Leaf peeping

Fall colors in Alabama

Typical peak runs Oct 26 – Nov 10. Pick the week, then the place.

Photo: Cheaha Mountain

Fall color in Alabama typically peaks between Oct 26 and Nov 10, with the middle of the season around Nov 4. Color starts in the high country (Old North Road 05 around Oct 16) and finishes lower (Turnipseed Hunter Camp around Oct 30). We track 620 places here: 334 hikes, 133 mountain biking trails, 103 campgrounds, 26 waterfalls, and 22 summits. Above 2,000 ft, color typically peaks around Nov 5; under 1,000 ft, around Nov 2.

When to go

Week by week

How many places are in their typical peak window each week, with the top pick. Today’s week is highlighted.

  1. Oct 6 – 12

    This week

    1 places
    Slickrock CampgroundTop pick · campground

  2. Oct 13 – 19

    64 places
    CH Rock Springs TrailTop pick · hike

  3. Oct 20 – 26

    262 places
    Cheaha MountainTop pick · summit

  4. Oct 27 – Nov 2

    Busiest

    556 places
    Sinks TrailTop pick · mountain biking trail

  5. Nov 3 – 9

    555 places
    Great FallsTop pick · waterfall

  6. Nov 10 – 16

    358 places
    Ft. ToulouseTop pick · campground

  7. Nov 17 – 23

    63 places
    SlingShotTop pick · mountain biking trail

  8. Nov 24 – 30

    1 places

Elevation

Color walks downhill

In Alabama, the higher the ground, the earlier the turn. Each row is a 1,000-foot band.

  1. 2,000+ ftNov 5
  2. 1,000–2,000 ftNov 3
  3. 0–1,000 ftNov 2

Dot = median typical peak for places in that band. Bands with fewer than 10 places are left out.

Plan ahead

Coming up next

Typical peak starts within the next three weeks.

Where

By park and forest

Typical timing for the public lands with the most places, and the best-known spots in each.

National park unit

Horseshoe Bend National Military Park

Median peak

Oct 30

1 places tracked

Hikes

Best fall hikes

Trails ranked by how much hardwood forest surrounds them and how consistent the timing is across years.

Drives

Scenic drives

The easiest way to cover a lot of color, and a good fit for a wide window.

Camp

Campgrounds in the color

Wake up in it. Check availability and any seasonal closures before you go.

Views

Summits and waterfalls

Overlooks for the big picture, falls for the doubled-up reflection.

Ride

Mountain biking through the color

Singletrack with a canopy overhead.

Everything

Map and full list

Every place we track in Alabama, grouped by where it is in its typical window.

  • Coming up (100)

Coming up

Typical peak starts within the next three weeks.

Questions

Fall colors in Alabama: FAQ

When is peak fall color in Alabama?

Across the 620 places we track in Alabama, typical peak runs from Oct 26 to Nov 10, with the middle of the season around Nov 4. Where you are in the state matters: higher elevations come earlier and valleys later.

Where do leaves change first in Alabama?

Among the places we track in Alabama, Old North Road 05 has the earliest typical peak, around Oct 16. The latest is Turnipseed Hunter Camp, around Oct 30. Above 2,000 ft, color typically peaks around Nov 5; under 1,000 ft, around Nov 2.

What are the best fall hikes in Alabama?

Hikes with strong typical color in Alabama include South Rim Trail, Walls Of Jericho Trail (TN Trailhead), Walls of Jericho Trail, Bunyan Hill Wild Hiking Trail, and Thompson Creek Wild Hiking. They are ranked by how much of the surrounding forest is hardwood and how consistent the timing has been across years.

Is this a forecast?

No. These dates are typical timing: when leaves have usually reached peak in past years, from NASA satellite vegetation data from 2017 to 2024 and USGS forest cover. A warm, dry or very wet year can shift them by a week or more, so treat them as a planning window, not a prediction for this year.

Keep going

Nearby states

Typical timing from NASA MODIS vegetation data (2017–2024) and USGS NLCD 2021 forest cover. Not a forecast. Timing is typical, not a forecast. How we time it.