Field notes · 2026 estimate
When to see peak color at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge
Peak fall color is predicted around October 28. Plan for the strongest viewing window from October 23 to November 2.
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 Sussex County and across Delaware.
That is 1 day later than usual (October 27): the six weeks to October 13 ran 0.6°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.
Fall color at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge begins as early as October 4 in some spots and continues through November 8 in others — a 35-day window where you can catch peak color somewhere in the area regardless of when you visit.
Nearby locales
Other places to see color near Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge
30 to 60 minutes
1 to 2 hours
- Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge42 mi · 1 hr 14 minPeak: Oct 23Status: Moderate color
- Eastern Shore Waterways54 mi · 1 hr 30 minMarylandPeak: Oct 31Status: High color
- Chestertown66 mi · 1 hr 39 minMarylandPeak: Oct 29Status: Moderate color
- Wilmington & Western Railroad78 mi · 1 hr 43 minPeak: Oct 29Status: Moderate color
- Alapocas Run State Park83 mi · 1 hr 48 minPeak: Oct 31Status: Moderate color