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Kentucky

When to catch Daniel Boone National Forestat its best

Daniel Boone National Forest through the year: wildflowers (local timing: late March to late April) and fall foliage (statewide: usually well under way by late October). Each has its own page with spots, sources and the latest reports.

RIGHT NOW · SEP 30

  • Latest reportNo dated report this season; the posters below show each usual window.
  • This weekend (NWS)Sat chance showers and thunderstorms, 67°F · Sun chance rain showers, 70°F
  • Park alertsCheck the managing agency before you go

When are you going?

Fall at Daniel Boone National Forest

Where to go at Daniel Boone National Forest

Spots, visitor points and places nearby
  • Daniel Boone National ForestLocal timing: late March to late AprilThis page
  • War Fork and Steer ForkLocal timing: most spectacular in mid-April

Best spots

Where each event's source says to go

Wildflowers

  • Rock Bridge Trail1.4-mile loop at the southeast corner of Red River Gorge, from pine ridges down to the creekUS Forest Service ↗
  • Sheltowee Trace at Whittleton Branch2.4 miles along a creek to Natural Bridge State Resort Park; showy orchis and several trilliumsUS Forest Service ↗

Fall foliage

Next 7 days at Daniel Boone National Forest

Forecast: National Weather Service
  • TodayMostly Sunny82° / 62°1% rain
  • ThuMostly Sunny86° / 66°3% rain
  • FriShowers And Thunderstorms78° / 57°86% rain
  • SatChance Showers And Thunderstorms67° / 55°44% rain
  • SunChance Rain Showers70° / 49°36% rain
  • MonSunny65° / 43°–
  • TueSunny65° / 45°2% rain

Today: sunrise 7:29 a.m., sunset 7:20 p.m., light until 7:46 p.m. · moon waning gibbous, 78% lit (our calculation)

Visitor reports, not verified

Visitor reports for Daniel Boone National Forest open around Oct 1: that's when you can tell us how the trees looked.

Nearby, and when they peak

Straight-line miles; roads are longer

Towns nearby

Straight-line miles; each town page has frost dates and its nature year

Daniel Boone National Forest in pictures

Illustrative photos, not current conditions
A natural sandstone arch among trees in Daniel Boone National Forest
Natural Arch in Daniel Boone National Forest, November 7, 2009. Photo: treewoman8 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · resized

Questions people ask

When is the best time to go?

Spring. Whittleton Branch is best from late March to late April, depending on the weather. Rock Bridge Trail has flowers from late March or early April until frost in mid-October, but its best show is in spring.Sources: US Forest Service, Celebrating Wildflowers: Sheltowee Trace at Whittleton Branch ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Forest Service, Celebrating Wildflowers: Rock Bridge Trail ↗ (opens in a new tab)

What blooms after spring?

Mountain laurel, great laurel and blueberries in late spring and early summer; in summer and early fall, joe-pye-weed, goldenrods and cardinal flower in a boggy area near the old homesite on Rock Bridge Trail.Sources: US Forest Service, Celebrating Wildflowers: Rock Bridge Trail ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Forest Service, Celebrating Wildflowers: Sheltowee Trace at Whittleton Branch ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Are these loops?

Rock Bridge Trail is a 1.4-mile loop (starting from the right side of the parking lot is easier). The Whittleton Branch section is not a loop, so walk back or leave a car at each end.Sources: US Forest Service, Celebrating Wildflowers: Rock Bridge Trail ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Forest Service, Celebrating Wildflowers: Sheltowee Trace at Whittleton Branch ↗ (opens in a new tab)

How we know

Every timing above, from these pages; checked Sep 30