Best Southwest Fall Foliage Drives

Autumn color peaks around the Southwest from late September to early November. These recommended routes and a fall foliage hotline will help you find the best fall color.

Fall foliage season is in full swing across the Southwest USA. Autumn color is dramatic but fleeting, and there's no guarantee where it will pop out next or how long it will last. Often it's as short as a week.

Luckily, it doesn't happen everywhere at once, so you've plenty of options. In Utah, for example, fall colors usually peak in the north in late September, in the south in mid-October, and in warm desert canyons they can last well into November.

To read my recommended Utah fall foliage drives from Salt Lake City, click here.

For more autumn color drives in Central Utah, click here.

The US Forest Service predicts that most Colorado forests will reach their peak over the next two weekends, September 29-30 and October 6-7. Some places could see color last into mid October or even longer.

To read my recommended fall foliage drives from Denver, click here.

For more autumn color drives from Aspen, click here.

At the southern end of the Rocky Mountains, New Mexico also has brilliant fall color. You can see beautiful autumn foliage along the Turquoise Trail and in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains outside Santa Fe. The Ski Santa Fe chairlift is open for aspen viewing daily through October 14, weather permitting.

Forests cover much of northern Arizona, where there's plenty of fall color. The San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff begin their display in mid-late September. Another great spot for autumn foliage is Oak Creek Canyon, where the color lasts into November.

For a current report on the best autumn color wherever you're traveling in the Southwest, call the US Forest Service Fall Foliage hotline: 800-354-4595.