Oak Creek Canyon
Scenic drive · Arizona
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 Creek Vista's switchback overlook offering the classic view where Arizona's fall color meets its red rock.
Don’t miss
Peak: October 17–October 21
Color builds from October 3 · mostly bare by November 11
Sampled at Oak Creek Canyon’s own coordinates and elevation (1955 m) rather than a regional average.
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 1 day earlier than a normal year. How the forecast works
When to go to Oak Creek Canyon
Good color holds through about October 28, giving you roughly 25 days from the first turn to past peak. It sits at 6,414 ft, high enough to turn before the valleys do.
Oak Creek Canyon on the map
Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of Arizona, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
More things to do in Arizona
Farms & harvest
Halloween
Frequently asked
- When does Oak Creek Canyon peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 17–October 21 (best estimate October 19). Color starts around October 3 and is mostly bare by November 11.
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