Here Are The Best Times And Places To View Iowa's Fall Foliage In 2023
By Raymond Goldfield|Published September 08, 2023
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Raymond Goldfield
Author
Raymond Goldfield is a life-long New Jersey resident and an avid traveler and foodie who can be usually found on the Jersey Shore during the offseason or checking out the latest seasonal flavors at The Bent Spoon in Princeton. He has been working for Only In Your State for since early 2022, where he writes for New Jersey and Iowa and edits the Mid-Atlantic region. He can also be found writing about pop culture for GeekDad. When at home, he enjoys reading comic books and is part of The Rabbitt Stew podcast team. While New Jersey is his home base, he travels regularly and has visited Virginia, Florida, Maine, Minnesota, and Canada as well as all of NJ's border states. Ultimate travel goal? Visit all the best buffets in the United States.
Summer has sung its last song, and fall is upon us – and that means a dazzling new display of colors on the trees. I don’t know about you, but I look forward to fall all year. The cooling weather, the wonderful outdoor festivals, and the build-up to holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving are all great – but nothing beats nature putting on its own stunning display of color, as the leaves transform into a rainbow of red, orange, and gold. Across the Hawkeye State, the trees form a palette of beauty every year, and 2023 will be no different. So when do leaves change color in Iowa? SmokyMountains.com has us covered, with its annual Fall Foliage map – and we have you covered with the very best spots across Iowa to see the colors in their full glory!
The Fall Foliage Prediction Map is the best way to see when the fall colors will be most spectacular in your state. For Iowa, the colors will be at their height starting in early October and continuing through the month. A bike ride through Pinicon State Park is an amazing way to see the colors.
Our past coverage of Pinicon Ridge Park looked at the park's hiking trails, waterfronts, and the signature bike trail which offers some amazing views of the park's fall colors.
A hike through Yellow River State Forest will take you among the trees to see them as they were meant to be appreciated.
Yellow River State Forest is one of Iowa's largest state forests located in Iowa's Driftless Area. It has more than 45 miles of hiking trails, which provide countless amazing views as the leaves change color.
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For maybe the most spectacular view in the state, take in the fall colors from the heights of Hitchcock Nature Center.
Hitchcock Nature Center is surrounded by dunes that make for amazing hiking terrain, and the nature center itself has an exhibit gallery and observation tower.
A ride on the Scenic City Empress also passes by a hidden waterfall, and the rates are affordable. The boats can also be hired for catered private cruises.
For those with a lot more energy, why not take an extended bike ride along the Iowa Great Lakes Trail as the colors are changing?
The Iowa Great Lakes Trail is 14 miles long and passes through Iowa's Okoboji region - which means you'll be passing through some of Iowa's top attractions and water destinations.
And of course, a scenic drive across Iowa - like on Iowa's historic Route 6 - will provide incredible views of the state at its most beautiful.
Route 6 starts in Council Bluffs and passes through small towns like Atlantic and the major metropolis of Des Moines, with many peaceful views on the open road along the way.
What are your plans now that you know when leaves change color in Iowa? Tell us in the comments section! The SmokyMountains.com website can be viewed with up-to-the-minute predictions for this year’s fall foliage season at any time. If you’re planning to see the foliage in Iowa’s many state parks and forests, you might want to subscribe to AllTrails Plus, which offers benefits like interactive trail maps.
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