Wilderness Area·Arkansas·12,057 acres
Upper Buffalo Wilderness
Forecast issued Nov 9, 7:48am ET
white oak and black oak
shagbark hickory and sugar maple, peak Oct 27
Peak color should arrive around Oct 27 for the shagbark hickory and sugar maple, and around Nov 5 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.
When is peak fall foliage at Upper Buffalo Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Upper Buffalo Wilderness around Nov 2, and the four days to aim for are Nov 1 to 4. shagbark hickory and sugar maple peak later, around Oct 27.
The wilderness runs from about 1,409 to 2,196 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 2 days: the high stands around Nov 2, the low ground around Nov 4. That's 6 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the wilderness | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Nearly peak | |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Peak color | |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Peak color | 1,250 to 1,500 ft, 1,500 to 1,750 ft, 1,750 to 2,000 ft, 2,000 to 2,250 ft |
| Nov 9 to Nov 15 this week | Just past peak |
- 2,000–2,250 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 245%
- 1,750–2,000 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 231%
- 1,500–1,750 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 315%
- 1,250–1,500 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 410%
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 tripIf you can only come on certain days
Set the days you can be here. Everything under them answers for those days, not for peak.
Sunday, November 1 to Monday, November 2
You’ll find it peak color up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 2,000 feet the stands peak around Nov 2; down at 1,500 feet they hold on until about Nov 4. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 2,000–2,250 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 2
- 1,750–2,000 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 2
- 1,500–1,750 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 3
- 1,250–1,500 ftNearly peakpeak Nov 4
- Where to drive
- Route 7 Scenic Byway, about 18 miles · Pig Trail Scenic Byway (Route 23), about 21 miles · Talimena National Scenic Byway, about 106 miles
- What turns
- white oak, black oak, shagbark hickory, sugar maple
What turns, and when
- white oak43%
- black oak28%
- shagbark hickory15%
- sugar maple14%
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 Upper Buffalo Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at Upper Buffalo Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at Upper Buffalo Wilderness around Nov 2, and the four days to aim for are Nov 1 to 4. shagbark hickory and sugar maple peak later, around Oct 27.
- Where is the best fall color at Upper Buffalo Wilderness right now?
On Nov 9 the wilderness is just past peak. The last band to peak was 1,250 to 1,500 feet, around Nov 4.
- How long does peak last at Upper Buffalo Wilderness?
About four days at the top, Nov 1 to 4, 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 Upper Buffalo Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Nov 2, and on Nov 9 it's just past peak.
- What trees turn color at Upper Buffalo 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
Nearby, and when they turn
Buffalo National River is on the map above, with its own date.
- Peak Nov 3 best Nov 2 to 5
- Peak Nov 5 best Nov 4 to 7
- Peak Nov 3 best Nov 2 to 5
- Peak Nov 8 best Nov 7 to 10
- Peak Nov 9 best Nov 8 to 11
Fall color roads near Upper Buffalo Wilderness
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the wilderness, so allow more by road.
- Route 7 Scenic Byway
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)
Twists through the Ozark National Forest between Ozark and Brashears. Tight switchbacks through dense hardwood canopy. Best in late October.
- Talimena National Scenic Byway
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
Missouri's Ozarks produce a warm-toned fall of oaks and hickories. The Current River section is the highlight.