Best Places in Oklahoma to See Fall Leaves
It's about this time each year when weak cold fronts interrupt the brutal Oklahoma heat, people start to wonder when the leaves will start to change.
The state usually takes on a warm color tone of yellows, oranges, and reds. Everyone looks forward to that short time when the scenery improves before everything dies. Fall is a good time to be in Oklahoma.
Sure, the colors of fall aren't as vibrant here as they are in other places around the country. We'll never be as colorful as the Northeastern US, and you'll never find a sea of yellow aspens like you'd see driving through the Rockies, but Oklahoma is full of colorful surprises.
This is something I think every Lawtonian wished we had done better.
Past generations of residents planted an over-abundance of what we call scrub oak, cottonwoods, Bradford pears, and those bubble-gum pink crepe myrtles. While the pear trees will eventually turn colors for a day or two, the overwhelming majority of Lawton's trees turn brown and go dormant in the most boring fashion.
Don't be fooled by the lack of tree diversity here in Lawton. It's not like that everywhere.
Around the Sooner State, there are no less than fourteen different scenic fall color trails to see the colors of fall throughout.
While on average, most of these places peak in the last week of October and the first week of November, it's predicted to be a little different this year. You may be able to stretch those averages an additional week in some places.
Due to the drought last year, the colors of fall were pretty muted across the state. 2023 has had a lot more rainfall even into the summer heat. That means that we'll not only have great odds of a vibrant tree turn, but it should also last a bit longer if rain totals keep up a good average between now and then.
While it'd be almost impossible to see every scenic place in one season, stranger things have happened. If I were you, and I was really looking for a colorful pop of fall, I'd stick to the top three recommended places to see fall colors below.