Field notes · 2026 estimate
When to see peak color at Bear Creek Lake State Park
Peak fall color is predicted around October 31. Plan for the strongest viewing window from October 26 to November 5.
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 Cumberland County and across Virginia.
That is 4 days later than usual (October 27): the six weeks to October 13 ran 3.1°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 Bear Creek Lake State Park
1 to 2 hours
- Pocahontas State Park52 mi · 1 hr 20 minPeak: Oct 31Status: Moderate color
- Maymont54 mi · 1 hr 22 minPeak: Nov 3Status: Moderate color
- Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden58 mi · 1 hr 23 minPeak: Nov 4Status: Moderate color
- Libby Hill Park56 mi · 1 hr 24 minPeak: Nov 4Status: Moderate color
- Virginia Capital Trail57 mi · 1 hr 26 minPeak: Nov 3Status: Moderate color
- Veritas Vineyards & Winery71 mi · 1 hr 40 minPeak: Oct 27Status: Moderate color