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Fall Photo Guide

Arkansas Fall Foliage 2026

No change 0–10% Typical peak in 37 days

For 2026 planning, Arkansas’s typical overall peak is October 24, within the October 20–28 window. The Ozark highlands and Ouachitas typically peak in late October, with 2,300-foot ground near October 22 and 1,000-foot valleys around October 27. Delta lowlands typically follow in early to mid-November.

Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .

When Arkansas peaks

Oct 20 – Oct 28

Centered on Oct 24. The Ozark highlands peak in late October; the Delta lowlands in early-to-mid November.

low confidence. Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.

Where peak usually lands. Drought or an early freeze moves it by a few days. Method

What turns here

  • sugar maple
  • oak
  • hickory
  • sweetgum
  • dogwood

Yellows show up every year. Reds need sunny days and cool, frost-free nights. A bad year takes those first.

Color progression

Typical peak Oct 24

Typical color progression for Arkansas. No change from Sep 16 to Oct 3. First color from Oct 3 to Oct 12. Approaching peak from Oct 12 to Oct 20. Peak from Oct 20 to Oct 28. Past peak from Oct 28 to Nov 7. Bare from Nov 7 to Nov 21.

typical peak today

Arkansas is typically at no change on this date.

Arkansas by county

13 days from Carroll County to Ashley County.

Typical fall foliage stage by county in Arkansas on September 17 Each county is shaded by its typical foliage stage. Peak runs from Oct 24 in Carroll County to Nov 6 in Ashley County. Every county, its stage and its typical peak date are listed as text below the map. Arkansas County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 3 Ashley County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 6 Baxter County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 27 Benton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 25 Boone County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 25 Bradley County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 5 Calhoun County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 5 Carroll County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Chicot County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 5 Clark County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 3 Clay County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 28 Cleburne County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 29 Cleveland County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 4 Columbia County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 5 Conway County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 30 Craighead County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 30 Crawford County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 28 Crittenden County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 31 Cross County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 31 Dallas County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 3 Desha County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 4 Drew County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 5 Faulkner County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 31 Franklin County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 29 Fulton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 26 Garland County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 31 Grant County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 2 Greene County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 29 Hempstead County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 4 Hot Spring County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 2 Howard County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 2 Independence County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 29 Izard County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 27 Jackson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 30 Jefferson County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 3 Johnson County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 29 Lafayette County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 5 Lawrence County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 29 Lee County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 1 Lincoln County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 3 Little River County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 4 Logan County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 30 Lonoke County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 1 Madison County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Marion County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 26 Miller County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 5 Mississippi County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 30 Monroe County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 2 Montgomery County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 31 Nevada County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 4 Newton County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 24 Ouachita County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 4 Perry County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 30 Phillips County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 3 Pike County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 1 Poinsett County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 30 Polk County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 30 Pope County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 29 Prairie County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 1 Pulaski County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 1 Randolph County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 28 Saline County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 31 Scott County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 30 Searcy County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 26 Sebastian County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 30 Sevier County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 3 Sharp County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 28 St. Francis County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 1 Stone County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 27 Union County: No change today, typically peaks Nov 5 Van Buren County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 28 Washington County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 26 White County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 31 Woodruff County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 31 Yell County: No change today, typically peaks Oct 31 Whitaker Point (Hawksbill Crag) Steel Creek and Roark Bluff Cedar Falls Overlook

Tap a location marker for coordinates and light times. Where peak usually lands. Boundaries: US Census, 2023. Elevation: USGS 3DEP + SRTM. Method

A county is still an average. Crawford County spans 4 days on its own, ridge to valley.

Every county, as text
County Typical peak Stage today Median elev. Spread
Arkansas County Oct 30 – Nov 7 No change 185 ft 0 days
Ashley County Nov 2 – Nov 10 No change 131 ft 1 days
Baxter County Oct 23 – Oct 31 No change 785 ft 1 days
Benton County Oct 21 – Oct 29 No change 1,220 ft 1 days
Boone County Oct 21 – Oct 29 No change 1,209 ft 1 days
Bradley County Nov 1 – Nov 9 No change 188 ft 0 days
Calhoun County Nov 1 – Nov 9 No change 158 ft 1 days
Carroll County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 1,348 ft 2 days
Chicot County Nov 1 – Nov 9 No change 125 ft 0 days
Clark County Oct 30 – Nov 7 No change 293 ft 1 days
Clay County Oct 24 – Nov 1 No change 289 ft 0 days
Cleburne County Oct 25 – Nov 2 No change 712 ft 2 days
Cleveland County Oct 31 – Nov 8 No change 205 ft 1 days
Columbia County Nov 1 – Nov 9 No change 269 ft 0 days
Conway County Oct 26 – Nov 3 No change 422 ft 2 days
Craighead County Oct 26 – Nov 3 No change 237 ft 1 days
Crawford County Oct 24 – Nov 1 No change 797 ft 4 days
Crittenden County Oct 27 – Nov 4 No change 211 ft 0 days
Cross County Oct 27 – Nov 4 No change 220 ft 0 days
Dallas County Oct 30 – Nov 7 No change 284 ft 1 days
Desha County Oct 31 – Nov 8 No change 142 ft 0 days
Drew County Nov 1 – Nov 9 No change 169 ft 1 days
Faulkner County Oct 27 – Nov 4 No change 339 ft 1 days
Franklin County Oct 25 – Nov 2 No change 624 ft 3 days
Fulton County Oct 22 – Oct 30 No change 764 ft 1 days
Garland County Oct 27 – Nov 4 No change 707 ft 1 days
Grant County Oct 29 – Nov 6 No change 269 ft 1 days
Greene County Oct 25 – Nov 2 No change 285 ft 1 days
Hempstead County Oct 31 – Nov 8 No change 318 ft 1 days
Hot Spring County Oct 29 – Nov 6 No change 441 ft 1 days
Howard County Oct 29 – Nov 6 No change 569 ft 2 days
Independence County Oct 25 – Nov 2 No change 438 ft 2 days
Izard County Oct 23 – Oct 31 No change 684 ft 1 days
Jackson County Oct 26 – Nov 3 No change 233 ft 1 days
Jefferson County Oct 30 – Nov 7 No change 216 ft 1 days
Johnson County Oct 25 – Nov 2 No change 732 ft 4 days
Lafayette County Nov 1 – Nov 9 No change 251 ft 0 days
Lawrence County Oct 25 – Nov 2 No change 272 ft 1 days
Lee County Oct 28 – Nov 5 No change 198 ft 0 days
Lincoln County Oct 30 – Nov 7 No change 184 ft 1 days
Little River County Oct 31 – Nov 8 No change 298 ft 0 days
Logan County Oct 26 – Nov 3 No change 534 ft 1 days
Lonoke County Oct 28 – Nov 5 No change 224 ft 0 days
Madison County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 1,610 ft 2 days
Marion County Oct 22 – Oct 30 No change 908 ft 2 days
Miller County Nov 1 – Nov 9 No change 250 ft 0 days
Mississippi County Oct 26 – Nov 3 No change 234 ft 0 days
Monroe County Oct 29 – Nov 6 No change 181 ft 0 days
Montgomery County Oct 27 – Nov 4 No change 732 ft 2 days
Nevada County Oct 31 – Nov 8 No change 333 ft 0 days
Newton County Oct 20 – Oct 28 No change 1,732 ft 3 days
Ouachita County Oct 31 – Nov 8 No change 182 ft 1 days
Perry County Oct 26 – Nov 3 No change 641 ft 3 days
Phillips County Oct 30 – Nov 7 No change 168 ft 1 days
Pike County Oct 28 – Nov 5 No change 627 ft 1 days
Poinsett County Oct 26 – Nov 3 No change 225 ft 0 days
Polk County Oct 26 – Nov 3 No change 1,113 ft 4 days
Pope County Oct 25 – Nov 2 No change 729 ft 4 days
Prairie County Oct 28 – Nov 5 No change 203 ft 0 days
Pulaski County Oct 28 – Nov 5 No change 276 ft 0 days
Randolph County Oct 24 – Nov 1 No change 447 ft 1 days
Saline County Oct 27 – Nov 4 No change 523 ft 2 days
Scott County Oct 26 – Nov 3 No change 836 ft 3 days
Searcy County Oct 22 – Oct 30 No change 1,238 ft 3 days
Sebastian County Oct 26 – Nov 3 No change 568 ft 3 days
Sevier County Oct 30 – Nov 7 No change 377 ft 1 days
Sharp County Oct 24 – Nov 1 No change 570 ft 1 days
St. Francis County Oct 28 – Nov 5 No change 203 ft 0 days
Stone County Oct 23 – Oct 31 No change 921 ft 2 days
Union County Nov 1 – Nov 9 No change 189 ft 1 days
Van Buren County Oct 24 – Nov 1 No change 834 ft 2 days
Washington County Oct 22 – Oct 30 No change 1,278 ft 1 days
White County Oct 27 – Nov 4 No change 225 ft 0 days
Woodruff County Oct 27 – Nov 4 No change 196 ft 0 days
Yell County Oct 27 – Nov 4 No change 512 ft 2 days

Peak by elevation

5 days between the ridges and the valleys below them. The county map above averages that away.

Elevation band Approx. elevation Typical peak Today
High ridges & passes 2,300 ft Oct 22 No change
Mid elevation 1,800 ft Oct 24 No change
Valleys & lowlands 1,000 ft Oct 27 No change

Foliage stages

  1. No change 0–10%
  2. First color 10–25%
  3. Approaching peak 25–60%
  4. Peak 60–90%
  5. Past peak 40–70%, dropping
  6. Bare <20%

Light at peak

Arkansas on October 24, the center of its typical peak window.

Solar event times for Arkansas on October 24
EventTime
First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon 7:02 AM
Sunrise Rises ESE · 104° 7:28 AM
Morning golden hour ends 35 min of low, warm light 8:03 AM
Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light 12:57 PM
Evening golden hour starts 35 min before sunset 5:52 PM
Sunset Sets WSW · 256° 6:27 PM
Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon 6:53 PM

Times in America/Chicago · day length 10h 59m · computed from NOAA solar equations

Which way to point the camera

Sun rises ESE, sets WSW.

Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.

Location pages name the light directly.

Where to shoot in Arkansas

3 researched locations, earliest peak first.

Recent reports from Arkansas

Report what you saw
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Common questions

When do the leaves change in Arkansas?
Arkansas typically peaks Oct 20 – Oct 28, centered on Oct 24. The Ozark highlands peak in late October; the Delta lowlands in early-to-mid November. These are typical dates from a latitude and elevation model; current conditions may differ.
Does elevation change when fall color peaks in Arkansas?
Yes, by about 5 days. High ground around 2,300 ft peaks near Oct 22, while valleys near 1,000 ft wait until Oct 27. Peak moves roughly 3.5 days earlier for every 1,000 feet you climb. Try lower valleys after high ground has passed peak, or higher ground while valleys are still green.
Where are the best places to see fall color in Arkansas?
The guide includes 3 researched locations in Arkansas, including Whitaker Point (Hawksbill Crag), Steel Creek and Roark Bluff, Cedar Falls Overlook. Whitaker Point (Hawksbill Crag) turns first, around Oct 24, and Cedar Falls Overlook is last, around Oct 29. Each includes coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.
What trees turn color in Arkansas?
Mainly sugar maple, oak, hickory, sweetgum, dogwood. Yellows and oranges come from carotenoids that are already in the leaf, so they show up every year. Reds are made fresh each autumn and need warm sunny days with cool, frost-free nights, which is why a dry summer or a warm September produces a duller year.

Nearby states