Fall color near Houston
Houston's subtropical green barely breaks, though bald cypresses along Buffalo Bayou rust nicely and the Arboretum's hardwoods turn at the very end of the season. For fuller color, the Piney Woods deliver: Sam Houston National Forest and the Big Thicket's beech and magnolia bottoms hold quiet golds and coppers.
Fall activities in Houston
Little classic fall color reaches Houston itself, so these are the closest real shows, ranked by distance.
Drag the date slider to see when color moves through the country around Houston, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
Texas
263 miPeak November 16
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
219 miPeak November 26
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.
Arkansas
395 miPeak November 3
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 Houston itself
Peak: November 23–November 27
Color builds from November 11 · mostly bare by December 20
Sampled at Houston’s own coordinates rather than a regional average. Dates are computed for Houston itself at 20 m elevation. Street trees vary block to block, so check locally before you plan a weekend around it.
This window comes from 115 weather points across Texas, nudged 1 day earlier to match 2 published peak dates from tpwd.texas.gov and explorefall.com. This year's weather has the peak running 4 days earlier than a normal year. Texas does not turn all at once, and the gap from the earliest corner to the latest runs about 14 days. How the forecast works
Where locals go
Things to do in fall in Houston
Orchards, cider, haunts, and harvest season. These are the iconic fall stops within a day trip of Houston.
Phobia Haunted Houses
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks November 25
Eight separate haunted houses stacked on one Beltway 8 site south of Houston, with two more at the company's Kemah Boardwalk location.
13th Floor Haunted House Houston
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks November 25
Named one of USA Today's Top 5 most terrifying haunted houses in the USA, this northwest Houston haunt runs two attractions for its 2026…
Haunted attraction
Color nearby peaks November 25
Three attractions on one wooded site south of Houston - 288 Scare Factory, Dark Woods and Pitch Black - running Fridays and Saturdays from…
in Texas
Frequently asked
- Does Houston get fall colors?
- Some, but it stays understated. Expect scattered street trees rather than a hillside, with the color worth planning around out toward Texas and Louisiana.
- Where's the closest good foliage to Houston?
- Texas, about 263 mi away, peaking around November 16. 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 Houston see what color it gets?
- The model predicts the area's late-season change around November 23–November 27. It stays subtle in town, and it is no match for a trip toward Texas and Louisiana.
- What are the best things to do in fall in Houston?
- Beyond the leaves: Phobia Haunted Houses (11 mi); 13th Floor Haunted House Houston (17 mi); Creepy Hollow Haunted House (27 mi). All of them are mapped on this page.