Fall Colors Spreading Across Wisconsin

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025 -- 8:00 AM

(Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) In northern Wisconsin, the fall color metamorphosis of green leaves turning red, yellow and orange has begun.

According to Jim Higgins with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, observers for Travel Wisconsin's Fall Color Report report 45% color change for Land O' Lakes in Vilas County and 40% color change in Forest County, with an expected color peak the first week of October for both areas.

As of Sept. 16, Florence County reports 30% color change. Elsewhere in the northern Wisconsin tier, Ashland and Birchwood report 25% color change and Hayward reports 20%. Popular travel destination Door County reports 5% color change, with expected color peak in the second week of October.

In the central Wisconsin tier, the Amherst and Stevens Point area observers report 20% color change, with 15% color change in Appleton, Fond du Lac, Oshkosh and Wausau. In southern Wisconsin, the Racine County observer reports 20% color change.

The Fall Color Report is compiled from more than 100 observers and includes reports from every county in Wisconsin. As leaves turn colorful, most observers update their reports weekly.

This early in the leafy season, estimates of when leaf color will peak are based largely on the historical record, so it's important to remember that past performance does not necessarily indicate future results.

Taking a broad national view, ExploreFall.com's Fall Foliage Map 2025 estimates peak color in the northern third of Wisconsin, such as Bayfield, circa Oct. 7; across the state's central third, such as Marshfield and Wausau, around Oct. 18; and in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and southern Wisconsin by Oct. 28.

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