Leaves of West Virginia with Kids: A Nature Explorer Guide (+ Free Map)

West Virginia is almost entirely forest - the third most-forested state in the country - and its mountains make for one of the best and longest autumns in the East. Color begins in the high country in late September and works down to the valleys through October. Sugar maple turns red, orange, and yellow and supplies the sap for maple syrup. Yellow poplar, also called tulip tree, grows arrow-straight to 150 feet with a leaf shaped like the outline of a tulip. And sassafras does the trick kids always remember: one tree carries three completely different leaf shapes at once, and crushing a leaf releases a smell exactly like root beer.

This guide maps the best spots to find leaves in West Virginia with kids. Give your young explorer a mission before you go with Nature Explorer Club's Leaves of West Virginia Activity Book to track every discovery your family makes.

Best Spots for Leaf and Tree Spotting in West Virginia

We mapped the best leaf and tree spotting locations in West Virginia so you can plan your adventure before you go.

1. Blackwater Falls State Park, Davis — A hemlock gorge and amber-tinted waterfall framed by highland hardwood forest.
2. Canaan Valley Resort State Park, Davis — A high mountain valley where fall color arrives first, with a chairlift for wide views.
3. Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, Cass — A steam train climbing to Bald Knob through miles of mountain forest.
4. Babcock State Park, Clifftop — The Glade Creek Grist Mill framed by autumn color - one of the most photographed scenes in the state.
5. Hawks Nest State Park, Ansted — Overlooks with an aerial tramway down into the color-filled New River Gorge.
6. Highland Scenic Highway, Cranberry — A high-elevation byway through the Monongahela National Forest, peaking early.
7. Spruce Knob, Riverton — The highest point in the state, with red spruce and long views over the ridges.
8. New River Gorge National Park, Fayetteville — Deep hardwood gorge, spectacular from the Bridge and the rim overlooks.
9. Cathedral State Park, Aurora — A stand of old-growth hemlock, some trees approaching 90 feet, never logged.
10. Coopers Rock State Forest, Bruceton Mills — A dramatic overlook above the Cheat River gorge near Morgantown.

Make the Adventure Real The Leaves of West Virginia Activity Book turns your trip into a hands-on mission for ages 7–12 — with a species tracker, fun facts, drawing pages, games, and puzzles. Shop the Book Get the Full WV Set

Family Tips for Leaf and Tree Spotting in West Virginia

• Start high in late September, finish low in mid-October. West Virginia's color moves down the mountains over about a month. Spruce Knob and the Highland Scenic Highway turn first; the valleys and the New River Gorge follow.
• Ride something instead of hiking. The Cass steam train, the Hawks Nest tramway, and the Canaan Valley chairlift all carry families up into the color without a climb.
• Crush a sassafras leaf. It smells exactly like root beer. Sassafras is also the best tree for teaching leaf variation, because one tree carries oval, mitten-shaped, and three-lobed leaves at the same time.
• Find a sycamore along any river. The bark peels away in large sections, leaving a white and green camouflage pattern that makes sycamores the easiest tree in the state to identify from a distance.

Frequently Asked Questions: Leaves of West Virginia with Kids

What is the state tree of West Virginia?

The sugar maple, adopted in 1949. It produces some of the state's brightest fall color and the sap for maple syrup, and its five-lobed leaf is one of the most recognizable in North America. West Virginia's mountain sugar maples give the highlands their brilliant October reds and oranges.

Where is the best place to see fall leaves in West Virginia with kids?

The Highland Scenic Highway and Canaan Valley have the earliest, highest color. Babcock's grist mill and Blackwater Falls are the most scenic, and rides like the Cass railroad and Hawks Nest tramway make it easy for young children.

When do leaves change color in West Virginia?

The high country - Spruce Knob, Dolly Sods, the Highland Scenic Highway - usually peaks in the last week of September and first week of October. The lower valleys and the New River Gorge follow through mid to late October.

Why is West Virginia so forested?

Its steep, rugged terrain made much of the state hard to farm or develop, so forest reclaimed the land after early logging. Today around three-quarters of the state is wooded, which is why the autumn color is so widespread and long-lasting.

What makes West Virginia trees special?

Elevation. Red spruce and mountain ash grow on the highest peaks like a piece of Canada, while oak, hickory, and tulip poplar fill the warmer valleys. That range means the fall color runs for weeks as it moves down the mountains.

Turn Your West Virginia Adventure Into a Real Leaf and Tree Spotting Experience

Give your kids a mission before you go. Our Leaves of West Virginia Activity Book is a nature journal for ages 7 to 12 — with a leaf tracker, fun facts about each tree, leaf shape guides, drawing pages, games, and puzzles.

Or get all four West Virginia nature books together — the West Virginia Nature Explorer Series bundles the Birds, Butterflies, Leaves, and Wildflowers of West Virginia activity books.

Also exploring West Virginia's nature? Read our family guides to Birds of West Virginia with Kids, Butterflies of West Virginia with Kids, and Wildflowers of West Virginia with Kids.