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Peak fall colors will be here before you know it.
According to the Illinois Office of Tourism, Northern Illinois’ most vibrant foliage tends to emerge during the second week of October. Their most recent report suggests that many local tree species are currently in the yellowing phase.
Here’s a nifty resource for planning your leaf-peeping activities:
Fun fact: I helped build this fall color tracker tool for Enjoy Illinois back when they were my marketing agency client.
While the Enjoy Illinois website is useful for mapping out fall activities across the state, I wouldn’t blame you if you’d prefer to remain within 90 minutes of home. Some ideas:
Western suburbs: A guide to many of the top parks and forest preserves for chasing autumn’s palette.
The wider suburbs: A comprehensive itinerary covering fall activities in the suburban Chicago area — from fall colors to pumpkin patches, orchards, haunted houses and spooky tours.
Starved Rock & Matthiessen State Parks (Oglesby): With 13 miles of trails near the Illinois River, this duo of parks offers everything from towering canyons to crashing waterfalls. Honestly doesn’t feel like Illinois.
White Pines Forest State Park (Mt. Morris): Our favorite “local” park. Significantly smaller crowds than the higher profile destinations with comparable beauty.
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