When do the leaves change in Alabama?
Cheaha State Park and Little River Canyon on Alabama's southern Appalachian foothills turn oak, hickory, and sweetgum by late October, with milder color continuing into November across the rest of the state.
Peak: November 12–November 21
Color builds from November 1 · mostly bare by December 10
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures (Open-Meteo) drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model; terrain shifts timing ~1 day earlier per 300 m of elevation. Temperature alone can’t tell a maritime autumn from a continental one — two places at the same latitude and the same September can peak weeks apart, because the trees differ — so each region is also calibrated against published peak dates. Estimates, not promises: typically within a few days, occasionally a week or more out. Check locally before you travel.
Known for
Things to do in fall in Alabama
10 iconic stops — scenic drives, farms, haunts, and the views locals plan their October around.
Cheaha State Park
State parkPeak November 11
Alabama's highest point at 2,407 feet anchors this Talladega National Forest park, where stone-built Bunker Tower's observation deck overlooks the state's best mountain fall color, usually peaking in early-to-mid November along the Pinhoti Trail's ridgelines.
Don’t miss: Bunker Tower overlook · Alabama's highest point · Pinhoti Trail access
DeSoto State Park
State parkPeak November 10
Little River Canyon's upper reaches cut through this Lookout Mountain park, where 104-foot DeSoto Falls drops into a rhododendron-lined gorge and trails color up through late October and into November, later than most of the state.
Don’t miss: DeSoto Falls · Little River Canyon access · Late-season color
Old Baker Farm
Pumpkin patchColor nearby peaks November 14
A Shelby County farm with over 200 years of history, opening its pumpkin patch southeast of Birmingham on September 26, 2026. Visitors ride a hay wagon out to the field, walk a corn maze and pick cotton straight from the row.
Don’t miss: Hay wagon out to the pumpkin field · Corn maze and hay maze · Pick-your-own cotton
Atrox Factory
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks November 13
Fifty thousand square feet of indoor haunt east of Birmingham, billed as the largest all-indoor haunted house in the Southeast and ranked among the top 10 in the country. Over a quarter-mile of hallways; the 2026 season opens Friday, October 2.
Don’t miss: 50,000 sq ft, quarter-mile of hallways · Lights Out nights Oct 31 and Nov 1 · Child-friendly actorless night Oct 14
Hidden Rivers Farm
Pumpkin patchColor nearby peaks November 11
A Morgan County farm halfway between Birmingham and Huntsville, open late September through Halloween for a pumpkin patch and corn maze. Kids launch pumpkins from an apple cannon, ride the zip line, dig for gems, and visit the animal pens, while parents claim a spot at the tailgate tent for Saturday football.
Don’t miss: Pumpkin patch and corn maze · Apple cannon and zip line · Gem mining and animal pens
Moundville Native American Festival
Fall festivalColor nearby peaks November 15
Every October, Moundville Archaeological Park sets up between its earthen mounds south of Tuscaloosa for two days of Native American dance, music and storytelling. Artisans sell beadwork and pottery, and demonstrators show flintknapping and hide tanning against a backdrop the Mississippian people built a thousand years ago.
Don’t miss: Dance, music and storytelling · Native artisan and craft demonstrations · Set among 1,000-year-old earthen mounds
Huntsville Ghost Walk
Ghost tourColor nearby peaks November 10
Three historic Huntsville districts, three sets of ghost stories. Pick Twickenham, Old Town or downtown and your guide leads you past antebellum homes and courthouse-square storefronts on Friday and Saturday nights through September and October, adding Sunday tours once the calendar turns to October.
Don’t miss: Three historic-district route options · Departs a 19th-century hardware store · Friday and Saturday nights, plus Sundays in October
Eufaula
Historic townColor nearby peaks November 22
Eufaula holds one of Alabama's largest collections of homes on the National Register, antebellum mansions lined up along Broad Street and side streets shaded by live oaks. Walk it in October or November, once the humidity breaks and the porches and columns show up clean in the afternoon light.
Don’t miss: Antebellum mansions along Broad Street · One of Alabama's largest historic-register counts · Set on Lake Eufaula
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in Alabama in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for November 12–November 21 (best estimate November 16). Color starts around November 1 and trees are mostly bare by December 10.
- How reliable is the Alabama forecast?
- The forecast blends recent-year weather normals with photoperiod and elevation; it tightens as the season approaches. Against published peak dates the model lands within a few days for most regions, but it can be a week or more out — mountains and coastlines are the hardest. Higher elevations turn roughly one day earlier per 300 m.
- When is Alabama's autumn season?
- Alabama colors during autumn (September–November). Cheaha State Park and Little River Canyon on Alabama's southern Appalachian foothills turn oak, hickory, and sweetgum by late October, with milder color continuing into November across the rest of the state.
- What are the best things to do in fall in Alabama?
- The iconic stops: Cheaha State Park, DeSoto State Park, Old Baker Farm, Atrox Factory, Hidden Rivers Farm, Moundville Native American Festival. Every one is mapped on this page with its peak-color timing.
- What are the best things to do in autumn in Alabama?
- Autumn — autumn (September–November) — is peak season here. Pair the color with Cheaha State Park, DeSoto State Park, Old Baker Farm, Atrox Factory, Hidden Rivers Farm; each is on the map above with the window to catch it.
Nearby & similar
Cities in Alabama
Local peak timing and things to do in fall, computed for each city.
Season by season
2026 (forecast)
Peak November 12–November 21
November 1 → December 10