Top 5 Places to See Fall Tree Color in Texas
Cooler overnight temperatures bring a spectacular showing of colorful trees during the fall in Texas. During weather that begs for outdoor adventures, hike trails to view bright colors of red, orange, gold, yellow, burgundy and copper. While we may be no New England when it comes to an early fall or percentage of trees bringing the show, I would argue Texas brings the colorful stunners with canyon, river and lake backdrops that make for even better outstanding views. The evergreen trees such as pines and oaks make the red, orange and yellow leaves color even more magnificent.
What makes the color change?
During the spring and summer months, green-colored chlorophyll is busy making food for the plant. As fall temperatures cool, the chlorophyll stops production, making the other pigments already present more visible. These pigments are carotenoids (yellow and red-orange), xanthophylls (yellow), and carotenes (orange). As the green color fades, this gives the other pigments an opportunity to show the red, yellow, and orange colors of autumn.
When to see fall color change in Texas:
The color change lasts October and November, however peak color will only last a couple of weeks before the leaves fall leaving bare trees. Nutrients in the leaves that fall from the trees to the ground will become organic matter to feed the tree roots again.
Top places to see fall color change in Texas:
While you will see lots of trees that change colors, even within your own backyard or neighborhood, these are the top-places that Texans go to find their fall color fix. All of these parks are great destinations year-round, and get extra busy during the fall season.
Lost Maples
Garner State Park
Dinosaur Valley State Park
Daingerfield State Park
Tyler State Park
The red colored leaves are found in sweetgum, maple, dogwood, sassafras, hickory, sumac and red oak. Gold, yellow and orange color are in sycamores, hickory, ash, bald cypress, black cherry and buckthorn.
“Lost Maples State Park 11/25/2012” by jonl is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Lost Maples State Park
Lost Maples State Park in Vanderpool is known for the annual pilgrimage to view vibrant red, orange and yellow from a unique group of Uvalde big tooth maples. Located two hours northwest of San Antonio, this state park offers canyons, rolling hills and the Sabine River flowing through it. Day passes book early during this spectacular show, so check the website in advance for dates of entry.
“Garner State Park” by kels0905 is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
Garner State Park
Garner State Park in in Concan is the epitome of the perfect Texas hill country state park. During the summer months, the Frio River provides swimming and floating on tubes, paddle boating, and exceptional hiking and camping. Located in some of the most beautiful land in Texas, this state park is just minutes from Lost Maples State Park so the trees and terrain would overall be similar with their own unique characteristics. The hills climb to around 1,800 feet providing stunning backdrop for fall colors.
“Dinosaur Valley State Park” by jrandallc is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Dinosaur Valley State Park
Dinosaur Valley State Park is on the Paluxy River, which attracts trees with deep roots to the water source. While the main attraction is the dinosaur footprints exposed in the river bed, the river and rocky hills make this a fun place to hike with outstanding views. Located an hour southwest from Fort Worth, this is a great destination year-round.
Check out the full review on Dinosaur Valley State Park here.
Daingerfield State Park
East Texas is known as the Piney Woods region, however pine trees are evergreen so expect color from interspersed trees such as red oaks, elm, bald cypress, red maple, hickory, ash, sycamore and sweetgum. Sumac is a shrub that brings a beautiful eye-catching dark red color.
Located two hours east of Dallas, Daingerfield State Park is a show-stopping hidden gem that will make you wish you had made overnight reservations.. This park has one main hiking trail that surrounds the lake, which is a beautiful sight year-round. The fall color changes to red, gold and orange against the towering pines reflect against the still water for amazing views and photography. Bring your own kayak since pedal boat and kayak rental is temporarily paused due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“Tyler State Park Autumn Road” by athrasher is marked with CC0 1.0
Tyler State Park
Another east Texas gem, Tyler State Park is 1.5 hours from Dallas in the piney woods set around a lake. Bring your fishing gear and kayak, and hike the trails for some great birdwatching. The fall color leaf change will have you making this state park an annual tradition.
Special needs:
Most hiking trails are dirt, so check each location individually for wheelchair access.
Know before you go:
The leaves begin to change from late October to early November, and most peak during the first couple of weeks in November. Watch each state park’s facebook page for color updates, and know that this will mean more visitors so book day passes in advance or go during the week. Don’t procrastinate color changes since they will be dead leaves on the ground soon.
Reservations are strongly encouraged for day passes and overnight camping. This is a popular time of the year with awesome temperatures and fall foliage, so plan ahead. Often times Saturdays are booked, but weekdays and Sundays are available for day passes. Check the TPWD reservations page.
Poison ivy turns gold and red in the fall as well, so be careful where you pose for photos.
Check COVID-19 restrictions for each state park. Kayak and boat rentals, nature centers, and indoor facilities may be closed due to temporary restrictions.
“On the road from Lost Maples to Leakey” by jonl is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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