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Fall Colors

Latest Reports and Best Places

Predicting the peak of fall color can be difficult. Missouri is blessed with a great variety of trees, shrubs, and vines. Their leaves turn at different times, so Missourians enjoy a fall color season that may last four to six weeks. Sassafras, sumac, and Virginia creeper are some of the earliest to change, beginning in mid-September. By late September, black gum, bittersweet, and dogwood are turning.

The peak of fall color in Missouri is usually around mid-October. This is when maples, ashes, oaks, and hickories are at the height of their fall display. Normally by late October, the colors are fading and the leaves beginning to drop from the trees.

The progression of color change starts earliest in north Missouri and moves southward across the state. Generally, the color change is predictable, but it can vary from year to year. Much depends on the weather.

Where’s The Best Place?

You can enjoy Missouri’s fall color almost anywhere.

For spectacular vistas, choose routes along rivers with views of forested bluffs, and along ridges with sweeping scenes of forested landscapes.
On a smaller scale, drive on back roads, hike, or take a float trip under a colorful forest canopy on a clear, blue-sky day. Visit MDC Conservation Areas and Missouri State Parks.
Even treeless areas, such as prairies and roadsides, display beautiful shades of gold, purple, olive, and auburn with autumn wildflowers, shrubs, and curing, rustling grasses.
If you can’t get out of town, enjoy places with mature trees, such as older neighborhoods, parks, and even cemeteries.

Find events on your route

The Missouri Division of Tourism’s online calendar is packed with events happening all across Missouri this fall. Find those along your preferred routes.

Video: Why leaves change color

Note: The prolonged wet, humid periods in summer 2016 in many parts of the state are causing late-season leaf diseases. Affected leaves generally have brown blotches or spots, and, unfortunately, often fall from the tree before achieving peak color. This should have minimal long-term impacts to tree health next year.

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Fall colors in Missouri

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Fall Color

Autumn leaves at Mark Twain Lake.

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Fall Color

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Hartsburg's Fall Color Display

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Fall Color Updates Run September–November

Updated: 11/10/2016 - 1:52pm

Photo of pawpaw leaves with yellowish green fall color.

St. Louis Region

Past peak

One of the more interesting fall color seasons (in terms of weather and the progression of color change) is coming to a close over most of the St. Louis Region, despite the fact that there are still a number of trees with green leaves. Outside St. Louis proper, most trees are completely brown, if not bare, because of the recent brisk winds and rains. In St. Louis, leaves are raining down from most oaks and hickories, but you can still find the odd sassafras, sweet gum, maple, and even a dogwood or two with some remaining color.

Now is a great time to look for the invasive exotic species on your property, such as bush and Japanese honeysuckles, Callery (Bradford) pear, burning bush, and Japanese wintercreeper. Most of these species will still be green and should be removed because of their devastating impact to native plants and animals.

Fall Color Hot Spots

Now that we’re finally getting some great fall weather, go out to your favorite local park or conservation area and enjoy a hike, ride, or float. You won’t see the best fall color display, but you’ll still enjoy the splendor of nature. This week, we suggest Cliff Cave and Queeny County Parks, Mastodon State Historic Site and Meramec State Park, and the following MDC areas: Little Lost Creek and Long Ridge Conservation Areas, Rockwoods Range, and White Memorial Wildlife Area. Remember that this is opening weekend for firearms deer season, so enjoy the woods safely!

LINKS

Cliff Cave Park, St. Louis County
Queeny Park, St. Louis County
Mastodon State Historic Site
Meramec State Park
Little Lost Creek Conservation Area
Long Ridge Conservation Area
Rockwoods Range
White (William G. and Erma Parke) Memorial Wildlife Area

Updated: 11/10/2016 - 1:42pm

Southwest Region, including Springfield, Branson, and Joplin

Past peak

Fall color in southwest Missouri is extremely variable. Parts have received heavy frost, and color has ended in those areas. Other areas are still lingering on. Color as a whole has been poor this year. The trees that have changed from green to red, orange, purple, or yellow were muted due the poor temperature regime this fall. Some areas are showing yellow hickories, others are totally gone. Many of the oaks are still green, while others are turning directly brown. Some maples in communities are still showing color. On average, we are past peak color, and in retrospect, this has been the case since about the middle of October.

Fall Color Hot Spots

Despite the poor color, you can still enjoy the great outdoors. Visit a local park, let the kids play in the leaves in your yard, or walk local streets. If you venture into rural land this week, WEAR YOUR HUNTER ORANGE! Rifle season for deer starts Saturday.

Updated: 11/10/2016 - 1:35pm

Photo of bald cypress trees showing fall color, growing in a pond.

Southeast Region, including Cape Girardeau, Farmington, and Poplar Bluff

Past peak

Colors are moving past peak in the Southeast Region. Foliage is diminishing as the weather is finally turning toward a more normal temperature pattern. Sugar maples are still holding on to their brilliance, as are some of the sassafras. Pecan trees are holding on to their green foliage. This week’s feature, however, are the bald cypresses: their delicate, feathery needles are transforming from their usual lime green to a beautiful bronze. Enjoy the last flecks of copper, especially in community landscapes and in bottomland or swamp sites.

The abundant rainfall earlier in the year has yielded a greater than usual amount of leaves, meaning we will have relatively more leaf litter as the leaves fall to the ground. Due to the lack of rainfall over the last couple of months and low humidity, the increased leaf litter also means an elevated danger of fire. Please be careful with campfires and cookouts, and watch your local news for fire bans in your area.

Fall Color Hot Spots

Visit the Bootheel where Missouri’s native swamps once resided. Enjoy the last remnants at these locations: Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, Duck Creek and Otter Slough Conservation Areas, and Lake Wappapello State Park.

LINKS

Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Duck Creek Conservation Area
Otter Slough Conservation Area
Lake Wappapello State Park

Updated: 11/10/2016 - 1:29pm

Ozark Region, including Rolla, West Plains, and Eminence

Past peak

As the morning sun glows warmly on the Ozark Region, some brilliant colors remain: the bright red of sumacs along roadsides, the pinkish orange of brome grass in pastures, and the many colors of sassafras in the understory. Over half of the leaves from the canopy are now lying at rest, waiting to become the new forest floor. The colors across the remaining canopy are old pumpkin orange, faded rubber-ducky yellow, and citrusy lime green.

Fall Color Hot Spots

For some of the greatest vistas in Ozark County, take the driving tour through Caney Mountain Conservation Area. For more information, follow the link below.

LINKS

Caney Mountain Conservation Area

Updated: 11/10/2016 - 1:27pm

Northwest Region, including St. Joseph and Chillicothe

Past peak

The Northwest Region is way past peak and is getting close to being done for the season. Oaks and hickories are about the only standouts throughout the region. Fall color dwindles. Those trees that still retain some leaves are mostly shades of brown, especially light brown and reddish brown. Some scattered trees still hold on to faded yellow and faded red leaves, but these are becoming few and far between. More and more trees are becoming leafless.

The Loess Hills are exhibiting much of this same pattern of brown, faded yellow, and faded red. There are some areas where almost all of the trees are bare, with the only remaining color being the green of eastern red cedar.

In communities, hints of reds, yellows, and oranges are still evident on some trees, but these continue to fade, too.

Updated: 11/10/2016 - 1:26pm

Northeast Region, including Kirksville and Hannibal

Past peak

Fall color has peaked in the Northeast Region and is starting to wind down. Temperatures have remained warm throughout the entire duration of the color change. Except for oaks, most trees across the region are looking sparse, and very little fall color remains. White and red oak are still retaining the majority of leaves, and these are still showing reds and oranges across the landscape. Leaves will continue to drop over the next week, and fall color will be over very soon.

Updated: 11/10/2016 - 1:26pm

Kansas City Region

Past peak

A recent hailstorm swept through the Kansas City area and caused premature leaf drop, leaving many trees bare and dulling colors that were already fading. However, a few trees in the city are still changing from their early season colors because of the warmer temperatures caused by the urban heat island effect. For example, there is still time to see the vibrant yellow of ginkgo trees, if you are lucky enough to catch their brief display, since they drop their leaves all at once, often almost overnight. Ginkgoes are non-native trees, but these ancient beauties have survived for 270 million years and are a great tree for urban areas.

Fall Color Hot Spots

For what remains of fall color in our region, drive Highways 45 and 224 along the Missouri. For hiking, try Big Buffalo Creek and Burr Oak Woods Conservation Areas; Maple Woods and White Alloe Creek Natural Areas; Knob Noster State Park; and Forest Hills and Mount Washington cemeteries.

LINKS

Big Buffalo Creek Conservation Area
Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area
Maple Woods Natural Area
White Alloe Creek Conservation Area
Knob Noster State Park

Updated: 11/10/2016 - 1:25pm

Central Region, including Columbia, Jefferson City, and Lake of the Ozarks

Past peak

Unfortunately this year in the Central Region, fall color never truly peaked, but it did offer enough scattered splendor to satisfy those who went seeking it out. This week, looking over the landscape of rural Missouri, it is caught somewhere between green, brown, and bare. Lots of white oaks have already lost their leaves, but some red oaks are holding on to some green foliage and are still hinting at a little maroon. In urban areas, some delayed maples are now adorned with oranges and reds, and Bradford pears are still in various stages of green and purple. Silver maple and sweet gum are still yellow, but all will likely come to an end with some heavy frosts predicted within the next week.

Fall Color Hot Spots

To capture a glimpse of what little color is holding on, take a drive around town or stroll in your city parks. A trip out into the country will leave you disappointed, for it is looking very wintery out there.