October 25): the six weeks to October 19 ran 3.3°F warmer than the 2001–2025 average, and a warmer run before peak delays the color.
Fall color at Shawnee Lookout begins as early as October 17 in some spots and continues through November 7 in others — a 21-day window where you can catch peak color somewhere in the area regardless of when you visit.
Nearby locales
Other places to see color near Shawnee Lookout
30 to 60 minutes
- Mt. Airy Forest20 mi · 34 minPeak: Oct 30Status: High color
- Smale Riverfront Park20 mi · 39 minPeak: Nov 2Status: Peak color
- Sharon Woods31 mi · 46 minPeak: Oct 28Status: High color
- Apple Hill34 mi · 49 minCaliforniaPeak: Oct 31Status: High color
- Ault Park33 mi · 53 minPeak: Oct 28Status: Peak color
- Versailles State Park34 mi · 57 minIndianaPeak: Oct 21