National Wildlife Refuge·Massachusetts·7,949 acres
Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
Roadsides and wetland edges turn first, and the woods behind them run a few days later.
Weather Wind to 30 mph Thursday. Color may come down before it turns.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge around Oct 22, and the four days to aim for are Oct 21 to 24.
| Week | In the refuge | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Nearly peak | |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Peak color | -1,000 to 0 ft, 0 to 1,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak |
- 0–1,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2236%
- -1,000–0 ftFadingpeak Oct 2264%
Height off 3DEP inside the refuge’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the refuge stands in it.
If 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, October 21 to Thursday, October 22
You’ll find it peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- 0–1,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 22
- -1,000–0 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 22
- Where to drive
- Route 169, about 102 miles
- What turns
- blackgum, red maple, sweetgum, water oak, bald cypress
What turns, and when
- blackgum17%
- red maple17%
- sweetgum17%
- water oak17%
- bald cypress16%
- willow oak8%
Also named across Massachusetts, outside what the canopy read measures here: Sugar Maple, Red Oak, White Birch, American Beech.
The Berkshires produce classic New England color with sugar maples blazing orange and scarlet, birches going gold, and red oaks anchoring the ridges in deep burgundy.
Questions people ask about Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge
- When is peak fall foliage at Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge?
Our forecast puts peak color at Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge around Oct 22, and the four days to aim for are Oct 21 to 24.
- Where is the best fall color at Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge right now?
On Nov 10 the refuge is fading. The last band to peak was -1,000 to 0 feet, around Oct 22.
- How long does peak last at Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge?
About four days at the top, Oct 21 to 24, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive.
- Is Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 22, and on Nov 10 it's fading.
- What trees turn color at Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge?
Sugar Maple, Red Maple, Red Oak, White Birch, American Beech. The Berkshires produce classic New England color with sugar maples blazing orange and scarlet, birches going gold, and red oaks anchoring the ridges in deep burgundy.
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 27 long-running forest cameras: two dates in three land within 10 days of the camera’s own peak. How this map is made
Nearby, and when they turn
Cape Cod is on the map above, with its own date.
- Peak Oct 15 best Oct 14 to 17
- Peak Oct 20 best Oct 19 to 22
- Peak Oct 18 best Oct 17 to 20
Fall color roads near Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the refuge, so allow more by road.
- Route 169
Designated a National Scenic Byway, this quiet road through the Last Green Valley is Connecticut's best-kept fall secret. Peaks late October.