Telltale signs of autumn have arrived with apple cider, pumpkin spice and, finally, cooler temperatures dipping down at night as leaves begin their seasonal saunter to the ground. The Texarkana area may be a few weeks from peak fall, but it's never too early to don your hoodie, plan your outing and hit the road for a fall drive to see a sea of trees turn brilliant with reds, yellows and oranges painted across the wider Four States Area landscape.
At a time when a pandemic limits social interactions, the certainty of autumn's turn and the ability to head out and freely explore nature's golden-hued fall festivities can be comforting, just like holding a mug of hot cocoa.
We talked with a few folks - two tourism pros and two locals - about places where autumn colors can best be seen, mainly in Arkansas because of its mountains, forests and more northerly destinations that turn color earlier than down here.
Melissa Conley, digital content coordinator at the Division of Arkansas Tourism, says when thinking about fall colors right now, head north in the Natural State.
The most recent report indicates spotty fall colors in North Arkansas with some sugar maple leaves having reached their peak around Harrison. Hills and valleys are said to look "greenish-orange" as of Oct. 15.
"North, North Central, Northwest Arkansas especially, there's a lot to do up there. The Ozark Mountains run through that area, so there's always a lot of color, especially those higher elevations. That's where we see that color change first," Conley said.
While that change is underway, the peak is expected to land at the end of the month, so that's this next week for most sections of the state that lead into the Natural State's center. Southern Arkansas turns later.
To gauge the fall color status statewide, input is gathered from resources like welcome center managers, state park officials and travel writers across Arkansas, plus a nationwide fall colors prediction at Smokymountains.com/fall-foliage-map.
So when heading for the hills, where should folks go? Petit Jean State Park near Morrillton is a great spot, plus Magazine Mountain standing tall at 2,753 feet, the highest point you can reach in Arkansas.
"Mount Magazine is always really beautiful," Conley said, also mentioning the scenic drive known as the Pig Trail Scenic Byway that snakes through the Boston and Ozark Mountains in Northwest Arkansas.
Along Arkansas State Highway 23, Pig Trail runs from west of the Clarksville area up to a point east of Fayetteville and south of Eureka Springs, with 19 miles of the official byway going from the southern boundary of Ozark National Forest to Brashears. How about a trip to Eureka Springs or the Fayetteville area with this true roadside wonderland seen from your car seat?
Then there's the Talimena Scenic Drive running roughly 54 miles from Southeast Oklahoma into Mena, Arkansas, at the western border. This route takes travelers along the spine of Rich Mountain.
The Talimena route is a National Scenic Byway and worthy of a day trip, including a pit stop at Queen Wilhelmina State Park's lodge atop the mountain for treats, coffee, hummingbirds and beautiful vistas all along the highway. As part of the adventure, get your fill of antique shops and railroad lore in Mena itself, which should also be flashing fall colors soon.
As for the central sector of Arkansas, Conley recommends the popular Pinnacle Mountain, which has a shorter, quarter-mile hike near the visitor's center that's easy for most, she says. It's about a half-hour from Little Rock in the Ouachita foothills.
Then there's one spot not as well known she recommends, in particular, that combines autumn colors and a waterway.
"In North Little Rock there's a park called Emerald Park and it has the most beautiful views of the Arkansas River from the North Little Rock side. Personally, I think that's a great spot," she said. You get the cityscape, the trees and the river all in one. "That's all a plus for me."
Meg Matthews, deputy chief of communications at the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, has several recommendations for Arkansas State Parks spots to recommend. As for the development of color, think of a north-to-south movement.
"Colors start turning in the northern part of the state first and then they work their way down. Right now at Mammoth Spring (State Park), which is practically on the Missouri border, they say their fall colors are really good right now, close to peak, like about 75%," Matthews said. "So if anybody is just dying to go see fall colors, go as far north as you can."
Over in the northeast part, she said, reports indicate things are turning nicely with sumacs, dogwoods, sweet gums, maples and hickories all starting to turn with a bit of green remaining.
"They say they're on the front end but they'll peak out within the next two weekends," Matthews said, noting around Bull Shoals and White River parks they'll reach the peak at the beginning of November and on into the middle of the month.
"Our park employees say the colors are bright and beautiful this year," she said, noting the conditions when the leaves are turning colors matters more than the conditions leading up to the turning.
"At Ozark Folk Center - that's also kind of North Central, it's a little farther south - they say they're about 25% there. Most of the oaks are barely changing and so there are early changers and late changers," Matthews said.
Here in Texarkana, she said, Thanksgiving weekend and after that is a great time to scout for autumn colors.
"That can be a really fun family adventure. If you have people at your house and you don't know what to do, it's a great way to get out," Matthews said, noting that in Little Rock about the second week of November is prime time for colors.
Up in Northwest Arkansas, Devil's Den is showing good color, where visitors can find big, old trees. "They have a wide variety. It's looking really really good up there," Matthews said, noting what constitutes "peak" also depends upon a point of view and expectations.
"But really the rich colors come out in mid-November from Central Arkansas on down," Matthews said.
Count Jennifer Teeters as one of the local Texarkanians who has long enjoyed getting up to Northwest Arkansas to enjoy the scenery. She's fond of the Pig Trail, Old 71 and the Boston Mountains.
Growing up before Interstate 49 arrived, when she used to head to Fayetteville with family they'd take Old 71 (U.S.Highway 71), a route that now parallels the bigger highway to the east.
Old 71 twists, turns and winds through the mountains.
"As long as you're in the front seat, especially if you're driving, it's fun," she said. She compares the surrounding fall sights favorably to autumn in the Northeast.
"Just based on pictures that I've seen, there's nothing about fall in New England that I have seen that is any better than a fall driving up the Old 71 scenic byway. It is absolutely gorgeous. You get the yellows and the golds, you get the orange, you get the reds," Teeters said.
Hardwoods like maples and oaks are plentiful. "When you're going on that Old 71, you're literally driving underneath the canopy of these trees. It's an experience like you've never seen before. It's absolutely gorgeous and I love it," Teeters OVERSET FOLLOWS:said.
She hasn't been to the Pig Trail in a long time, but it's famous, she said, and like many places in Arkansas it's a popular spot for motorcyclists.
Lindsey Evans is another Texarkanian who often gets up the northwest quadrant of the state, visiting Eureka Springs.
"I try to go at least once a year, normally in the fall. There is a part of the drive, once you leave Fort Smith and you're headed to Fayetteville, you are going over these bridges," Evans said. "You're on an interstate highway and you're going over these bridges over these huge valleys. It's absolutely gorgeous. You can really see the fall colors."
At one point on a favorite drive up that way, she recalls, there's a covered bridge in the bottom of a valley with tree-covered rolling hills nearby, bursting with color from the end of October to the middle of November.
"It's got evergreen trees so it's got pops of green," she said, with maples and other trees shedding their dying leaves.
Hilly roads, great curves and these pops of color all make it memorable."It's a place I would want to live all of the time, but especially in the fall," Evans said.
(On the Net: Arkansas.com/discover-arkansas, Arkansasstateparks.com/activities/fall-colors, Travelok.com/fall_foliage_and_festivals, Texashighways.com/travel-news/where-to-see-fall-foliage-in-texas.)