Best Places For Fall Colors In DFW

The hardwoods of East Texas offer some excellent fall foliage, and the backroads offer a great way to see them. Winnsboro celebrates fall foliage for more than a month. There are also state parks that offer lakes surrounded by all the fall colors, all within two or three hours of Dallas — just a short day trip! There's lots of trails to explore out there during the fall.

Henderson County, about 75 miles from Dallas in the woodlands of East Texas, has a wide variety of scenic vistas. The Chamber of Commerce has put together a 55-mile self guided driving trail throughout the county, which goes along back roads where you can see the best autumn colors Texas has to offer. The trail begins and ends in downtown Athens. There are also several other points of interest along the trail, such as vineyards and botanical gardens.

You may think you have been transported far north when you take the 2.5-mile Rustling Leaves Nature Trail at Daingerfield State Park, near Daingerfield Texas. The area is relatively small, but is a loop that winds through stands of trees around a lake. This area is two hours from Dallas in east Texas, in the piney woods area, but there are a lot of hardwood trees here that give a striking view of fall foliage. The trail is popular year-round as it offers great birdwatching opportunities.

To make your fall foliage tour a bit unique consider a ride on the Texas State Railroad, which goes about 35 miles between Rusk and Palestine, about two hours from Dallas. In the 1800s, the railroad hauled lumber from Rusk to the state prison at Palestine. The prison has long since closed, but the train continues. The route goes through the piney forest of east Texas, but there are still plenty of hardwoods with changing colors in the fall.

Related: Best Fall Family Getaways In DFW

Winnsboro is the most popular getaway for fall foliage in the state, and they even celebrate fall colors for the month of October and into November. The east Texas piney forest has plenty of hardwoods, and they seem extra colorful here, just over two hours from Dallas. Highway 14, 50 miles south to Tyler, is also a great drive to see changing colors. They celebrate their Autumn Trails festival is the last week of October.

Tyler is 90 miles southeast of Dallas, and is part of the great forests of the eastern part of the state. What makes Tyler interesting is that it can be a center for driving tours to see the fall colors. Some suggested trips are: Highway 14 to Tyler State Park and beyond, and Highway 16 from Lindale to Winona is also a popular drive. There is also Loves Lookout, 30 miles toward Jacksonville on Highway 69, and everywhere onward from Jacksonville has great fall colors.

Related: Best Places For A Fall Getaway Near DFW