Autumn is an awe-inspiring time of year in the Dakotas (more like awe-tumn, amirite? 'kay, I'll show myself out), and what better way to celebrate fall in North Dakota than by a good old-fashioned day (or 12) of leaf-peeping? Not sure when to go? No worries - our friends at Great Smoky Mountains have a rigorous method for determining each and every year just how and when the whole "fall colors in North Dakota" (and elsewhere) thing will go and reporting it back to us - let's see how accurate it is this year! When do leaves change color in North Dakota? Let's find out:

As in years past, the folks at Smoky Mountains have created an interactive map that shows when fall colors will happen in each state across the US. SmokyMountains.com utilizes a refined data model that depends on a combination of factors, including historical temperature and precipitation, forecast temperature and precipitation, the type of tree known to be prominent in that geographic region, the historical trends in that area, and user data.

By playing with the slider above, you can see Great Smoky Mountains' predictions for each of the coming weeks.

It's definitely fun to fiddle with - and especially fun to see how close to perfect they get it this year!

North Dakota is a northern tier state (surprise), and thanks to this geographical positioning, autumn comes faster (and goes faster too).

By September, the northernmost parts of the state should already be seeing some changes, with southern parts of the state falling into fall colors a bit later. The final week of September sees all of the state entrenched in the blazing colors of autumn - some spots more so than others.

You'll want to act quickly in September! By the beginning of October, most of the state will either be at, or approaching, peak fall colors. Come mid-month, the show will be over!

By the middle of October, some to all of North Dakota will be past its autumnal prime, and many of those brightly-colored leaves will already be on the ground.

So, what are some great places in North Dakota for viewing this annual wonder?

Pembina Gorge is ridiculously beautiful all year 'round, but in the fall, it takes on an especially amazing wonder. You'll be blown away by its brilliance. Fort Ransom State Park is another good one - as are most of our state parks.

Lake Metigoshe is absurdly lovely at this time of year, and the rolling prairies of Theodore Roosevelt National Park are also worthy of a day trip.

These aren't even close to all of the amazing destinations to see fall colors in North Dakota, but they are an excellent start.

When do leaves change color in North Dakota in 2024? I suppose we'll see - but this guide might just be helpful (it usually is). So, what do you think? Will the Great Smoky Mountains website get it right this year? Let's wait and see - and revisit later! What are your favorite things about autumn in North Dakota? How about your favorite leaf-peeping destinations in ND? Let me know in the comments. Need a good sweater for all that leaf-peeping? Our friends at The North Face got you covered.