National Recreation Area·Texas·40,818 acres
Lake Meredith National Recreation Area
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
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 Lake Meredith National Recreation Area in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Lake Meredith National Recreation Area around Oct 31, and the four days to aim for are Oct 30 to Nov 2.
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 12 to Oct 18 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Nearly peak | |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Peak color | 2,000 to 3,000 ft, 3,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Peak color | |
| Nov 9 to Nov 15 this week | Just past peak |
- 3,000–4,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 3056%
- 2,000–3,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 3144%
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
Set within the wide‑open Texas Plains, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area offers a peaceful retreat in the heart of rugged grasslands. Over thousands of years, the Canadian River carved dramatic 200‑foot canyons—known as breaks—that now frame the lake in striking layers of color and texture. These quiet coves sustain an unexpectedly rich array of life, providing seven distinct habitats.
Established 1965.
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.
Friday, October 30 to Saturday, October 31
You’ll find it peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- 3,000–4,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 30
- 2,000–3,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 31
- What turns
- honey mesquite, green ash, plains cottonwood, bur oak, boxelder
What turns, and when
- honey mesquite56%
- green ash16%
- plains cottonwood10%
- bur oak5%
- boxelder3%
- willow3%
Every one of these turns yellow or gold here. The shades only tell the species apart.
Also named across Texas, outside what the canopy read measures here: Bald Cypress, Sweetgum, Red Oak, Bigtooth Maple, Sycamore.
Bald cypresses turn copper and russet along the Hill Country rivers, bigtooth maples in the Guadalupe Mountains produce pockets of scarlet, and sweetgums color the Piney Woods red and purple.
Questions people ask about Lake Meredith National Recreation Area
- When is peak fall foliage at Lake Meredith National Recreation Area?
Our forecast puts peak color at Lake Meredith National Recreation Area around Oct 31, and the four days to aim for are Oct 30 to Nov 2.
- Where is the best fall color at Lake Meredith National Recreation Area right now?
On Nov 10 the recreation area is just past peak. The last band to peak was 2,000 to 3,000 feet, around Oct 31.
- How long does peak last at Lake Meredith National Recreation Area?
About four days at the top, Oct 30 to Nov 2, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive.
- Is Lake Meredith National Recreation Area past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 31, and on Nov 10 it's just past peak.
- What trees turn color at Lake Meredith National Recreation Area?
Bald Cypress, Sweetgum, Red Oak, Bigtooth Maple, Sycamore. Bald cypresses turn copper and russet along the Hill Country rivers, bigtooth maples in the Guadalupe Mountains produce pockets of scarlet, and sweetgums color the Piney Woods red and purple.
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