Autumn is an awe-inspiring time of year in the Dakotas (more like awe-tumn, amirite? ‘kay, I’ll show myself out), and what better way to celebrate fall in North Dakota than by a good old-fashioned day (or 12) of leaf-peeping? Not sure when to go? No worries – our friends at Great Smoky Mountains have a rigorous method for determining each and every year just how and when the whole “fall colors in North Dakota” (and elsewhere) thing will go and reporting it back to us – let’s see how accurate it is this year! When do leaves change color in North Dakota? Let’s find out:



By playing with the slider above, you can see Great Smoky Mountains' predictions for each of the coming weeks.
Amber Lien/Flickr
It's definitely fun to fiddle with - and especially fun to see how close to perfect they get it this year!
North Dakota is a northern tier state (surprise), and thanks to this geographical positioning, autumn comes faster (and goes faster too).
Bill Tanata/Flickr
By early September, the northernmost parts of the state should already be seeing some changes. Interestingly, by September 18th, the central part of the state might still have yet to start, whereas the rest of it is off to the races.
The final week of September sees all of the state entrenched in the blazing colors of autumn - some spots more so than others.
Amber Lien/Flickr
The week of October 2 will see the colors approaching their peak, starting in the north and creeping southward as the week progresses.
The weeks of October 9 through October 23 should see colors at their most brilliant and vivid as the entire thing builds to a colorful crescendo.
Bill Tanata/Flickr
Between October 23 and 30, though, some to all of North Dakota will be past its autumnal prime, and many of those brightly-colored leaves will already be on the ground.
So, what are some great places in North Dakota for viewing this annual wonder?
justin s./Flickr
Pembina Gorge is ridiculously beautiful all year 'round, but in the fall, it takes on an especially amazing wonder. You'll be blown away by its brilliance. Fort Ransom State Park is another good one - as are most of our state parks.
Lake Metigoshe is absurdly lovely at this time of year, and the rolling prairies of Theodore Roosevelt National Park are also worthy of a day trip.
U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr
These aren't even close to all of the amazing destinations to see fall colors in North Dakota, but they are an excellent start.

When do leaves change color in North Dakota in 2023? I suppose we’ll see – but this guide might just be helpful (it usually is). So, what do you think? Will the Great Smoky Mountains website get it right this year? Let’s wait and see – and revisit later! What are your favorite things about autumn in North Dakota? How about your favorite leaf-peeping destinations in ND? Let me know in the comments. Need a good sweater for all that leaf-peeping? Our friends at The North Face got you covered.

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