Illustration
State guide
When to catch Virginia'snatural highlights
When is the best time to see nature in Virginia?
The peaks we can name in Virginia each belong to a place, not the whole state. Mountain laurel at Shenandoah: June; Fall color at Shenandoah: around the 2nd or 3rd week of October.
Each card below gives the source's own words and where they apply.
Checked Sep 30. Source: National Park Service, Shenandoah FAQ ↗ (opens in a new tab) National Park Service sources: no claim to original U.S. Government works.
The peaks through the year
Named places, in their sources' words; not statewide dates
- Mountain laurel · Shenandoah
June
Mountain laurel along Skyline Drive; the park suggests Limberlost Trail
“The lighter pinkish-white blooms of the mountain laurels are generally the most profuse during the month of June.”
- Fall color · Shenandoah
around the 2nd or 3rd week of October
The park; higher elevations change first, and no one date fits the whole park
“History has shown us, however, that, generally, fall colors seem to be at their most brilliant stage around the 2nd or 3rd week of October.”
On one calendar
Approximate months; the cards above give the timing
- Mountain laurelMost numerous: June
- Fall colorMost numerous: around the 2nd or 3rd week of October
Solid: a usual peak, the best viewing time or when animals are most numerous. Hatched: a broader season, never a peak.
Pick a part of Virginia
5 places we follow
Blue Ridge and Shenandoah
- ShenandoahFall foliage · Wildflowers
Southwest Virginia mountains
- George Washington and JeffersonFall foliage · Wildflowers
Northern Virginia
- Occoquan Bay RefugeFall foliage
Tidewater and the Eastern Shore
- Great Dismal Swamp RefugeFall foliage
- Chincoteague RefugeWinter wildlife
Virginia on one map
Every place we follow here; tap one for its events
Browse by season and event
- Fall foliage · 4 places hereIn Virginia →Everywhere →
- Wildflowers · 2 places hereIn Virginia →Everywhere →
- Winter wildlife · 1 place hereIn Virginia →Everywhere →
Park guides and towns to stay in
Towns: straight-line distances on their own pages
Virginia in pictures
Illustrative photos, not current conditions
How we know
Every timing above, from these pages
- Sep 26Park ServiceFall color usually most brilliant around the 2nd or 3rd week of October, higher elevations first; azaleas late May–early June, mountain laurel in JuneSource (opens National Park Service, Shenandoah FAQ in a new tab)
- National Park Service sources: no claim to original U.S. Government works.