National Forest·Florida·384,657 acres
Ocala National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 11, 5:24pm ET
Photograph: More Than Just Parks
bald cypress and water oak
sweetgum, peak Nov 27
Peak color should arrive around Nov 18 for the bald cypress and water oak, and around Nov 27 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 Ocala National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Ocala National Forest around Nov 19, and the four days to aim for are Nov 18 to 21. sweetgum peak later, around Nov 27.
That's 1 day 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 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.
Wednesday, November 18 to Thursday, November 19
You’ll find it peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- What turns
- bald cypress, water oak, blackgum, willow oak, river birch
What turns, and when
- bald cypress18%
- water oak15%
- blackgum14%
- willow oak13%
- river birch13%
- sweetgum13%
Also named across Florida, outside what the canopy read measures here: Red Maple, 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 Ocala National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Ocala National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Ocala National Forest around Nov 19, and the four days to aim for are Nov 18 to 21. sweetgum peak later, around Nov 27.
- Where is the best fall color at Ocala National Forest right now?
On Nov 12 the forest is nearly peak.
- How long does peak last at Ocala National Forest?
About four days at the top, Nov 18 to 21, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive.
- Is Ocala National Forest past peak?
No. On Nov 12 it's nearly peak, and peak is around Nov 19, 7 days away.
- What trees turn color at Ocala 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
Canaveral is on the map above, with its own date.
- Peak Nov 18 best Nov 17 to 20
- Peak Nov 17 best Nov 16 to 19