When do the leaves change in Louisiana?
Foliage here is subtle and subtropical: bald cypress in the Atchafalaya Basin turns rust and copper while sweetgum and hickory color the northern hill country. Color lingers later than most states, often into late November.
Peak: November 24–November 28
Color builds from November 13 · mostly bare by December 21
This window comes from 18 weather points across Louisiana, nudged 1 day later to match 1 published peak date from explorefall.com. Louisiana is running 2 days earlier than its own average this year. Louisiana turns close to together, with about 3 days between its earliest corner and its latest. How the forecast works
Known for
Things to do in fall in Louisiana
9 iconic stops, including scenic drives, farms, haunts, and the views locals plan their October around.
St. Francisville
Historic townColor nearby peaks November 27
A bluff-top town 'two miles long and two yards wide' above the Mississippi River anchors West Feliciana Parish's cluster of antebellum…
French Quarter Phantoms
Ghost tourColor nearby peaks November 26
Established in 2006, this locally owned outfit walks just under a mile through the Quarter and Treme on a 105-minute Ghost and Vampire…
The Mortuary Haunted Mansion
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks November 26
A genuine former funeral home at the dead end of Canal Street, where more than 20,000 funerals took place between 1930 and 2003.
Louisiana Renaissance Festival
Fall festivalColor nearby peaks November 27
A sixteenth-century English village rebuilt in the pines outside Hammond, with jousting, hundreds of costumed performers and turkey legs…
Color nearby peaks November 26
A two-hour walk through the Garden District with a guide who is usually a working historian, ending at the wrought-iron gates of Lafayette…
Natchitoches
Historic townColor nearby peaks November 24
Founded in 1714, Natchitoches is older than New Orleans and looks it, brick streets and ironwork balconies along Front Street above the…
Liuzza Land
Corn mazeColor nearby peaks November 27
A Tangipahoa Parish farm that opens its biggest corn maze yet each October, alongside pumpkin picking, tractor rides and a honeybee exhibit…
New Orleans Nightmare
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks November 26
Two haunts under one roof near the Fair Grounds: House of Flesh, an abandoned morgue that chases you through freezer corridors, and Harvest…
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in Louisiana in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for November 24–November 28 (best estimate November 26). Color starts around November 13 and trees are mostly bare by December 21.
- How reliable is the Louisiana 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 Louisiana's autumn season?
- Louisiana is in the northern hemisphere, so its color season is autumn (September to November). The turn takes roughly 38 days end to end, centered on November 26, and the last 16 of those are thinning canopy rather than color.
- What are the best things to do in fall in Louisiana?
- The iconic stops: St. Francisville, French Quarter Phantoms, The Mortuary Haunted Mansion, Louisiana Renaissance Festival, Historic New Orleans Tours (Garden District), Natchitoches. Every one is mapped on this page with its peak-color timing.
Nearby & similar
Cities in Louisiana
Local peak timing and things to do in fall, computed for each city.
Season by season
2026 (forecast)
Peak November 24–November 28
November 13 → December 21