Peak Fall Foliage In Illinois: When And Where To See The Changing Leaves

ILLINOIS — The chillier temperatures have Chicago area residents thinking all things autumn, which includes the best time and place to see the changing leaves.

Several online tools and predictive maps are available to guide planning, whether you plan to stay home or travel outside Illinois. Leaves can start to change color as early as mid-September in northern-tier states, while the peak in some southern states is closer to November, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

When To See In Illinois

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois' fall color season lasts for several weeks. The leaf changing normally begins in northern Illinois counties by the third or fourth week in September; the second week in October for central Illinois; and the last two weeks of October for the southern part of the state.

"The peak of fall color in Illinois normally occurs by mid-October in northern and central Illinois and by late October or early November in the southern third of the state," according to the IDNR.

EnjoyIllinois.com offers a fall colors trip planner, which gives a look at where the leaf changing has started. As of Sept. 4, the entire state is listed at "no change."

Where To See In Illinois

You might be able to get a beautiful show in your backyard or your local forest preserve, but there are a few popular spots around the state that people tend to flock to.

In northern Illinois, EnjoyIllinois.com recommends the Morton Arboretum in Lisle; or paying a visit to Chicago itself with sites like Millennium Park. Another very popular leaf changing site is Starved Rock State Park in La Salle County.

If you'd like to venture out of the Chicago area and further south, there are lots of viewing option in southern Illinois too.

Carbondale offers many wine trails and lakes, according to EnjoyIllinois.com. Another crowd-favorite is Shawnee National Forest, with a great view from the Garden of the Gods.

What Causes The Different Colors?

Beta-carotene, the same pigment that makes carrots orange, reflects the yellow and red light from the sun and gives leaves an orange hue. (Beth Dalbey/Patch)You may remember from science class that the color change all starts with photosynthesis. Leaves constantly churn out chlorophyll — a key component in a plant’s ability to turn sunlight into the glucose it needs to thrive — from spring through early fall. Those cells saturate the leaves, making them appear green to the human eye.

But leaves aren’t green at all. Autumn is the time for leaves’ big reveal: their true color, unveiled as chlorophyll production grinds to a halt. The colors in fall’s breathtaking tapestry are influenced by other compounds, according to the national park’s website.

Beta-carotene, the same pigment that makes carrots orange, reflects the yellow and red light from the sun and gives leaves an orange hue.

The production of anthocyanin, which gives leaves their vivid red color, ramps up in the fall, protecting and prolonging the leaf’s life on a tree throughout autumn.
And those yellows that make you feel as if you’re walking in a ray of sunshine?
They’re produced by flavonol, which is part of the flavonoid protein family. It’s always present in leaves but doesn’t show itself until chlorophyll production begins to slow.