National Scenic Riverways·Missouri·53,180 acres
Ozark National Scenic Riverways
Forecast issued Nov 11, 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.
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 Ozark National Scenic Riverways in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Ozark National Scenic Riverways 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 river runs from about 537 to 1,229 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 2 days: the high stands around Nov 1, 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 river | 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 |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Peak color | 500 to 750 ft, 750 to 1,000 ft |
| Nov 9 to Nov 15 this week | Just past peak |
- 1,000–1,250 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 121%
- 750–1,000 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 230%
- 500–750 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 343%
Height off 3DEP inside the river’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the river 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.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- 1,000–1,250 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 1
- 750–1,000 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 2
- 500–750 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 3
- Where to drive
- Route 19 through Ozark National Scenic Riverways, about 7 miles · Route 7 Scenic Byway, about 135 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 Ozark National Scenic Riverways
- When is peak fall foliage at Ozark National Scenic Riverways?
Our forecast puts peak color at Ozark National Scenic Riverways 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 Ozark National Scenic Riverways right now?
On Nov 11 the river is just past peak. The last band to peak was 500 to 750 feet, around Nov 3.
- How long does peak last at Ozark National Scenic Riverways?
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 river's elevations the color moves over about 2 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 6 days.
- Is Ozark National Scenic Riverways past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Nov 2, and on Nov 11 it's just past peak.
- What trees turn color at Ozark National Scenic Riverways?
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
- Peak Nov 3 best Nov 2 to 5
- 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 5 best Nov 4 to 7
- Peak Nov 4 best Nov 3 to 6
Fall color roads near Ozark National Scenic Riverways
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the river, 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.