When do the leaves change in Arizona?
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.
Peak: October 19–November 19
Color builds from October 22 · mostly bare by November 27
This window comes from 52 weather points across Arizona, nudged 4 days earlier to match 1 published peak date from flagstaffarizona.org and fs.usda.gov. This year's weather has the peak running 3 days earlier than a normal year. Peak dates spread about 31 days inside Arizona, so the high ground turns well before the valleys. How the forecast works
Known for
Things to do in fall in Arizona
15 iconic stops, including scenic drives, farms, haunts, and the views locals plan their October around.
Oak Creek Canyon
Scenic drivePeak October 20
Highway 89A drops 2,000 feet in 12 miles between Flagstaff and Sedona through a canyon of red-rock cliffs and bigtooth maple, with Oak…
Lockett Meadow
TrailPeak October 17
A dirt-road trailhead inside the volcanic caldera of the San Francisco Peaks leads into the Inner Basin, where dense aspen groves ring…
Hannagan Meadow
Scenic drivePeak October 17
US 191's Coronado Trail twists through more than 400 curves over the White Mountains' high country, and Hannagan Meadow at 9,100 feet, with…
Fear Farm
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks November 19
Billed as Arizona's largest Halloween event, Fear Farm packs haunted houses, a Field of Fear corn maze and a gellyball zombie range onto…
Schnepf Farms Pumpkin & Chili Party
Fall festivalColor nearby peaks November 21
For over 25 years this Queen Creek farm has run the East Valley's big October harvest party, with a four-acre corn maze, pumpkin patch, hay…
Tucson Terror in the Corn
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks November 23
Run by the Buckelew family, who farmed Three Points for 30 years before moving the haunt closer to town, this Marana cornfield is now in…
Mortimer Farms
Pumpkin patchColor nearby peaks November 5
Mortimer Farms sits in the high country between Prescott and Prescott Valley, where its Pumpkin Fest and Corn Maze take over the fields…
Vertuccio Farms Fall Festival
Pumpkin patchColor nearby peaks November 21
Vertuccio Farms runs its fall festival from October 2 through 31, 2026, turning this working farm east of Phoenix into a pumpkin patch with…
Halloween
Guides
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in Arizona in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 19–November 19 (best estimate November 3). Color starts around October 22 and trees are mostly bare by November 27.
- How reliable is the Arizona forecast?
- The forecast blends recent-year weather normals with photoperiod and elevation; it tightens as the season approaches. Against published peak dates the model lands within a few days for most regions, but it can be a week or more out. Mountains and coastlines are the hardest. Higher elevations turn roughly one day earlier per 300 m.
- When is Arizona's autumn season?
- Arizona is in the northern hemisphere, so its color season is autumn (September to November). The turn takes roughly 36 days end to end, centered on November 3, and the last 15 of those are thinning canopy rather than color.
- What are the best things to do in fall in Arizona?
- The iconic stops: Oak Creek Canyon, Lockett Meadow, Hannagan Meadow, Fear Farm, Schnepf Farms Pumpkin & Chili Party, Tucson Terror in the Corn. Every one is mapped on this page with its peak-color timing.
Nearby & similar
Cities in Arizona
Local peak timing and things to do in fall, computed for each city.
Season by season
2026 (forecast)
Peak October 19–November 19
October 22 → November 27