Best Spots For Fall Foliage In And Around Florida

Florida may not be known for its fall foliage, but there are a few places to get you in the mood as the Florida maple, sweetgum, sorrel and cypress trees start to change their leaf color. Peak time can come as late as mid-November. We have selected some of our favorite spots for you to enjoy the gorgeous colors in the Sunshine State.

1. Torreya State Park

Park

Drive west out of Tallahassee to the Torreya State Park, where you’ll see maples, sweetgums and sourwood trees in early November show off their resplendent fall colors. From a high bluff above the Apalachicola River, you have arguably the best spot in Florida to enjoy the change in seasons, where there are not only great views but tranquility to boot. Take the Weeping Ridge Trail, where you will be rewarded with a powerful waterfall.

2. Three Rivers State Park

Park

On Lake Seminole, a one-hour drive northeast out of Tallahassee, Three Rivers State Park is home to oaks, maples and pine trees that are perfect during fall for their dramatic displays. Fiery pockets of orange, reds and yellows impress, as the cooler temperatures arrive. It can still be pleasant enough to picnic around the lake and if you wish to stay overnight, there is a campsite and a modern cabin set-up to settle down among the squirrels, deer and foxes.

3. Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park

Park

About 15mi (25km) south of Tallahassee, Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park is a park that will delight on a family day out. The location where parts of Tarzan’s Secret Treasure (1941) and Tarzan’s New York Adventure (1942) were filmed, it has some of the world’s deepest natural springs and it’s where dinosaurs once walked: mastodon bones have been found in the ground here. Take a boat tour on the lake and through the glass bottom you may even get to see them.

5. Flying Eagle Preserve

Park

Only about an hour northeast from Orlando, the Flying Eagle Preserve near Inverness comprises small lakes, marshes, and swamps among many tiny islands on which the hardwood and cypress trees transform themselves from late October. There are many trails, as well as camping and horse riding. It’s an impressive place to see the change in season, and a little warmer than America’s more famous fall spots.

6. Fort Payne, Alabama

Park

Wolf Creek Overlook, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Fort Payne, Alabama, USA

Across the state border in Alabama, Fort Payne is home to the Little River Canyon National Preserve with waterfalls and gorgeous fall foliage, including maple trees that turn a vivid purple. There is an 11mi (18km) drive through the park that ends at Eberhart Point Overlook. And do stop at Mushroom Rock for photographs.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.