National Forest·Florida·576,374 acres
Apalachicola National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 9, 5:27pm ET
blackgum and water oak
sweetgum, peak Nov 26
Peak color should arrive around Nov 16 for the blackgum and water oak, and around Nov 26 for the sweetgum.
Roadsides and wetland edges turn first, and the woods behind them run a few days later.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Apalachicola National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Apalachicola National Forest around Nov 18, and the four days to aim for are Nov 17 to 20. sweetgum peak later, around Nov 26.
That's 2 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the forest |
|---|---|
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Starting to turn |
| Nov 9 to Nov 15 this week | Nearly peak |
| Nov 16 to Nov 22 | Peak color |
| Nov 23 to Nov 29 | Just past peak |
That’s 2 days later than our model alone would say. This September has been running warm, which shifts peak color.
Plan this tripIf you can only come on certain days
Set the days you can be here. Everything under them answers for those days, not for peak.
Tuesday, November 17 to Wednesday, November 18
You’ll find it peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- What turns
- blackgum, water oak, sweetgum, red maple, bald cypress
What turns, and when
- blackgum18%
- water oak17%
- sweetgum17%
- red maple17%
- bald cypress12%
- willow oak5%
Also named across Florida, outside what the canopy read measures here: Hickory, Dogwood.
Bald cypresses turn russet and copper along the rivers, sweetgums provide scattered red and purple, and the maples in the Panhandle produce pockets of real color.
Across Florida as a whole: Late November through December in the Panhandle, spotty elsewhere.
Questions people ask about Apalachicola National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Apalachicola National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Apalachicola National Forest around Nov 18, and the four days to aim for are Nov 17 to 20. sweetgum peak later, around Nov 26.
- Where is the best fall color at Apalachicola National Forest right now?
On Nov 9 the forest is starting to turn.
- How long does peak last at Apalachicola National Forest?
About four days at the top, Nov 17 to 20, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive.
- Is Apalachicola National Forest past peak?
No. On Nov 9 it's starting to turn, and peak is around Nov 18, 9 days away.
- What trees turn color at Apalachicola National Forest?
Sweetgum, Red Maple, Bald Cypress, Hickory, Dogwood. Bald cypresses turn russet and copper along the rivers, sweetgums provide scattered red and purple, and the maples in the Panhandle produce pockets of real color.
This forecast is built from the species that stand here, their elevation and this September’s weather, and corrected in season by cameras, foresters and our own crew. We score it here against 7 long-running forest cameras: two dates in three land within 13 days of the camera’s own peak. How this map is made
Nearby, and when they turn
- Peak Nov 17 best Nov 16 to 19
- Peak Nov 18 best Nov 17 to 20
- Peak Nov 13 best Nov 12 to 15