National Seashore·North Carolina·13,019 acres
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
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 Cape Lookout National Seashore in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Cape Lookout National Seashore around Nov 7, and the four days to aim for are Nov 6 to 9.
That's 3 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the seashore | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Nearly peak | |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Peak color | -1,000 to 0 ft, 0 to 1,000 ft |
| Nov 9 to Nov 15 this week | Peak color | |
| Nov 16 to Nov 22 | Just past peak |
- 0–1,000 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 714%
- -1,000–0 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 786%
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 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.
Friday, November 6 to Saturday, November 7
You’ll find it peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- 0–1,000 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 7
- -1,000–0 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 7
- What turns
- bald cypress, blackgum, red maple, sweetgum, water oak
What turns, and when
- bald cypress17%
- blackgum17%
- red maple17%
- sweetgum17%
- water oak17%
- willow oak8%
Also named across North Carolina, outside what the canopy read measures here: Tulip Poplar, Sourwood, Hickory, White Oak.
Sourwoods turn deep crimson before anything else, tulip poplars go clear gold, hickories fade to bronze, and the layered ridgelines of the Blue Ridge create that famous smoky depth of warm color.
Questions people ask about Cape Lookout National Seashore
- When is peak fall foliage at Cape Lookout National Seashore?
Our forecast puts peak color at Cape Lookout National Seashore around Nov 7, and the four days to aim for are Nov 6 to 9.
- Where is the best fall color at Cape Lookout National Seashore right now?
On Nov 10 the seashore is just past peak. The last band to peak was -1,000 to 0 feet, around Nov 7.
- How long does peak last at Cape Lookout National Seashore?
About four days at the top, Nov 6 to 9, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive.
- Is Cape Lookout National Seashore past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Nov 7, and on Nov 10 it's just past peak.
- What trees turn color at Cape Lookout National Seashore?
Tulip Poplar, Red Maple, Sourwood, Hickory, White Oak. Sourwoods turn deep crimson before anything else, tulip poplars go clear gold, hickories fade to bronze, and the layered ridgelines of the Blue Ridge create that famous smoky depth of warm 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
Croatan and Cape Hatteras are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Nov 2 best Nov 1 to 4