National Seashore·Florida, Mississippi·82,095 acres
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Gulf Islands National Seashore in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Gulf Islands National Seashore around Nov 15, and the four days to aim for are Nov 14 to 17.
That's 1 day later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the seashore | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Starting to turn | |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Nearly peak | |
| Nov 9 to Nov 15 this week | Peak color | -1,000 to 0 ft, 0 to 1,000 ft |
| Nov 16 to Nov 22 | Peak color | |
| Nov 23 to Nov 29 | Just past peak |
- 0–1,000 ftNearly peakpeak Nov 1538%
- -1,000–0 ftNearly peakpeak Nov 1562%
Height off 3DEP inside the seashore’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the seashore stands in it.
That’s 1 day 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.
Saturday, November 14 to Sunday, November 15
You’ll find it peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- 0–1,000 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 15
- -1,000–0 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 15
- What turns
- water oak, blackgum, sweetgum, red maple, white oak
What turns, and when
- water oak27%
- blackgum20%
- sweetgum20%
- red maple12%
- white oak12%
- sassafras5%
Also named across Florida, outside what the canopy read measures here: 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.
Questions people ask about Gulf Islands National Seashore
- When is peak fall foliage at Gulf Islands National Seashore?
Our forecast puts peak color at Gulf Islands National Seashore around Nov 15, and the four days to aim for are Nov 14 to 17.
- Where is the best fall color at Gulf Islands National Seashore right now?
On Nov 10 the seashore is nearly peak. The first band to peak is -1,000 to 0 feet, around Nov 15.
- How long does peak last at Gulf Islands National Seashore?
About four days at the top, Nov 14 to 17, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive.
- Is Gulf Islands National Seashore past peak?
No. On Nov 10 it's nearly peak, and peak is around Nov 15, 5 days away.
- What trees turn color at Gulf Islands National Seashore?
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
De Soto and Conecuh are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Nov 15 best Nov 14 to 17