Oklahoma’s Best Fall Foliage in Years? Here’s the Forecast

Every fall, people start asking the same question... what are the leaves going to look like this year? Are we getting those bright reds and golds that look like a postcard, or the dull browns that remind you the wind will have everything bare by next week anyway

The last couple of years in Oklahoma, we didn’t exactly get much of a show. Too dry, too hot, and by the time October rolled around, most of the trees looked more tired than colorful. More “leftover tumbleweed” than “Fall color calendar.”

But this year might be different.

Thanks to a wetter-than-normal summer, trees across the state have been living it up like they’re at a spa retreat. Plenty of rain, deeper soil moisture, and not nearly as much drought stress as we’ve gotten used to. Experts say that sets us up for some of the best fall colors we’ve seen in a while.

Now, before anyone starts thinking we’re about to turn into Vermont, let’s be clear—we’re still Oklahoma. We don’t do mountainsides exploding with neon red maples. Our show is more subtle, more scattered. A burst of orange here, a yellow grove there, the occasional red if you know where to look. The Wichita Mountains, Turner Falls, even just a backroad lined with blackjack oaks, it’s less dramatic, sure, but it’s ours.

And it’s worth paying attention to.

One thing about Oklahoma is we tend to overlook what’s in front of us until someone from out of town points it out. Fall colors are a good example. People drive hours to Arkansas or Missouri to see the leaves change, but right here at home, we’ve got hidden stretches of highway and hiking trails that’ll look downright stunning if the predictions hold.

The timing matters, too. Usually, the show hits in late October into early November, depending on where you’re at. Northern parts of the state get it first, then it drifts south. Blink, and you’ll miss it, especially if one of those classic Oklahoma windstorms comes through and strips the trees bare in a day.

So if you’ve been waiting for a good fall, this might be your year. Grab a camera, pick a weekend drive, and see what the rain bought us. It may not be Vermont, but Oklahoma’s colors, when they show up, have their own kind of beauty.