Here Are The Best Times And Places To View Arizona's Fall Foliage In 2023
By Melissa Mahoney|Published September 02, 2023
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and I love photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world! Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream.
If you live in Arizona and are over the summer heat like I am, fall is the most wonderful season of all! In fact, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. As the intense heat dissipates, we can spend as much time outdoors as we want and, best of all, the leaves begin to change from their bright green to hues of crimson, orange, and gold. Each year, our friends at Smoky Mountains create a super helpful predictive map of when the leaves are likely to change color in your part of the state. So, when do leaves change color in Arizona? Take a look at the following Arizona fall foliage map 2023 and you’ll see!
Our first glimpses of fall will occur in some of the higher elevation areas like Yavapai and Pima Counties around mid-September and will hit their peak around October 23rd.
Pictured here are Aspens in Prescott at the start of fall.
Imagine viewing fall foliage against the red rocks of Sedona (Yavapai County). Well, you can if you time your visit just right. Make sure you're here sometime around mid-to-late October.
Also during mid-to-late October, you should plan on hiking the Aspen Trail Loop in Flagstaff. With the Aspens all in their golden glow, it will be like walking into a dream.
Aspen Nature Loop, Arizona 86001, Humphrey's Peak Trail, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
By September 25, Mohave and Coconino counties will start to see the leaves change. This will just be the beginning, so don't expect a full palette of fall colors in these areas quite yet.
These counties will hit near peak around October 9 and full peak around October 16.
As time marches on, the fall colors spread. By October 2, both Apache and Navajo counties will begin to see the leaves change. Peak fall foliage will occur by Halloween.
By November 13, the rest of the state should reach peak fall foliage while the counties that started the season weeks earlier will be past their peak. By November 20, the entire state will be past peak colors and we can start getting excited about the upcoming holiday season!
So, we hope this helps answer when do leaves change in Arizona. Make sure to visit the Smoky Mountains website for more.
What are your plans this fall in Arizona? How about a road trip around the state? Before you hit the open road to go leaf peeping this season, be sure to check out our road trip essentials packing list.
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