Along with the temperature, the wind also makes a difference. If it gets cold and cloudy and then is really windy, the leaves will fall off the trees faster. If the weather is ideal, sunny warm days, nights that stay above freezing, and less windy, the leaves will stay on the trees longer, allowing us to see the beautiful colors longer.

What makes the leaves change color? It starts with the days getting shorter, which means less sunlight. This signals the leaves to stop making chlorophyll, which is the pigment that makes plants and leaves green.

The best places to see the fall leaves in Wisconsin:

• Lapham Peak: The 45-foot observation tower is the highest point in Waukesha County and provides breathtaking 360-degree views.
• Devil’s Lake State Park: Wisconsin’s Largest State Park, it offers amazing views from the 500-foot Quartzite bluffs overlooking a 360-acre lake.
• The Geneva Lake Shore Path: a paved path that gives views of the lake and surrounding fall colors.
• Holy Hill: an architecturally beautiful church that was built atop a glacial hill - when you climb to the top you can see the fall colors for miles and miles

The best places to see the fall leaves in Milwaukee

• Riverside Park: includes a 15-acre wooded land on the East bank of the Milwaukee River and is where the Urban Ecology Center is located!
• Whitnall Park: lots of trails through this wooded 230-acre Milwaukee County Park, including the Woodland Trail Loop - a fall favorite! (There is also a waterfall at the northern edge of the park.)
• Oak Leaf Trail: named after the oaks and other hardwoods framing much of the paved path - a perfect trail for a fall bike ride.
• Grant Park: check out the 2-mile Seven Bridges Trail where you can see lots of different kinds of trees, beach views, and autumn colored bluffs

Wisconsin Fall Color Report and viewing opportunities. (n.d.). Retrieved October 14, 2020, from https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/education/fallcolors

Best Views in WI for the Fall Colors: Travel Wisconsin. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://www.travelwisconsin.com/article/fall/the-best-views-in-wisconsin-for-the-fall-colors

Blog post and photos by former Community Programs intern Payton Biwer.