Autumn in Phoenix is not your typical image of the season. We celebrate days under 100 degrees instead of grabbing coats and if you’re getting a festive pumpkin coffee, it’s still probably iced.
But that doesn’t mean that fall is that way in the entire state.
Arizona travel writer Roger Naylor is an avid hiker in northern Arizona, and The Show asked him for his favorite spots to see colored leaves or feel a cool breeze.
ROGER NAYLOR: Every year it's the same. Summer comes to visit and doesn't know when to leave.
No matter how many times we clear our throats while glancing at the thermometer or say things like, "I really should put up the Halloween decorations." Summer just sits there, rattling ice cubes and an empty glass, hoping we'll offer to make one more pitcher of lemonade.
So when the big, sweaty palooka finally does amble towards the door, grab your hiking boots and maybe even a jacket. If you can remember where you put it all those months ago. It's time for some fall color.
Now, here's the thing about an Arizona autumn — it's spectacular.
We may not have the diversity of the New England leafy display, but our colors are dazzling. And Arizona maintains one of the longest seasons for fall colors in the country.
You can find changing leaves from late September into December if you know where to look.
Of course, when we talk fall colors in Arizona, one thinks of the aspens. Those gaudy showstoppers slash across mountain slopes, creating waves of color.
You'll find some of the most beautiful aspen groves in Flagstaff at Hart Prairie, Lockett's Meadow and on the road to the Snowbowl.
You can hike on trails like Weatherford, Kachina and Inner Basin. Go on the right October day, and every breeze will trigger a cascade of golden leaves, as if dollops of sunshine were fluttering to ground
In the White Mountains, look for aspens atop green's peak or spread along Highway 260 east of Pinetop-Lakeside, or wrapped around Big Lake in a shimmering cloak of lemon and saffron
As the aspens are finishing their show — usually mid-October or later — the mixed forest and lower elevations will have their moment. Dry Forest Road 30, as it ambles across the great hump spine of the Mogollon Rim, where you're treated to a mix of colorful hues and open air panoramas.
The winding drive through Oak Creek Canyon, between Sedona and Flagstaff, is gorgeous all year round, but explodes with color in late October. While you're there, hike gentle West Fork Trail through thick woods beneath towering red cliffs, and you'll realize New England has nothing on us. Other Sedona trails with fall colors are Huckaby, Allen's Bend and Secret Canyon.
Even procrastinators can enjoy a bright slice of Arizona autumn. Just about the time Santa is double checking the naughty list, colors are ablaze at Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Expect trees with yellow leaves to run from mid-October through early November, while trees with red and orange leaves will be going full throttle in late November through early December.
But here's my favorite part of an Arizona autumn: After the last leaf has fallen, all that's left is the soft sunny warmth of an Arizona winter.
Now, who's ready to go outside and play?
