Fall color near Austin
Austin's Hill Country autumn is subtle — bald cypresses along Lady Bird Lake and Barton Creek turn rust, and Spanish oaks redden on the greenbelt slopes — but the headline act is Lost Maples, a couple of hours west, where relict bigtooth maples put on the most famous color show in Texas.
Fall activities in Austin
Little classic fall color reaches Austin itself — these are the closest real shows, ranked by distance.
Texas
125 miPeak November 19
Texas foliage varies wildly by region: bigtooth maples blaze red at Lost Maples State Natural Area in the Hill Country, East Texas Piney Woods hardwoods turn gold, and Davis Mountains aspens color the far west, mostly in November.
Louisiana
344 miPeak November 28
Foliage here is subtle and subtropical: bald cypress in the Atchafalaya Basin turns rust and copper while sweetgum and hickory color the northern hill country. Color lingers later than most states, often into late November.
Oklahoma
364 miPeak November 10
Oak-hickory forests in the eastern hills flare red and orange along the Talimena Scenic Drive through the Winding Stair Mountains, with Beavers Bend State Park a favorite base. Peak color typically arrives in late October.
Arkansas
446 miPeak November 10
The Ozark and Ouachita Mountains fill with oak, hickory, and sweetgum color each fall, with sourwood adding early crimson. The Talimena Scenic Drive and Mount Magazine offer sweeping overlooks, typically peaking in late October.
In Austin itself
Peak: November 24–November 28
Color builds from November 11 · mostly bare by December 21
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures (Open-Meteo) drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model, sampled at Austin’s own coordinates rather than a regional average. Dates are computed for Austin itself at 157 m elevation. Estimates, not promises — street trees vary block to block. Check locally before you plan around a weekend.
Where locals go
Things to do in fall in Austin
Orchards, cider, haunts, and harvest season — the iconic fall stops within a day trip of Austin.
Ghost City Tours Austin
Ghost tourColor nearby peaks November 26
Three after-dark walking tours of downtown Austin, all running seven days a week year-round. The all-ages Ghosts of Austin tour steps off at 8 p.m. from the gates of the Texas State Capitol and runs 90 minutes, rain or shine.
Don’t miss: Starts at the Texas State Capitol gates · 90-minute all-ages walk · Also a 21+ haunted pub crawl
House of Torment
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks November 26
Austin's flagship scream house on Ridgepoint Drive, running select nights each fall. The Travel Channel has called it "the scariest haunted house in America", and the site is quoting that line while it sells 2026 discount presale passes ahead of announcing the schedule.
Don’t miss: Travel Channel "scariest in America" pick · Select nights, September into November · Discount presale before dates drop
Round Rock Donuts
Donuts & ciderColor nearby peaks November 26
A Round Rock institution since 1926, famous for its oversized yellow-orange yeast donuts made from the original owner's recipe. The color comes from fresh eggs, and on busy days the bakery hand-rolls, cuts, fries and ices more than 500 dozen of them.
Don’t miss: Baking since 1926 · The famous yellow donut · 500+ dozen on a busy day
Sweet Berry Farm
41 miPumpkin patch
Color nearby peaks November 26
A 152-acre Hill Country farm that bills itself as the original and biggest Central Texas strawberry and pumpkin patch, going on 26 years. Fall brings the Texas Maze, a candy corn maze, hayrides, goat racers, flower pickin' and pumpkin painting.
Don’t miss: 152 acres, 26 seasons in · Texas Maze and candy corn maze · Hayrides, goat racers, flower pickin'
in Texas
Six Flags Fiesta Texas Fright Fest
70 miFall festival
Color nearby peaks November 26
The San Antonio park turns over to Fright Fest on select nights from September 11 to November 1, 2026, with roaming scare zones after dusk and separately ticketed pay-to-panic haunted mazes on top of the usual coasters.
Don’t miss: Scare zones after dark · Pay-to-panic haunted mazes · Coasters running through it all
in Texas
Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours
73 miGhost tour
Color nearby peaks November 26
Founded by San Antonio natives Lauren and James Swartz, this outfit has been "Keeping San Antonio Spooky Since 2011" and has been rated in the top 3 ghost tours in the country for five straight years by USA TODAY. Tours leave nightly from Alamo Plaza.
Don’t miss: USA TODAY top-3 ghost tour · Nightly from Alamo Plaza · Ghost walk, ghost bus or pub crawl
in Texas
Frequently asked
- Does Austin get fall colors?
- Some, but it's understated. Austin's Hill Country autumn is subtle — bald cypresses along Lady Bird Lake and Barton Creek turn rust, and Spanish oaks redden on the greenbelt slopes — but the headline act is Lost Maples, a couple of hours west, where relict bigtooth maples put on the most famous color show in Texas.
- Where's the closest good foliage to Austin?
- Texas, about 125 mi away, peaking around November 19. Texas foliage varies wildly by region: bigtooth maples blaze red at Lost Maples State Natural Area in the Hill Country, East Texas Piney Woods hardwoods turn gold, and Davis Mountains aspens color the far west, mostly in November.
- When does Austin see what color it gets?
- The model predicts the area's late-season change around November 24–November 28 — subtle in town, and no match for a trip toward Texas and Louisiana.
- What are the best things to do in fall in Austin?
- Beyond the leaves: Ghost City Tours Austin (1 mi); House of Torment (6 mi); Round Rock Donuts (17 mi); Sweet Berry Farm (41 mi); Six Flags Fiesta Texas Fright Fest (70 mi). All of them are mapped on this page.
- What are the best things to do in autumn near Austin?
- Come autumn — autumn (September–November) — locals head for Ghost City Tours Austin (1 mi); House of Torment (6 mi); Round Rock Donuts (17 mi); Sweet Berry Farm (41 mi); Six Flags Fiesta Texas Fright Fest (70 mi). Each is on the map with the distance from Austin.