continued from Texas Fall Foliage

West Texas

Above: McKittrick Canyon Photo courtesy Texas Tourism

McKittrick Canyon
Location: 100 miles east of El Paso

Think of the Guadalupe Mountains and you may picture cacti and other desert vegetation but McKittrick Canyon flames up with autumnal color thanks to bigtooth maple, walnut, ash, oak, and the Texas madrone. Several hikes offer varying degrees of difficulty but are rewarded with plenty of color, serenity, and the chance to enjoy natural beauty. Fall color here isn't accompanied by fall festivals or lines of cars, just peace and quiet and the opportunity to reflect on the changing seasons.

North Texas

Cleburne State Park, Cleburne
Location: southwest of Fort Worth
You can really get into the fall spirit at this North Texas park, thanks to guided hay rides during November through the fall foliage. Rangers point out the oak, elm, cottonwood, sycamore, ash, sumac, redbud and mesquite trees that flame with color.

Panhandle

Caprock Canyons State Park, Quitaque
Location: 100 miles southeast of Amarillo
October means the annual fall foliage tour at this state park and in Quitaque. Scheduled events include tours along Caprock Canyons Trailway, an antique tractor show, flea markets, historic home tours, and more. One of the best options is the Canyon Rampling, the chance to ride in an open-air vehicle with a ranger for a guided view of the park and a look at the fall color provided by cottonwoods, hackberries, and other native trees. Call the park directly for a schedule of Canyon Ramblings.

Also in this article: Fall foliage in:

• East Texas
• Central Texas