Alabama is rated as one of the worst states for fall foliage and fun: do you agree?

Is Alabama really one of the worst places to visit for fall foliage and holidays? A recent study says so, but people in the state may be against it.

The LawnStarter website actually demolishes Alabama as a fall destination, giving the state the lowest rating on its list “2024’s Best States to Visit This Fall: Foliage and Holidays.” A total of 48 states were ranked — Alaska and Hawaii were omitted due to “lack of fall foliage data” — and Alabama ranked 44th in the bottom five.

Only Mississippi (No. 45), Oklahoma (No. 46), Delaware (No. 47) and Louisiana (No. 48) fared worse than Alabama in the study, which ranked states by qualities such as “projected fall foliage length.” and peak leaves, scenic roads and pumpkin patches,” the press release says.

California took the top spot, followed by Washington (No. 2), Oregon (No. 3), Vermont (No. 4) and Michigan (No. 5).

“California ranks first, enjoying a unique advantage as the changing leaves slowly trickle down the state, with spots peaking between mid-October in NorCal and mid-November in SoCal, so people can enjoy the colorful atmosphere for an extended period of time,” – says the LawnStarter website. “The state is also full of parks, forests, trails and scenic drives to admire the hues.”

Several Southeastern states seem to be at a disadvantage in the rankings, but it’s worth noting that Tennessee ranks 12th, North Carolina 13th, and Georgia near the middle of the pack at 25th. (See the full ranking here.)

So why did Alabama get a major sideways glance from LawnStarter? All we can do is point to research methodologyas described on the company’s website:

“First, we identified the factors (indicators) most relevant to ranking the best states to visit this fall. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped these factors into 4 categories: fall scenery, outdoor recreation, entertainment, and safety. … We calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each state to determine its ranking in each factor, each category, and overall. A state’s overall score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest overall score was “Best” (#1), and the lowest was “Worst” (#48).

In the fall scenery category, LawnStarted considered the projected number of weeks with fall foliage, the projected number of days of peak fall foliage, and the number of scenic drives. The category of outdoor recreation included the number of national and state parks, the total area of forest lands, the number of hiking trails and more

In the entertainment category, the study highlights the number of outdoor attractions, fall festivals, apple orchards, corn mazes, pumpkin bedshay rides, etc. The security category focuses on the risk of wildfires and hurricanes.

Autumn in Alabama — Fall foliage in Alabama usually peaks in late October or early November, but can last well into November. (Joe Songer/[email protected]) al.com

Alabama received an overall overall score of 24.13 out of 100 in the study, securing the state’s place in the bottom five. In a breakdown of the study’s four main categories, Alabama scored 43/100 for fall scenery, 31/100 for outdoor recreation, 38/100 for fall entertainment and 27/100 for safety.

But let’s not get too upset about the rating right now. Alabamians can make their own decisions about the state’s fall foliage and entertainment (including 50+ autumn fairs and festivals), just walking out the door.

According to the data, much of the state is usually at peak fall Alabama Department of Tourism website. “Fall colors will begin to appear in the mountains of North Alabama in early October and then spread throughout the region,” the site says. “The colors will be at their peak from late October to early November.”

The Department of Tourism’s recommendations for the “Fall Color Trail” include Oak Mountain State Park, Bankhead National Forest, Joe Wheeler State Park, Monte Sano State Park, Little River Canyon, Cheaha State ParkNokkaloola Falls etc. There is also a North Alabama Fall Color Trailcourtesy of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourism Association.

Southern Living weighed in on fall foliage in recent years, calling in “The Best Places in Every Southern State for Amazing Fall Colors.” Two places in Alabama were honored on the 2024 list: Lookout Mountain Scenic Park and Little River Canyon Nature Preserve.

Little River Canyon in Fort Payne was touted by Southern Living for its “splendid fall views of its 45-foot waterfalls. You’ll also see vibrant fall foliage as sassafras, flowering dogwood, hickory, dogwood, oak and maple change colors.” The scenic Lookout Park, which stretches from Gadsden to Chattanooga, is acclaimed as a “93-mile park (that) runs along waterfalls, canyons, small towns and villages, state and national parks, and some of the state’s most spectacular trees. .”

Of course, AL.com kept its eyes on the fall foliage, recommend a visit to Little River Canyon, Blount County Covered Bridges, DeSoto Park, Bankhead National Forest. Cheaha State Park, Oak Mountain State Park, etc. Also, fall color in Alabama can last until November, depending on where you live and what the weather is like.

“Air upstate tends to cool first, and observers can track the color change as it makes its way downstate.” says the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. “The most prominent colors of autumn are yellow, orange, red and purple. When all the shades are present at the same time, it creates a dazzling scene of beauty.”