Just wanted to see if you guys can help me out, I am planning a Arkansas fall color trip this upcoming month and I am trying to figure out what would be the best weekend for fall color.
Here in Missouri it looks like peak fall colors are coming early this year but I did some research on the net this morning on Arkansas and the predictions are still late October and early November for Arkansas. So maybe the best weekend would be 20th - 22nd? Or should I go latter?
Hey Mark- I'm assuming your talking about the Ozarks right? I saw some really nice color in the smaller gum. sasafrass, sumac, dogwood and other understory species yesterday. I'm always afraid to make any predictions, but I think the peak will be a little earlier than last year. Early November would probably be a little late. I'm going to say the color will be best the weekend of th 20th - pretty close to the normal time.
Addendum: It probably depends alot on where you're going Mark - seems like every year there are places that will peak sooner than others, and it can be very localized. Last year I was late in getting up the Richland Creek area. But maybe 20 miles away at Pedestal rocks, it was gorgeous. And over around the Compton trailhead things were peaking while everything down in Boxley Valley (just a few miles away)was pretty well done.
I don't know how long you have to plan ahead, but I follow Tim Ernst's Journal at cloudland.net. I'm sure he'll be keeping readers posted on what the colors are doing and where. The weekend of the 27th will probably be good too - just depends on where you go.
You will find good color somewhere in Arkansas from mid-October until mid-November, although that can range a couple hundred miles. The Ouachitas normally turn in November, but I have seen them as late as mid-December before. The Buffalo River region normally is the first to turn, and that has already started in some drainages - most drainages are still all green though. The underbrush normally begins to turn in early September, but with all the rain we had it is actually late and just now getting a good start.
A lot of all this depends on the time of day and the weather - misty conditions will bring out beautiful color that is simply not there when the sun is out. On the other hand, the very same dull hillside that you drove past in the morning can really catch fire in the late afternoon light - it all depends on where you are standing. I would not pay too much attention to any prediction service - they seldom have any factual information. I heard a lady on the Weather Channel once announce that the pines in Colorado were going to be at their peak color that weekend! The simple fact is that every day spent out in the woods right now down here is pretty darn nice...Hope you get some great photos...
Thanks for the great info Tim and Bill, I have decided to head down next Thursday to the Ozark area, I think this will be a good time and like Tim said every day spent in the woods is nice :)
Discussion
3 repliesJust wanted to see if you guys can help me out, I am planning a Arkansas fall color trip this upcoming month and I am trying to figure out what would be the best weekend for fall color.
Here in Missouri it looks like peak fall colors are coming early this year but I did some research on the net this morning on Arkansas and the predictions are still late October and early November for Arkansas. So maybe the best weekend would be 20th - 22nd? Or should I go latter?
Thanks
Addendum: It probably depends alot on where you're going Mark - seems like every year there are places that will peak sooner than others, and it can be very localized. Last year I was late in getting up the Richland Creek area. But maybe 20 miles away at Pedestal rocks, it was gorgeous. And over around the Compton trailhead things were peaking while everything down in Boxley Valley (just a few miles away)was pretty well done.
I don't know how long you have to plan ahead, but I follow Tim Ernst's Journal at cloudland.net. I'm sure he'll be keeping readers posted on what the colors are doing and where. The weekend of the 27th will probably be good too - just depends on where you go.
What Bill said.
You will find good color somewhere in Arkansas from mid-October until mid-November, although that can range a couple hundred miles. The Ouachitas normally turn in November, but I have seen them as late as mid-December before. The Buffalo River region normally is the first to turn, and that has already started in some drainages - most drainages are still all green though. The underbrush normally begins to turn in early September, but with all the rain we had it is actually late and just now getting a good start.
A lot of all this depends on the time of day and the weather - misty conditions will bring out beautiful color that is simply not there when the sun is out. On the other hand, the very same dull hillside that you drove past in the morning can really catch fire in the late afternoon light - it all depends on where you are standing. I would not pay too much attention to any prediction service - they seldom have any factual information. I heard a lady on the Weather Channel once announce that the pines in Colorado were going to be at their peak color that weekend! The simple fact is that every day spent out in the woods right now down here is pretty darn nice...Hope you get some great photos...