Fall foliage in Southwest
Desert states with real mountain fall color: aspens on Arizona's San Francisco Peaks and New Mexico's Sangre de Cristos, bigtooth maples in the Texas Hill Country, and canyon cottonwoods that glow gold into November.
65 hand-picked fall stops in Southwest (leaves & views, farms & harvest, cider & donuts, Halloween haunts, towns & rides). Tap a 🍁 for its peak-color window, drag the date slider to watch the color arrive, or see every destination on the big map.
Texas
Peak ~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.
Oklahoma
Peak ~November 3
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.
New Mexico
Peak ~October 21
Aspen gold blankets the Sangre de Cristo range along the Enchanted Circle near Taos and the Santa Fe Ski Basin, while Rio Grande cottonwoods turn later, lighting up the Bosque into late October and November.
Arizona
Peak ~November 3
Aspens gild the San Francisco Peaks and White Mountains by late September, while bigtooth maples set Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona ablaze in red and orange through mid-to-late October at lower elevation.
Nevada
Peak ~October 19
Aspen groves turn gold across the Great Basin's mountain ranges, most famously Lamoille Canyon in the Ruby Mountains and Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park. Peak color typically runs late September into mid-October.
Top fall stops in Southwest
65 hand-picked places across 5 regions, by what you go for.
Leaves & views
- Lost Maples State Natural AreaState park · Peak Nov 23
- Talimena National Scenic BywayScenic drive · Peak Nov 3
- Aspen Vista TrailTrail · Peak Oct 7
- Oak Creek CanyonScenic drive · Peak Oct 20
- Great Basin National ParkNational park · Peak Oct 19
- McKittrick CanyonNational park · Peak Nov 6
- Sandia CrestViewpoint · Peak Oct 12
- Lockett MeadowTrail · Peak Oct 17
- Caddo Lake State ParkState park · Peak Nov 16
- Hannagan MeadowScenic drive · Peak Oct 17
Farms & harvest
- The Gilcrease OrchardOrchard · Color peaks Nov 5
- Orr Family FarmPumpkin patch · Color peaks Nov 2
- McCall's Pumpkin PatchPumpkin patch · Color peaks Oct 16
- PumpkinvillePumpkin patch · Color peaks Nov 2
- La Union MazeCorn maze · Color peaks Nov 9
- Mortimer FarmsPumpkin patch · Color peaks Nov 5
- Vertuccio Farms Fall FestivalPumpkin patch · Color peaks Nov 21
- Moapa Valley CornmazeCorn maze · Color peaks Nov 17
Halloween
- Dark Hour Haunted HouseHaunted attraction · Color peaks Nov 12
- The Hex HouseHaunted attraction · Color peaks Nov 2
- Fear FarmHaunted attraction · Color peaks Nov 19
- The Washoe ClubGhost tour · Color peaks Oct 13
- Phobia Haunted HousesHaunted attraction · Color peaks Nov 25
- 13th Floor Haunted House HoustonHaunted attraction · Color peaks Nov 25
- ABQ Tours Ghost WalkGhost tour · Color peaks Oct 19
- Tucson Terror in the CornHaunted attraction · Color peaks Nov 23
- Cutting Edge Haunted HouseHaunted attraction · Color peaks Nov 13
- Oklahoma City Ghost TourGhost tour · Color peaks Nov 2
- The Final HourHaunted attraction · Color peaks Oct 18
- Thrillvania Haunted House ParkHaunted attraction · Color peaks Nov 14
- Fright Fest at Frontier CityHaunted attraction · Color peaks Nov 2
Towns & rides
- State Fair of OklahomaFall festival · Color peaks Nov 2
- Albuquerque International Balloon FiestaFall festival · Color peaks Oct 18
- Haunted Harvest at Springs PreserveFall festival · Color peaks Nov 7
- Schnepf Farms Pumpkin & Chili PartyFall festival · Color peaks Nov 21
- Virginia CityHistoric town · Color peaks Oct 12
- Red Earth FallFestFall festival · Color peaks Nov 2
- Genoa Candy Dance FaireFall festival · Color peaks Oct 7
- Hatch Chile FestivalFall festival · Color peaks Nov 3
- MadridHistoric town · Color peaks Oct 16