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Forecast issued Nov 11, 7:48am ET

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Wilderness Area·Arkansas·10,585 acres

East Fork Wilderness

Forecast issued Nov 11, 7:48am ET

Peak color, most of the standNov 5Aim for Nov 4 to 7
In the wilderness today, Nov 11Just past peak

white oak and black oak

SepOctNov

shagbark hickory and sugar maple, peak Oct 30

SepOctNov

Peak color should arrive around Oct 30 for the shagbark hickory and sugar maple, and around Nov 8 for the white oak and black oak.

Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.

Weather Hard frost Saturday night. Peak may come early and go fast.

No new reports from the ground here this week.

I-40US 67US 64DoverClintonRussellvilleClarksvilleMorriltonDardanelleGreenbrierHeber SpringsOzark-St. Francispeak Nov 4Buffalo National Riverpeak Nov 4East Fork Wilderness
I-40US 64DoverClintonRussellvilleMorriltonClarksvilleDardanelleMarshallLondonOzark-St. Francispeak Nov 4Buffalo National Riverpeak Nov 4East Fork Wilderness
Still greenStartingNearly peakPeakPast peakNo fall canopy we forecastInside the line, each band of elevation is painted on its own date.
Around East Fork Wilderness Nearly all of the wilderness is in Pope County, which is just past peak today.
East Fork Wilderness fall foliage map 2026: the place and the counties around it painted by how far along their color is on Nov 11. Peak forecast around Nov 5, oak Nov 8, best Nov 4 to 7.
Save or share this mapToday’s East Fork Wilderness fall foliage map as a picture, redrawn every morning. Free to reuse with credit to More Than Just Parks and a link back; the terms.Save the mapPin itFacebookXEmail

When is peak fall foliage at East Fork Wilderness in 2026?

Our forecast puts peak color at East Fork Wilderness around Nov 5, and the four days to aim for are Nov 4 to 7. shagbark hickory and sugar maple peak later, around Oct 30.

The wilderness runs from about 863 to 1,576 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 2 days: the high stands around Nov 4, the low ground around Nov 6. That's 6 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.

East Fork Wilderness, fall color week by week, 2026
WeekIn the wildernessElevation at peak
Oct 19 to Oct 25Starting to turn
Oct 26 to Nov 1Nearly peak
Nov 2 to Nov 8Peak color750 to 1,000 ft, 1,000 to 1,250 ft, 1,250 to 1,500 ft, 1,500 to 1,750 ft
Nov 9 to Nov 15 this weekJust past peak
Nov 16 to Nov 22Just past peak
By elevation The wilderness runs from about 863 to 1,576 feet. That’s 2 days of season between the top and the bottom: the high stands peak around Nov 4, the low ground holds until about Nov 6, and the color comes downhill in between. The date at the top of this page is the 1,000 to 1,250 foot band.
  1. 1,500–1,750 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 415%
  2. 1,250–1,500 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 439%
  3. 1,000–1,250 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 531%
  4. 750–1,000 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 615%

Height off 3DEP inside the wilderness’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the wilderness stands in it.

That’s 6 days later than our model alone would say. This September has been running warm, which shifts peak color.

Plan this trip

If you can only come on certain days

Set the days you can be here. Everything under them answers for those days, not for peak.

Wednesday, November 4 to Thursday, November 5

You’ll find it peak color.

That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.

  • 1,500–1,750 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 4
  • 1,250–1,500 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 4
  • 1,000–1,250 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 5
  • 750–1,000 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 6
Where to drive
Route 7 Scenic Byway, about 22 miles · Pig Trail Scenic Byway (Route 23), about 50 miles · Talimena National Scenic Byway, about 117 miles
What turns
white oak, black oak, shagbark hickory, sugar maple

What turns, and when

Also named across Arkansas, outside what the canopy read measures here: Red Maple, Sweetgum, Blackgum.

The Ozark Mountains produce a warm-toned fall of gold oaks, bronze hickories, crimson blackgums, and the occasional sweetgum burning purple and red along the creek bottoms.

Questions people ask about East Fork Wilderness

When is peak fall foliage at East Fork Wilderness?

Our forecast puts peak color at East Fork Wilderness around Nov 5, and the four days to aim for are Nov 4 to 7. shagbark hickory and sugar maple peak later, around Oct 30.

Where is the best fall color at East Fork Wilderness right now?

On Nov 11 the wilderness is just past peak. The last band to peak was 750 to 1,000 feet, around Nov 6.

How long does peak last at East Fork Wilderness?

About four days at the top, Nov 4 to 7, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 2 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 6 days.

Is East Fork Wilderness past peak?

Yes. Peak was around Nov 5, and on Nov 11 it's just past peak.

What trees turn color at East Fork Wilderness?

Red Maple, White Oak, Hickory, Sweetgum, Blackgum. The Ozark Mountains produce a warm-toned fall of gold oaks, bronze hickories, crimson blackgums, and the occasional sweetgum burning purple and red along the creek bottoms.

This forecast is built from the species that stand here, their elevation and this September’s weather, and corrected in season by cameras, foresters and our own crew. We score it here against 7 long-running forest cameras: two dates in three land within 13 days of the camera’s own peak. How this map is made

All of Arkansas

Nearby, and when they turn

Buffalo National River is on the map above, with its own date.

  1. Upper Buffalo WildernessAR · about 37 miles
    Peak Nov 2 best Nov 1 to 4
  2. Hot Springs National ParkAR · about 74 miles
    Peak Nov 9 best Nov 8 to 11
  3. Hercules-Glades WildernessMO · about 76 miles
    Peak Nov 3 best Nov 2 to 5
  4. Ouachita National ForestAR, OK · about 86 miles
    Peak Nov 8 best Nov 7 to 10
  5. Black Fork Mountain WildernessAR, OK · about 106 miles
    Peak Nov 6 best Nov 5 to 8

Fall color roads near East Fork Wilderness

Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the wilderness, so allow more by road.

  • Route 7 Scenic Byway · about 22 miles, AR · 160 miles of road

    Often called the most scenic drive in Arkansas. The section between Jasper and Harrison through the Buffalo River valley is the highlight.

  • Pig Trail Scenic Byway (Route 23) · about 50 miles, AR · 19 miles of road

    Twists through the Ozark National Forest between Ozark and Brashears. Tight switchbacks through dense hardwood canopy. Best in late October.

  • Talimena National Scenic Byway · about 117 miles, OK · 54 miles of road

    Runs the ridge of the Ouachita Mountains from Talihina, OK to Mena, AR. Ridgetop views of color-covered mountains in every direction. Peaks late October to early November.

  • Route 19 through Ozark National Scenic Riverways · about 140 miles, MO · 41 miles of road

    Missouri's Ozarks produce a warm-toned fall of oaks and hickories. The Current River section is the highlight.