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Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET

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National Forest·Arkansas·1,154,265 acres

Ozark-St. Francis National Forest

Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET

Peak color, most of the standNov 4Aim for Nov 3 to 6
In the forest today, Nov 10Just past peak

white oak and black oak

SepOctNov

shagbark hickory and sugar maple, peak Oct 29

SepOctNov

Peak color should arrive around Oct 29 for the shagbark hickory and sugar maple, and around Nov 7 for the white oak and black oak.

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

No new reports from the ground here this week.

I-69US 51I-155I-30GreenbrierClintonConwayNew South MemphisJacksonvilleBentonSearcyFayettevilleBuffalo National Riverpeak Nov 4Ouachitapeak Nov 8Winding Stair Mountainpeak Nov 7Ozark-St. Francis
I-30I-40I-540US 67GreenbrierClintonConwayBentonBeebePine BluffFayettevilleBatesvilleBuffalo National Riverpeak Nov 4Ouachitapeak Nov 8Ozark-St. Francis
Still greenStartingNearly peakPeakPast peakNo fall canopy we forecastInside the line, each band of elevation is painted on its own date.
Around Ozark-St. Francis National Forest Newton County holds most of the forest and is just past peak today. Johnson County, to the west, is 2 days behind. Crawford County, to the west, is 3 days behind.
Ozark-St. Francis National Forest fall foliage map 2026: the unit and the counties around it painted by how far along their color is on Nov 10. Peak forecast around Nov 4, oak Nov 7, best Nov 3 to 6.
Save or share this mapToday’s Ozark-St. Francis National Forest 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 Ozark-St. Francis National Forest in 2026?

Our forecast puts peak color at Ozark-St. Francis National Forest around Nov 4, and the four days to aim for are Nov 3 to 6. shagbark hickory and sugar maple peak later, around Oct 29.

The forest runs from about 482 to 2,003 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 5 days: the high stands around Nov 2, the low ground around Nov 7. That's 6 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.

Ozark-St. Francis, fall color week by week, 2026
WeekIn the forestElevation at peak
Oct 19 to Oct 25Starting to turn
Oct 26 to Nov 1Nearly peak
Nov 2 to Nov 8Peak color0 to 500 ft, 500 to 1,000 ft, 1,000 to 1,500 ft, 1,500 to 2,000 ft, 2,000 to 2,500 ft
Nov 9 to Nov 15 this weekJust past peak
Nov 16 to Nov 22Just past peak
By elevation The forest runs from about 482 to 2,003 feet. That’s 5 days of season between the top and the bottom: the high stands peak around Nov 2, the low ground holds until about Nov 7, and the color comes downhill in between. The date at the top of this page is the 1,000 to 1,500 foot band.
  1. 2,000–2,500 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 25%
  2. 1,500–2,000 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 338%
  3. 1,000–1,500 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 434%
  4. 500–1,000 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 617%
  5. 0–500 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 75%

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

Tuesday, November 3 to Wednesday, November 4

You’ll find it peak color up high, nearly peak lower down.

Up at 1,500 feet the stands peak around Nov 3; down at 1,000 feet they hold on until about Nov 6. Pick your elevation for the day you come.

  • 1,500–2,000 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 3
  • 1,000–1,500 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 4
  • 500–1,000 ftNearly peakpeak Nov 6
Where to drive
Route 7 Scenic Byway, about 14 miles · Pig Trail Scenic Byway (Route 23), about 28 miles · Talimena National Scenic Byway, about 104 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 Ozark-St. Francis National Forest

When is peak fall foliage at Ozark-St. Francis National Forest?

Our forecast puts peak color at Ozark-St. Francis National Forest around Nov 4, and the four days to aim for are Nov 3 to 6. shagbark hickory and sugar maple peak later, around Oct 29.

Where is the best fall color at Ozark-St. Francis National Forest right now?

On Nov 10 the forest is just past peak. The last band to peak was 0 to 500 feet, around Nov 7.

How long does peak last at Ozark-St. Francis National Forest?

About four days at the top, Nov 3 to 6, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 5 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 9 days.

Is Ozark-St. Francis National Forest past peak?

Yes. Peak was around Nov 4, and on Nov 10 it's just past peak.

What trees turn color at Ozark-St. Francis National Forest?

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 and Ouachita are on the map above, with their own date.

  1. Hercules-Glades WildernessMO · about 72 miles
    Peak Nov 3 best Nov 2 to 5
  2. Hot Springs National ParkAR · about 81 miles
    Peak Nov 9 best Nov 8 to 11
  3. Black Fork Mountain WildernessAR, OK · about 94 miles
    Peak Nov 6 best Nov 5 to 8
  4. Upper Kiamichi River WildernessOK · about 100 miles
    Peak Nov 6 best Nov 5 to 8

Fall color roads near Ozark-St. Francis National Forest

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

  • Route 7 Scenic Byway · about 14 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 28 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 104 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 149 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.