It seems most out-of-state students, and even a few natives, don’t think we have changing seasons here in Arizona. But believe it or not, the entire state is not ever-brown desert and sunny skies.
Just a few hours outside of the Valley, there are various places you can find a chill in the air and leaves changing to the oranges, yellows and browns of fall. It’s been awhile since I’ve made any fall drives myself, but there are plenty of sources available if you’re looking to add some actual autumn to the season.
AZCentral has a good travel guide here with three highlighted trips. If you’ve read any previous posts, you’d know I recommend the Oak Creek drive.
It’s been several years since I was in the White Mountains and Alpine and Springerville area, but I’d recommend that drive they mention too. Take the Big Lake Road drive mentioned on the Alpine link if you really want to get out and away from civilization and into the wilderness.
I found this link from the U.S. Forest Service that has a list of fall color locations with drives and hikes in the different areas. They have some good suggestions and looks like they keep it updated with road and path closures.
Here’s a clip from local news channel 3 with Robert Stieve, editor of Arizona Highways magazine, talking about some of the fall drives mentioned in the October issue of his magazine. I’d also recommend following Stieve on Twitter as he highlights great travel spots around the state.
We get a few Thursdays and a Friday off in November for the holidays, so it’s a good time to plan your fall drives. Wait too long, and the leaves will be gone until spring.
