The predicted color stage on the selected date, modelled from years of fall color records. A forecast, not a live observation.When each area's color is predicted to peak this season. The date doesn't change this view.

DeSoto State Park

A 3,500-acre state park on Lookout Mountain, northeast of Fort Payne, with DeSoto Falls and trails above the Little River. Northeast Alabama is usually the first part of the state to color.

Typical peak
Oct 28
Late October
Best Viewing Window
Oct 23 – Nov 2
Late October to Early November
Observed now
No current color reading
We show a stage only when recent clear-sky readings pass our quality checks.

Forest Composition

Oak Hickory dominant
Oak / Hickory57%
65% deciduous canopy (forest survey)

Conditions & 5-Day Forecast

Fetching forecast...

Nearby Towns

Chattanooga49 mi1 hr 9 minOneonta77 mi1 hr 44 minHuntsville75 mi1 hr 56 min
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Field notes · 2026 estimate

When to see peak color at DeSoto State Park

Peak fall color is predicted around October 28. Plan for the strongest viewing window from October 23 to November 2.

Predicted peak
October 28
Best window
October 23 – November 2
Confidence range
±5 days

The prediction comes from 14 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 Fort Payne and across Alabama.

See all Alabama parks and forests.

Nearby locales

Other places to see color near DeSoto State Park

Under 30 minutes

30 to 60 minutes

1 to 2 hours

2 to 3 hours