Wilderness Area·Missouri·12,425 acres
Hercules-Glades Wilderness
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
white oak and black oak
shagbark hickory and sugar maple, peak Oct 28
Peak color should arrive around Oct 28 for the shagbark hickory and sugar maple, and around Nov 6 for the white oak and black oak.
Roadsides and wetland edges turn first, and the woods behind them run a few days later.
Weather Hard frost Saturday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
1 report came in from Taney County this week. Our date held. See the county on the map.
When is peak fall foliage at Hercules-Glades Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Hercules-Glades Wilderness around Nov 3, and the four days to aim for are Nov 2 to 5. shagbark hickory and sugar maple peak later, around Oct 28.
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 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Nearly peak | |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Peak color | 750 to 1,000 ft, 1,000 to 1,250 ft, 1,250 to 1,500 ft |
| Nov 9 to Nov 15 this week | Just past peak |
- 1,250–1,500 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 24%
- 1,000–1,250 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 245%
- 750–1,000 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 351%
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.
Monday, November 2 to Tuesday, November 3
You’ll find it peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- 1,000–1,250 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 2
- 750–1,000 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 3
- Where to drive
- Route 7 Scenic Byway, about 59 miles · Pig Trail Scenic Byway (Route 23), about 82 miles · Route 19 through Ozark National Scenic Riverways, about 94 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 Missouri, outside what the canopy read measures here: Red Oak, Sassafras.
The Ozarks produce a warm fall palette dominated by gold and bronze from oaks and hickories, with sugar maples adding scarlet along the creek bottoms and sassafras glowing orange on the hillsides.
Questions people ask about Hercules-Glades Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at Hercules-Glades Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at Hercules-Glades Wilderness around Nov 3, and the four days to aim for are Nov 2 to 5. shagbark hickory and sugar maple peak later, around Oct 28.
- Where is the best fall color at Hercules-Glades Wilderness right now?
On Nov 10 the wilderness is just past peak. The last band to peak was 750 to 1,000 feet, around Nov 3.
- How long does peak last at Hercules-Glades Wilderness?
About four days at the top, Nov 2 to 5, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive.
- Is Hercules-Glades Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Nov 3, and on Nov 10 it's just past peak.
- What trees turn color at Hercules-Glades Wilderness?
Sugar Maple, Red Oak, White Oak, Hickory, Sassafras. The Ozarks produce a warm fall palette dominated by gold and bronze from oaks and hickories, with sugar maples adding scarlet along the creek bottoms and sassafras glowing orange on the hillsides.
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
Ozark-St. Francis is on the map above, with its own date.
- Peak Nov 4 best Nov 3 to 6
- Peak Nov 3 best Nov 2 to 5
- Peak Nov 2 best Nov 1 to 4
- Peak Nov 4 best Nov 3 to 6
- Peak Nov 5 best Nov 4 to 7
Fall color roads near Hercules-Glades 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.
- 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.