Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge
Tennessee River Valley, Alabama · 565 ft
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 .
Typical peak
Oct 28 – Nov 5
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Best at sunrise
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.
Color starts around Oct 11.
Light at peak
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge on November 1, 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
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises ESE, sets WSW.
Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.
Location pages name the light directly.
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.