Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge
Tennessee River Valley, Alabama · 565 ft
Typical peak
Oct 28 – Nov 5
high confidence in typical timing.
Best light
Best at sunrise
Tupelo swamp and backwater embayment on the Tennessee River near Decatur, a thousand feet below the Talladega ridges and a wholly different fall. Standing water and still air early give the swamp a mirror the mountains cannot offer.
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
Off I-65 and AL 67 near Decatur. The visitor center, observation building and boardwalks reach the backwater; refuge roads run the impoundments.
What turns here
- tupelo
Color progression
Typical peak Nov 1Typical color progression for Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. No change from Sep 24 to Oct 11. First color from Oct 11 to Oct 20. Approaching peak from Oct 20 to Oct 28. Peak from Oct 28 to Nov 5. Past peak from Nov 5 to Nov 15. Bare from Nov 15 to Nov 29.
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is typically at 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
73°F / 49°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
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge on November 1, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 5:42 AM |
| Sunrise Rises ESE · 107° | 6:08 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 35 min of low, warm light | 6:43 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 11:31 AM |
| Evening golden hour starts 35 min before sunset | 4:19 PM |
| Sunset Sets WSW · 253° | 4:54 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 5:20 PM |
Times in America/Chicago · day length 10h 47m · 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.