The First Day of Fall has arrived! Goodbye, summer time sun, and Hello, beautiful fall foliage.
Arizona is a fabulous place to enjoy the leaves turning colors, especially when you consider how leaf peeping season here can be enjoyed October through December. Our leaves are just as spectacular as anything Vermont has to offer, so pull out your calendar and schedule a date with Mother Nature.
What follows are a few of my favorite leaf peeping spots:
In October and Early November, the higher elevations will be in full Fall Color mode so head up the 17 to Oak Creek and Flagstaff. At the Arizona Snowbowl, about 30 minutes outside of Flagstaff, there’s a trail that takes you right into a large and magical grove of golden yellow aspen trees. Aspen Nature Loop is the name of it and it’s spectacular. It also makes a great place for family photos!
To get there, drive to Flagstaff, take Hwy 180/Fort Valley Rd heading north, and then turn right on Snow Bowl Road. Drive along this road until it takes you to the ski resort and Humphrey’s Peak Trailhead. Follow the trail across an open meadow and then you’ll walk right into the mass of golden trees. The trail goes beyond the grove but it’s not as breathtaking as the main aspen grove that is the beginning part of the trail. You can choose to do the additional loop or just turn back into the aspens. Parking is free, trail access is free, and there are porta potties in the lot.
Flagstaff keeps track of the leaves and their colors with their LEAFometer. Keep an eye on what their LEAFometer says to make sure you catch the leaves in all their glory. Oak Creek and Sedona, because they are at a slightly lower elevation, will be just a step behind where Flagstaff’s leaves are. Crescent Moon Ranch, in Sedona, is probably another lovely spot. October’s definitely the time to visit this part of Arizona!
In November, mid level elevations will have their moment to shine. Think the Verde Valley and places like Cottonwood’s Dead Horse Ranch State Park with all it's beautiful waterside trees. (You might remember this DHR State Park article from the springtime.) The Tucson area is just a couple hours away from us and has the Catalina Mountains and Sabino Canyon. If you have never been, Sabino Canyon is beautiful! It's also super kid friendly on account of the open air trolley that’s fun to ride and a stream that usually has water they will love to play in.
Sabino Canyon does charge entrance and trolley fees. The main path/road is fully paved so strollers are an option if you opt to skip the trolley but don’t think the kids can walk it all. In the fall you can play in the stream as you are surrounded by a wonderful combo of golden cottonwood, bronze sycamores, and prickly saguaros. Sabino Canyon has it all!
In December, Fall comes to the lowest of elevations and can be enjoyed there. If you happen to be on the 10 near Blythe then take a side trip to Cibola National Wildlife Refuge which is on the Arizona side of the Colorado. They have a huge grove of beautiful trees that turn golden yellow and are super fun to walk through as your feet crunch on leaves that have fallen.
Migratory birds come in huge numbers and there’s a little Nature Center (with drinking fountains and real bathrooms) where you can get a map. The refuge has ducks, snow geese, sandhill cranes and many other birds and animals that come through seasonally or live there year round so it's a sight to see! After you take your walk through the spectacular trees, taking a look at the ducks in the lake while you are there, you can then drive past all the cranes and other birds that are at the refuge out in the open fields. If you are supremely lucky, you might even see burrowing owls.
Here’s another Fall Leaf tool that can help you explore options in much of Arizona. With that, I’ll let you go so you can start making plans!
