Leaf peeping
Fall colors in Arizona
Typical peak runs Oct 8 – 11. Pick the week, then the place.
Fall color in Arizona typically peaks between Oct 8 and Oct 11, with the middle of the season around Oct 8. Color starts in the high country (Inner Basin Trail #29 around Sep 29) and finishes lower (Kachina Access Trail around Oct 6). We track 9 places here: 4 hikes, 4 mountain biking trails, and 1 summit.
When to go
Week by week
How many places are in their typical peak window each week, with the top pick. Today’s week is highlighted.
Sep 29 – Oct 5
8 placesInner Basin Trail #29Top pick · hikeOct 6 – 12
This week
9 places
Kachina Access TrailTop pick · hikeOct 13 – 19
Busiest
9 placesFlys PeakTop pick · summitOct 20 – 26
1 places
This week
In typical peak now in Arizona
Places whose usual window includes today.
Inner Basin Trail #29
Hike
Typical peak Sep 29 – Oct 13
Flys Peak
Summit
Typical peak Oct 2 – 16
Kachina Trail #150
Hike
Typical peak Oct 3 – 17
Booger Spring
Mountain biking trail
Typical peak Oct 1 – 15
Bear Wallow
Mountain biking trail
Typical peak Oct 1 – 15
Bear Wallow
Hike
Typical peak Oct 1 – 15
Centella
Mountain biking trail
Typical peak Oct 1 – 15
Kachina Access Trail
Hike
Typical peak Oct 6 – 20
Everything
Map and full list
Every place we track in Arizona, grouped by where it is in its typical window.
- In typical peak now (9)
In typical peak now
Today falls inside the usual peak window for these places.
Inner Basin Trail #29
Hike · Arizona
Typical peak Sep 29 – Oct 13
Patches of hardwood forest
Kachina Trail #150
Hike · Arizona
Typical peak Oct 3 – 17
Patches of hardwood forest
Booger Spring
mountain_biking · Arizona
Typical peak Oct 1 – 15
Mixed hardwood and evergreen forest
Bear Wallow
mountain_biking · Arizona
Typical peak Oct 1 – 15
Mixed hardwood and evergreen forest
Bear Wallow
Hike · Arizona
Typical peak Oct 1 – 15
Mixed hardwood and evergreen forest
Centella
mountain_biking · Arizona
Typical peak Oct 1 – 15
Mixed hardwood and evergreen forest
Kachina Access Trail
Hike · Arizona
Typical peak Oct 6 – 20
Patches of hardwood forest
Flys Peak
summit · Arizona
Typical peak Oct 2 – 16
Mixed hardwood and evergreen forest
Fly
mountain_biking · Arizona
Typical peak Oct 1 – 15
Mixed hardwood and evergreen forest
Questions
Fall colors in Arizona: FAQ
When is peak fall color in Arizona?
Across the 9 places we track in Arizona, typical peak runs from Oct 8 to Oct 11, with the middle of the season around Oct 8. Where you are in the state matters: higher elevations come earlier and valleys later.
Where do leaves change first in Arizona?
Among the places we track in Arizona, Inner Basin Trail #29 has the earliest typical peak, around Sep 29. The latest is Kachina Access Trail, around Oct 6.
What are the best fall hikes in Arizona?
Browse the places below for hikes with strong typical color in Arizona, ranked by forest cover and how consistent the timing has been.
Is this a forecast?
No. These dates are typical timing: when leaves have usually reached peak in past years, from NASA satellite vegetation data from 2017 to 2024 and USGS forest cover. A warm, dry or very wet year can shift them by a week or more, so treat them as a planning window, not a prediction for this year.
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