Florida fall foliage is a thing. Here's where you can see the colors
It's fall and that means ... yes, pumpkin spice everything ... but it also means the trees are changing color.
No, palm trees don't change color and neither do all the pines, but there are some trees in Florida that change color. While we won't see the beautiful vistas of our northern neighbors, it is possible to take a short drive and enjoy the yellows, oranges and reds that herald the arrival of autumn.
So grab a blanket — on second thought, that's probably not necessary but you might want an umbrella — grab that latte, and head down the road. Don't get in too much of a rush. You still have plenty of time, but here's where you can see some fall foliage in Florida.
Fall foliage map: When will leaves change color in the US, Florida?
Here's a county-by-county breakdown of how the 2023 foliage changed across the United States.
Yes, you see that right. Don't expect to see anything until Oct. 14, and that's only for the extreme northeastern portion of Florida.
Fall foliage will be either at peak or near peak by Nov. 18. Yes, that's just 10 days before Thanksgiving.
The 2024 fall foliage map is provided by SmokyMountains.com . It "is the ultimate visual planning guide to the annual progressive changing of the leaves. While no tool can be 100% accurate, this tool is meant to help travelers better time their trips to have the best opportunity of catching peak color each year."
Where are the best places to see fall foliage in Florida?
Favorite Florida locations highlighted by GoldenAgeTrips to see fall foliage include:
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Lake City, travel along Interstate 10, especially in rural areas as you head toward Ocala
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Snead, especially in Three Rivers State Park
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Bristol, especially in Torreya State Park . GoldenAgeTrips calls this location about an hour from Tallahassee "the most famous place in Florida for seeing fall foliage ."
Here's some other Florida locations that boast about fall colors:
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Chipley , especially Falling Waters State Park
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Wakulla Springs, especially in Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park
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Milton, especially in Blackwater River State Forest
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Inverness, especially in Flying Eagle Preserve
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Micanopy, especially in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
What trees change color in Florida?
Trees you'll find in Florida that change color include:
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Florida maple and red maple
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Crape myrtles
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Sweetgum
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Blackgums
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Correl
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Cypress trees
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Sourwood
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Winged sumac
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Sugarberry
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Hickory
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Carolina silverbell
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Persimmon
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Wild cherry
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Dogwood
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Sassafras
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Sweetshrub
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Oakleaf hydrangea
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Shumard oak
We bet that's more than you thought!
➤ Find out more about colorful Florida trees
➤ T op native trees to plant to add brilliant fall color, breakfast for songbirds
Want to making a short drive out of Florida to see trees change color?
If you want to see more fall foliage and are willing to take a (fairly) short drive outside of the Sunshine State, try these locations:
In Georgia, these locations were suggested by Georgia State Parks:
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Amicalola Falls State Park & Lodge , Dawsonville
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Black Rock Mountain State Park, Clayton
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Cloudland Canyon State Park , near Chattanooga
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F.D. Roosevelt State Park , Pine Mountain
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Fort Mountain State Park , Chatsworth
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Moccasin Creek State Park , Lake Burton
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Tallulah Gorge State Park , near Clayton
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Unicoi State Park & Lodge , Helen
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Vogel State Park - Blairsville
In Alabama, these locations were suggested by AL.com:
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Springville
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Highway 75 between Pinson and Snead
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Interstate 59 between Argo and the Georgia state line
Contributing: C. A. Bridges, USA Today Network-Florida
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida fall colors, foliage: Here's where, when to find it
