The predicted color stage on the selected date, modelled from years of fall color records. A forecast, not a live observation.When each area's color is predicted to peak this season. The date doesn't change this view.

Cherokee Hills Byway

Oklahoma Highway 10 through the Cherokee Hills near Tahlequah, along the Illinois River.

Typical peak
Oct 27
Late October
Best Viewing Window
Oct 22 – Nov 1
Late October to Early November
Observed now
No current color reading
We show a stage only when recent clear-sky readings pass our quality checks.

Forest Composition

Oak Hickory dominant
Oak / Hickory73%
88% deciduous canopy (forest survey)

Conditions & 5-Day Forecast

Fetching forecast...

All 2 places in Cherokee County

Field notes · 2026 estimate

When to see peak color at Cherokee Hills Byway

Peak fall color is predicted around October 27. Plan for the strongest viewing window from October 22 to November 1.

Predicted peak
October 27
Best window
October 22 – November 1
Confidence range
±5 days

The prediction comes from 14 years of fall color records at this spot, checked against what observers on the ground saw. Where state foliage spotters report peak (New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Missouri), it has landed inside our ±5-day window about two years in three. An unusual summer or autumn can still move it further. Explore fall color around Cherokee County and across Oklahoma.

Nearby locales

Other places to see color near Cherokee Hills Byway