Fall colors 2023: Here are the best places to see the leaves change in Arizona
After the harshness of an especially long and brutal summer, we welcome autumn with open arms. Autumn is a celebration that pulls us outdoors. There’s nothing like the embrace of cooling temperatures, the crisp air and the musky aroma that permeates an autumn forest carpeted with fallen leaves.
Fall is your chance to shake free of the artificial blast of air conditioning that has sustained us for so long and reconnect with the natural world. Nature is about to put on its most vibrant display, and it’s one that will last for weeks. Don’t miss out. Here’s your guide for enjoying fall colors across Arizona in 2023.
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When can you see fall colors in Arizona?
Every season rolls across Arizona in waves due to our startling geographic and climate diversity. With a little planning, leaf peepers will have numerous opportunities to witness a range of colorful displays all across the state. It all hinges on elevation.
The leaves change in response to days getting shorter. Leaves are green during summer because of chlorophyll, the pigment that allows plants to make food from carbon dioxide and water.
As sunlight wanes in fall, chlorophyll production decreases, leaves lose their green and other pigments like red, orange and yellow — already present in each leaf — take over. Splashes of those vivid colors will first appear at the highest elevations, generally beginning at the end of September.
Of course, October is the prime time for fall colors. This is the peak month for blazing aspens high on mountain slopes. Early to mid-October is generally the best window for hikes and scenic drives around Flagstaff, Williams and the White Mountains.
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Later in October, color begins to spill downhill. Along with isolated aspen groves, you’ll find gambel oak, sumac, velvet ash, boxelder and bigtooth maple across the Mogollon Rim and in places like Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona and the Pinal Mountains near Globe.
Where is the best place to see the leaves change in Arizona? Flagstaff
Aspens are always the showstoppers in Arizona. They’re the ones you don’t want to miss. Since many of the large aspen groves are clonally connected, the groupings change colors en masse, which makes them even more dazzling.
You’ll find some of the best aspen displays in Flagstaff. The Aspen Nature Loop makes a gentle 2.5-mile meander through forests and meadows framed by panoramas of Kendrick Peak and the towering volcanic ramparts of the San Francisco Peaks.
Another option, Kachina Trail, runs for 5 miles one way, slanting along the base of Agassiz Peak, crossing small side canyons and passing ragged lava formations. The old forest includes a mix of Douglas firs, limber pines, pale-barked quaking aspens and a massive garden of bracken ferns, turning brown in the fall air.
Both trails depart from the Arizona Snowbowl parking lot north of downtown Flagstaff.
Or hike the Inner Basin Trail for Flag’s ultimate high-country experience. Starting from Lockett Meadow, the trail carves a route through forests and meadows into a cradling golden bowl. The caldera of this ancient volcano is now filled with a virtual sea of aspens.
Details: 928-526-0866, www.fs.usda.gov/coconino.
Where can you see fall colors in the White Mountains?
In the White Mountains, make the drive along State Highway 260 between the conjoined communities of Pinetop-Lakeside to Eagar-Springerville. Let your windshield fill with swaths of lemon and saffron hues as you dip in and out of aspen forests. You’ll also pass a series of small lakes, which offer scenic little pull-offs for picnics or photo ops. One of the most reliable spots for leaf-peepers is at Big Lake, south of Greer off State Highway 273. The 575-acre lake is partially wrapped in forest. Aspens, maples, oaks and boxelders spread along the shoreline, mirroring a beautiful array of hues in the water’s surface.
Details: 928-333-6200, www.fs.usda.gov/asnf.
Mogollon Rim fall colors
Starting around the middle of October, Rim Country will be cloaked in fall finery. Drive Forest Road 300, also known as the Rim Road, between State Highways 260 and 87 for vivid hues and panoramas. Along the way are groves of aspens and oaks and overlooks with devastating views. The 51-mile drive is mostly unpaved but can be managed in a cautiously driven sedan. For a memorable hike, take See Canyon Trail blazing with the scarlet of bigtooth maples, and the yellows and golds of velvet ash and Gambel oaks.
Details: 928-474-7900, www.fs.usda.gov/tonto.
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Where is the best place to see fall colors in Sedona?
Perhaps the preeminent Arizona fall drive and hike can be found just north of Sedona. The winding route through Oak Creek Canyon on State Route 89A harbors the entire leafy palette of New England splashed against red cliffs.
SR 89A leads north from Sedona, tracing the creek and exposing dramatic panoramas at every turn. As the canyon narrows, the cottonwood, velvet ash, Arizona sycamore, alder and willow trees form an arching canopy over the road. An understory of sumac and a viny tangle of canyon grape and Virginia creeper add additional layers of color.
For an intimate dip into an autumn wonderland, hike the West Fork Trail along Oak Creek. The path threads its way between canyon walls as it repeatedly splashes across a shallow creek amid a kaleidoscope arrangement of colors. Start from the Call of the Canyon Picnic Area, 9.5 miles north of Sedona. The day-use fee is $12 per vehicle. Fall is peak season, so expect crowds and a full parking lot. Go early in the morning, and try for a weekday if you can.
Details: 928-203-2900, www.fs.usda.gov/coconino.
How long do fall colors last in Arizona?
Fall colors can continue through November and even into December in lower elevations. Look for riparian corridors where you’ll find mixed woodlands filled with cottonwoods, willows, sycamores, sumac, walnuts and more.
The Verde Valley includes several options with color generally peaking in early to mid-November. Parsons Trail, near Cottonwood, drops into Sycamore Canyon and follows a perennial creek through a leafy tunnel of mixed trees. At just under 4 miles, you’ll reach Parsons Spring a wide marshy area and turnaround point.
Other fall color destinations in the Verde Valley are Bell Trail, which follows a bench above tree-lined Wet Beaver Creek, and West Clear Creek Trail which climbs through a lush forest draping the water. Both are moderate day hikes with plenty of excellent autumn picnic settings.
Details: 928-203-2900, www.fs.usda.gov/coconino.
Are there fall colors at Boyce Thompson Arboretum?
Fall colors always seem to make a final appearance at Boyce Thompson Arboretum near Superior. The Main Trail leads you on a 1.5-mile loop through the lush gardens that include honey locust, soapberry, canyon hackberry, black walnut and Arizona sycamore.
The trail circles Magma Ridge with gnarled outcroppings, then curves through a grove of burgundy Chinese pistachio trees framed by golden hedges of pomegranate. Expect trees with yellow leaves to peak from late October through mid-November, while trees with red and orange leaves will be blazing just before Thanksgiving through early December.
Check the arboretum online calendar for opening hours, guided walks and special events.
Details: Boyce Thompson Arboretum is 55 miles east of central Phoenix on U.S. 60. $24.95, $10 for ages 5-12. 520-689-2723, www.btarboretum.org.
Find the reporter at www.rogernaylor.com. Or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RogerNaylorinAZ or Twitter @AZRogerNaylor
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Fall colors 2023: Best places to see the foliage in Arizona
