National Forest·Missouri·1,509,045 acres
Mark Twain National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
white oak and black oak
shagbark hickory and sugar maple, peak Oct 26
Peak color should arrive around Oct 26 for the shagbark hickory and sugar maple, and around Nov 4 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 Friday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Mark Twain National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Mark Twain National Forest around Nov 1, and the four days to aim for are Oct 31 to Nov 3. shagbark hickory and sugar maple peak later, around Oct 26.
The forest runs from about 407 to 1,285 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 3 days: the high stands around Oct 31, the low ground around Nov 3. That's 6 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Nearly peak | |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Peak color | 1,000 to 1,250 ft, 1,250 to 1,500 ft |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Peak color | 250 to 500 ft, 500 to 750 ft, 750 to 1,000 ft |
| Nov 9 to Nov 15 this week | Just past peak |
- 1,250–1,500 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 317%
- 1,000–1,250 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 131%
- 750–1,000 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 231%
- 500–750 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 218%
- 250–500 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 313%
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 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.
Saturday, October 31 to Sunday, November 1
You’ll find it peak color up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 1,000 feet the stands peak around Nov 1; down at 500 feet they hold on until about Nov 3. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 1,000–1,250 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 1
- 750–1,000 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 2
- 500–750 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 2
- 250–500 ftNearly peakpeak Nov 3
- Where to drive
- Route 19 through Ozark National Scenic Riverways, about 9 miles · Route 7 Scenic Byway, about 129 miles
- What turns
- white oak, black oak, shagbark hickory, sugar maple
What turns, and when
- white oak43%
- black oak29%
- shagbark hickory14%
- 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 Mark Twain National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Mark Twain National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Mark Twain National Forest around Nov 1, and the four days to aim for are Oct 31 to Nov 3. shagbark hickory and sugar maple peak later, around Oct 26.
- Where is the best fall color at Mark Twain National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is just past peak. The last band to peak was 250 to 500 feet, around Nov 3.
- How long does peak last at Mark Twain National Forest?
About four days at the top, Oct 31 to Nov 3, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 3 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 7 days.
- Is Mark Twain National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Nov 1, and on Nov 10 it's just past peak.
- What trees turn color at Mark Twain National Forest?
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
Buffalo National River is on the map above, with its own date.
- Peak Nov 3 best Nov 2 to 5
- Peak Nov 3 best Nov 2 to 5
- Peak Nov 5 best Nov 4 to 7
- Peak Nov 4 best Nov 3 to 6
- Peak Nov 2 best Nov 1 to 4
Fall color roads near Mark Twain National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, so allow more by road.
- 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.
- 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.