Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge
Delaware Bay, Delaware · 7 ft
Typical peak
Oct 18 – Oct 26
moderate confidence in typical timing.
Best light
Works at both ends of the day
Sixteen thousand acres on Delaware Bay, four-fifths of it tidal salt marsh going bronze while the upland woods turn behind it. This is a horizon-and-sky problem rather than a canopy one, and the low sun runs the length of the marsh at both ends of the day.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Crowds
moderate
Often busier by mid-morning; consider arriving at first light.
Getting there
Visitor center at 2591 Whitehall Neck Road near Smyrna. A 12-mile wildlife drive, three observation towers and the 2.7-mile Forest Discovery Tree Trail; open half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset with an entrance pass.
What turns here
- red maple
- sweetgum
- loblolly pine
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 22Typical color progression for Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. No change from Sep 14 to Oct 1. First color from Oct 1 to Oct 10. Approaching peak from Oct 10 to Oct 18. Peak from Oct 18 to Oct 26. Past peak from Oct 26 to Nov 5. Bare from Nov 5 to Nov 19.
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is typically at past peak on Nov 1, 2026.
This season so far
First frost
None yet
No night at or below 32°F since Aug 1.
Last 14 days
65°F / 47°F
Average daily high and low.
Modeled weather for these coordinates from the Open-Meteo historical archive, Aug 1 – Oct 31; not a station record. Reported peak is the median date of approved peak-color reports.
Plan the light
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge on October 22, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:51 AM |
| Sunrise Rises ESE · 104° | 7:18 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 37 min of low, warm light | 7:55 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:46 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 37 min before sunset | 5:37 PM |
| Sunset Sets WSW · 256° | 6:14 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:41 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 10h 55m · computed from NOAA solar equations.
Local terrain can hide the sun; allow extra time to reach your viewpoint.
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises ESE, sets WSW.
Aim within 45° of the sun for translucent leaves. Turn your back to it for flat, accurate color.
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.
Nearby locations
Within 100 miles in a straight line; road distances can be longer.
- White Clay Creek State Park Past peak
Delaware · 36 mi away
144 ft · peaks Oct 20 - Trap Pond Bald Cypress Past peak
Delaware · 51 mi away
42 ft · peaks Oct 24 - Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge Past peak
Maryland · 66 mi away
4 ft · peaks Oct 24 - U.S. National Arboretum Past peak
Washington, D.C. · 84 mi away
53 ft · peaks Oct 23