National Forest·Florida·160,040 acres
Osceola National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 10, 5:22pm ET
bald cypress and blackgum
sweetgum, peak Nov 26
Peak color should arrive around Nov 17 for the bald cypress and blackgum, 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 Osceola National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Osceola 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 3 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 3 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
- bald cypress, blackgum, water oak, sweetgum, red maple
What turns, and when
- bald cypress37%
- blackgum20%
- water oak11%
- sweetgum11%
- red maple11%
- 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 Osceola National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Osceola National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Osceola 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 Osceola National Forest right now?
On Nov 11 the forest is nearly peak.
- How long does peak last at Osceola 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 Osceola National Forest past peak?
No. On Nov 11 it's nearly peak, and peak is around Nov 18, 7 days away.
- What trees turn color at Osceola 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 19 best Nov 18 to 21
- Peak Nov 18 best Nov 17 to 20
- Peak Nov 20 best Nov 19 to 22