Queen Wilhelmina State Park
State park · Arkansas
Perched atop 2,681-foot Rich Mountain near where the Talimena Scenic Byway crosses into Oklahoma, this park's 'Castle in the Sky' lodge overlooks ridge after ridge of the Ouachita Mountains, with color along the drive running mid-October into early November.
Don’t miss
Peak: October 31–November 4
Color builds from October 25 · mostly bare by November 26
Sampled at Queen Wilhelmina State Park’s own coordinates and elevation (781 m) rather than a regional average.
This window comes from 26 weather points across Arkansas, nudged 2 days earlier to match 1 published peak date from farmersalmanac.com. This year's weather has the peak running 7 days earlier than a normal year. How the forecast works
When to go to Queen Wilhelmina State Park
You get about 17 days of color here, from the first turn through to roughly November 11. That is about 1 day earlier than Arkansas as a whole. Height explains the gap, since this sits at 2,562 ft. The elevation is 2,562 ft, which pulls the turn earlier.
Queen Wilhelmina State Park on the map
Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of Arkansas, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
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Frequently asked
- When does Queen Wilhelmina State Park peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 31–November 4 (best estimate November 2). Color starts around October 25 and is mostly bare by November 26.
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