Port Louisa Refugefall foliage
Wildlife refugeFall color: the first two weeks of October are usually the best, per the Fish and Wildlife Service. No official report yet this season.
Sources for this timing ↓About Port Louisa Refuge
- What it is
- A wildlife refuge in Iowa
- What you'll see
- Fall color · usual peak Oct
- Before you go
- Parts of the Muscatine Slough Trail close for migrating waterfowl
Next 7 days at Port Louisa Refuge
- TodayShowers And Thunderstorms72° / 65°91% rain
- FriSunny66° / 46°–
- SatSunny68° / 51°–
- SunSunny71° / 47°–
- MonSunny66° / 46°–
- TueSunny68° / 54°4% rain
- WedMostly Sunny74° / –8% rain
Today: sunrise 7:02 a.m., sunset 6:48 p.m., light until 7:16 p.m. · moon waning gibbous, 67% lit (our calculation)
Your guide to the area
- Port Louisa RefugeLocal timing: the first two weeks of OctoberThis page
Best spots around Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge
- Sycamore LoopA walking loop the refuge suggests
- Observation deck at the visitor contact stationA deck at the refuge's visitor contact station
Worth the drive
Statewide timing, for places without their own: Illinois: usually well under way by late October; Wisconsin: usually well under way by early October.
- Necedah RefugeWildlife refuge202 miOctoberSatMostly Sunny
- Indiana DunesNational park212 miUsually around mid-OctoberSatSunny
- Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. PaulNational park276 miUsually around the end of September to the first weekend in OctoberSatMostly Sunny
- Shawnee National ForestNational forest289 miSatMostly Sunny
- Mingo RefugeWildlife refuge298 miSeptemberSatMostly Sunny
- Saint Croix RiverwayNational park301 miSatPartly Sunny
The year at Port Louisa Refuge
- North Trail (a paddling trail through the refuge) open, as conditions allowJan–Sep
- Spring migratory birds: April to May is the best timeApr–May
- Wildlife with young: June to August is the best timeJun–Aug
- Parts of the Muscatine Slough Trail close for migrating waterfowlNowSep–Dec
- Fall migratory birds: September to November are the best monthsNowSep–Nov
- Oct: Fall foliage: the first two weeks of OctoberNowOct
First fall frost: usually around Oct 24 (the day a 32°F night is as likely as not, 1991–2020, at NOAA's New Boston Dam 17 station, 4 mi away; NOAA).
Port Louisa Refuge in pictures
Questions people ask
When is peak fall foliage in Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge in 2026?
Fall color: the first two weeks of October are usually the best, per the Fish and Wildlife Service: the first two weeks of October. That's general timing for this place, not a peak date or a forecast.
How is the fall color in Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge right now?
There's no official report yet this season.
Where are the best spots in Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge?
Sycamore Loop: a walking loop the refuge suggests; Observation deck at the visitor contact station: a deck at the refuge's visitor contact station.
Are there closures or permits to know about in Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge?
Parts of the Muscatine Slough Trail close for migrating waterfowl (Sep–Dec).
What is Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge like through the year?
Spring migratory birds: April to May is the best time (Apr–May), Wildlife with young: June to August is the best time (Jun–Aug), Fall migratory birds: September to November are the best months (Sep–Nov), Parts of the Muscatine Slough Trail close for migrating waterfowl (Sep–Dec) and North Trail (a paddling trail through the refuge) open, as conditions allow (Jan–Sep).