While Arizona doesn’t boast the kind of color that northern states can, it’s still something to see!

Fall colors in Arizona can be seen in many locations, including national forests, state parks, and high-desert areas:

Tonto National Forest: The Payson and Pleasant Valley Ranger Districts see leaves change color earlier than other areas, with peak color in mid-October to mid-November. The Globe and Cave Creek Ranger Districts see color change in late October to mid-November.

Red Rock State Park: The riparian zone of the park has many deciduous trees that change color from late October to early November.

Coconino National Forest: The upper elevations of the forest are usually in full color by October.

High-desert creeks: Near Sedona, Cottonwood, and Camp Verde, the creeks are filled with rich reds and yellows from late September to late October.

Mogollon Rim: Gambel oak, sumac, velvet ash, boxelder, and bigtooth maple can be found in this area.

Oak Creek Canyon: In Sedona, this area has fall colors.

Pinal Mountains: Near Globe, this area has fall colors.

Lowell Observatory: The drive up to the observatory passes Mars Hill, which has a panoramic view of Flagstaff in the fall.

Fall colors in Arizona usually start to appear at the highest elevations in late September, with October being the peak month. The colors then move lower in elevation and farther south in late November.