Enjoy the Best Arlington Spots for Fall Foliage

Arlington is one of those places that surprises people in autumn. A county better known for its skyline and Metro access turns quietly extraordinary in October, when its abundant tree canopy — one of the densest in any urban county in the country — shifts through gold, amber, and deep red. The roads and walkways inside Arlington National Cemetery are bordered by historic oak, chestnut, and poplar trees, some planted more than a century ago, and the recently refurbished Arlington House is flanked by 250-year-old oaks that glow with golden leaves in the fall — with a marble terrace below President Kennedy’s gravesite offering sweeping views of the Potomac River, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument all framed in autumn color. It’s one of the most underrated leaf-peeping destinations on the East Coast, and it’s free.

The Mount Vernon Trail offers 18 miles of fall foliage by bike or foot along the Potomac, with pitstops at Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, Jones Point Park, and Lady Bird Johnson Park along the way. Potomac Overlook Regional Park’s 67 wooded acres feature glistening streams, interpretive gardens, and a nature center with fox and flying squirrel sightings among the changing leaves, while Lubber Run Park in Arlington Forest sports an incredible tree canopy with colors reflected in the sounds of the gurgling run below. Donaldson Run Park’s 30 forested acres at 4020 30th Street N. offer dog-friendly trails with a stream running into the Potomac, and the North Highland neighborhood’s 11-acre park at 2220 N. Scott Street has marked paths, an old spring house, and a footbridge tucked among fall color. Peak color in Arlington typically arrives mid-to-late October; track current conditions at dof.virginia.gov.