Field notes · 2026 estimate
When to see peak color at Bankhead National Forest
Peak fall color is predicted around November 3. Plan for the strongest viewing window from October 29 to November 8.
- Predicted peak
- November 3
- Best window
- October 29 – November 8
- Confidence range
- ±5 days
The prediction comes from 25 years of fall color records at this spot, checked against what observers on the ground saw. Where state foliage spotters report peak (New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Missouri), it has landed inside our ±5-day window about two years in three. An unusual summer or autumn can still move it further. Explore fall color around Winston County and across Alabama.
That is 5 days later than usual (October 30): the six weeks to October 24 ran 4.0°F warmer than the 2001–2025 average, and a warmer run before peak delays the color. This will settle about ten days before peak, as the weather comes in.
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Nearby locales
Other places to see color near Bankhead National Forest
30 to 60 minutes
1 to 2 hours
2 to 3 hours
- Monte Sano State Park (Huntsville)89 mi · 2 hr 1 minPeak: Nov 6Status: Early color
- Oak Mountain State Park (Pelham)96 mi · 2 hr 14 minPeak: Nov 9Status: Early color
- Natchez Trace Parkway83 mi · 2 hr 14 minPeak: Nov 1Status: Moderate color
- Tishomingo State Park85 mi · 2 hr 23 minMississippiPeak: Nov 1Status: Moderate color
- Trace State Park108 mi · 2 hr 35 minMississippiPeak: Nov 5Status: Moderate color