Field notes · 2026 estimate
When to see peak color at Sam Houston National Forest
Peak fall color is predicted around November 16. Plan for the strongest viewing window from November 11 to November 21.
- Predicted peak
- November 16
- Best window
- November 11 – November 21
- Confidence range
- ±5 days
The prediction comes from 24 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 Walker County and across Texas.
That is 5 days later than usual (November 12): the six weeks to October 24 ran 3.9°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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