Field notes · 2026 estimate
When to see peak color at Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve
Peak fall color is predicted around October 26. Plan for the strongest viewing window from October 21 to October 31.
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 Town of Grafton and across Wisconsin.
That is 4 days later than usual (October 22): the six weeks to October 13 ran 3.3°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 Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve
Under 30 minutes
2 to 3 hours
- Door County (Peninsula State Park, Cave Point)120 mi · 2 hr 18 minPeak: Oct 18Status: High color
- Parfrey’s Glen134 mi · 2 hr 45 minPeak: Oct 19Status: Moderate color
- Cave Point County Park144 mi · 2 hr 59 minPeak: Oct 15Status: Peak color
- Devil's Lake State Park139 mi · 2 hr 59 minPeak: Oct 17Status: Moderate color