National Recreation Area·Oklahoma·9,678 acres
Chickasaw National Recreation Area
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
Roadsides and wetland edges turn first, and the woods behind them run a few days later.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Chickasaw National Recreation Area in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Chickasaw National Recreation Area around Nov 9, and the four days to aim for are Nov 8 to 11.
That's 6 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the recreation area | 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 | 1,000 to 2,000 ft |
| Nov 9 to Nov 15 this week | Peak color | 0 to 1,000 ft |
| Nov 16 to Nov 22 | Just past peak |
- 1,000–2,000 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 814%
- 0–1,000 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 986%
Height off 3DEP inside the recreation area’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the recreation area stands in it.
That’s 6 days later than our model alone would say. This September has been running warm, which shifts peak color.
The place
Springs, streams, lakes - whatever its form, water is the attraction at Chickasaw National Recreation Area.
Established 1902.
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.
Sunday, November 8 to Monday, November 9
You’ll find it peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- 1,000–2,000 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 8
- 0–1,000 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 9
- Where to drive
- Talimena National Scenic Byway, about 135 miles
- What turns
- white oak, black oak, shagbark hickory, sugar maple, plains cottonwood
What turns, and when
- white oak34%
- black oak23%
- shagbark hickory11%
- sugar maple11%
- plains cottonwood8%
- green ash5%
Also named across Oklahoma, outside what the canopy read measures here: Post Oak, Blackjack Oak, Sweetgum, Red Maple.
The Ouachita Mountains in the southeast produce the best color, with sweetgums going red and purple, oaks turning russet, and the ridgetop views from the Talimena Byway stretching for miles.
Questions people ask about Chickasaw National Recreation Area
- When is peak fall foliage at Chickasaw National Recreation Area?
Our forecast puts peak color at Chickasaw National Recreation Area around Nov 9, and the four days to aim for are Nov 8 to 11.
- Where is the best fall color at Chickasaw National Recreation Area right now?
On Nov 10 the recreation area is peak color. By elevation, the color is at peak at 0 to 1,000 feet and 1,000 to 2,000 feet.
- How long does peak last at Chickasaw National Recreation Area?
About four days at the top, Nov 8 to 11, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive.
- Is Chickasaw National Recreation Area past peak?
No. It's at peak now, on Nov 10, and the four days to aim for are Nov 8 to 11.
- What trees turn color at Chickasaw National Recreation Area?
Post Oak, Blackjack Oak, Sweetgum, Hickory, Red Maple. The Ouachita Mountains in the southeast produce the best color, with sweetgums going red and purple, oaks turning russet, and the ridgetop views from the Talimena Byway stretching for miles.
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. Out here we score it against NASA's satellite record of when the canopy shuts down, read inside each unit’s own boundary: two dates in three land within 12 days of it. How this map is made
Nearby, and when they turn
- Peak Nov 7 best Nov 6 to 9
- Peak Nov 6 best Nov 5 to 8
- Peak Nov 6 best Nov 5 to 8
- Peak Nov 8 best Nov 7 to 10
Fall color roads near Chickasaw National Recreation Area
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the recreation area, so allow more by road.
- 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.