Foliage map › Destinations › Alabama › Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Birmingham area peaks around November 5, with the best viewing from roughly November 3 to November 11.
- Typical peak
- November 5
- Best viewing
- Nov 3 – Nov 11
- Color starts
- Around Oct 24
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Nov 18
- Elevation
- 600 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around November 5. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s estimated status and the five-week outlook.
The season at a glance
Bar height shows how good the viewing typically is on each day, from September 1 through November 30. Colors show the stage, from green through peak red to bare.
Open Birmingham on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Birmingham
Birmingham sits in a valley below Red Mountain, where Vulcan Park has an overlook above the city. Red Mountain Park has trails through the woods past old mine sites, and Ruffner Mountain is a large urban nature preserve. Just south of the city, Oak Mountain State Park, Alabama’s largest state park, has trails to the King’s Chair overlook.
Scenic drive
The Talladega Scenic Drive, about an hour east of Birmingham, follows the ridges of the Talladega National Forest to Cheaha State Park, home of Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head higher
Mentone, AL (101 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 6 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Nothing nearby turns later
None of the destinations we track within 150 miles of Birmingham typically peaks much later.
Nearby destinations
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Birmingham?
In a typical year, fall color in the Birmingham area peaks around November 5, with the best viewing from roughly November 3 to November 11. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Birmingham?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around October 24, and most leaves are down by about November 18.
What trees color up around Birmingham?
The main fall color in this area comes from red maple, sweetgum, tulip tree, and shagbark hickory. See the leaf guide to identify them.
Estimates come from the Leaves.com model of typical years, based on latitude, elevation, and distance from large bodies of water. They are not live observations. How it works.