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My wife and I missed our date with West Fork Oak Creek last year, and are hoping to see something other than yellow aspens this year when we go up.
The USDA site still says all Oak Creek Canyons are closed - what would be a good alternative? We are planning to hike on a weekday to beat the crowds regardless.

Upper west clear creek has nice fall colors. I did Point Trail mid-October on a weekend a couple years back, was all alone for 2 days. Not quite as brilliant as West Fork, but still very nice. Staying dry can be tricky, though. Workman Creek in the Sierra Ancha has nice creekside fall colors. Not much of a hike, though.

Finding aspen gold seems to be pretty easy in the higher elevations ... but maple and other colors found in narrow canyons and along creeks is a bit more challenging.

Might I suggest See Canyon?

I'm also quite partial to the southern half of the Houston Brothers trail (the northern half is all ponderosa). It's certainly nothing like West Fork, but it drops into one little drainage after another that is loaded with maples, and surrounded by aspens above them. Upper Buck Springs Canyon has some nice short sections of dense maple as well at the southern end.

Another alternative is to look at all the photos on HAZ of Bigtooth Maples ... there are a lot of trails around the state, with varying times of fall that they hit their peaks which should offer some different opportunities for you to explore.

This label is a good source for research too!

Let us know what you find. Everybody likes fall color :FG:

Pine Mtn Verde Loop has a nice mixture and isn't too far for a nice day hike. You only need to do the first half (hiking clockwise) to get most of the good color - http://hikearizona.com/decoder=290

Ash Creek - Galiuro http://hikearizona.com/decoder=16323 I haven't been there since 2009 but it's still the best fall color I've ever seen.

tibber wrote:Ash Creek - Galiuro http://hikearizona.com/decoder=16323 I haven't been there since 2009 but it's still the best fall color I've ever seen.

That's my pick.

oak flats from hardscrabble road.. maybe some good colors. stop in Pine at THAT for a late lunch green chile burger and IPA.

haunted canyon, eastern supes. lots of maple, gamble oak, boxelder? (iirc)

telephone or six shooter trail in Pinals. stop at guayo's el rey for traditional, tasty sonoran.

Naegelin Rim, upper Haigler Creek, Naegelin canyon by Clay Spring---- when we were there noted a section of big closely packed maples right along the dirt road. I plan on seeing if it delivers as it will be earlier than my appointed rounds down south.

@te-wa

haunted canyon, eastern supes.

Interesting pick... I agree probably not on same level as other suggestions..but fall colors out there can certainly have their moments..


http://hikearizona.com/photo_m.php?ZIP=369776

13 trail suggestions in 24 hours.
Thanks everyone - HAZ Rocks.

[Smart aleck response] Hmm, fall colors. Let me see. Well, the beach at Oceanside, California is nice for fall colors. Blue water and blue sky. White foam on waves and white sea gulls. Red kayaks, orange kayaks, pink polka-dot bikinis, green palm trees, brown sea lions, gray dolphins, amber beer. Lots of color there!

Seriously, when all the brand-new aspens grow up on Escudilla, it'll be amazing, and there still are a lot of mature ones left along the trail. I know you said aspens were not your first choice, though. However, the patterns are nice on the hillsides, with the aspens, firs, and grassland areas, and the incredibly long views. Maples I have seen in Largo Canyon, off the Blue River Road. Largo: http://hikearizona.com/decoder=334

Pinals

Barrett does Bassett

Barrett wrote:The USDA site still says all Oak Creek Canyons are closed

Just in case you missed it ... it's open again: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8480