Nov. 26, 2019

Most of the maple leaves now blanket the ground but the red oaks continue to dot the canyon walls with fall color. Lost Maples State Natural Area's peak season is coming to a close, although the hiking and weather couldn’t get much better even with December right around the corner.

This holiday week will be a busy one so don’t forget your Save the Day Pass.
Happy Thanksgiving!

TPWD photos taken Nov. 26, 2019.
   

Nov. 18, 2019

Fall is still in abundance here at Lost Maples State Natural Area. We are seeing vibrant colors popping out all along the landscape. It is a wonderful time to be outside with the fresh and crisp fall air. Come on, take hike and see what everyone is smiling about.

Remember to get your Save the Day Pass before heading out to Lost Maples. Weekends continue to be sold out by mid-week, so make your plans early or come during the week when it is not so crowded. Life’s better outside. 

TPWD photos taken Nov. 18, 2019.
   

Nov. 11, 2019

Lost Maples State Natural Area is ablaze with the colors of fall.  The maples, oaks and sycamore trees responded well to our recent cold front and are dotting the landscape with their showy display.  We are expecting an artic front on Monday night with possible high winds, but we are hoping the leaves hang on for another week to ten days. 

We highly encourage everyone to pre-purchase your day entrance permits before making the drive out to the state natural area, to guarantee you get in. This is our peak season with a higher than normal volume of park visitors, especially on weekends and Thanksgiving week. 

TPWD photos taken Nov. 11, 2019.
   

Nov. 4, 2019

The freezing temperatures hit the park last week with hopes of getting some red out of the maples. But it looks like the prolonged summer temperatures and lack of rainfall have taken a bigger than expected toll on the leaves. We still see lots of yellow and tinges of red on the maples. The red oaks seem to be the star this year. They dot the landscape on the highways and the bluffs here in the state natural area. The park is looking beautiful, with running springs, ideal weather, and the great autumn scents.

To guarantee you get in during our peak season, purchase a Save the Day entrance permit, prior to your visit, especially for weekends and holidays this month. If you can, come on non-holiday weekdays and you will avoid some of the November congestion and crowds.  The park is still a fall favorite in the hill country, despite the lack of spectacular color.

TPWD photo taken Nov. 4, 2019.

Oct. 29, 2019

It's beginning to look a lot like fall, y'all! The fall colors are emerging a little more each day, with not only the maples, but also the sycamores and oaks.  We are set to get some rain this week, along with yet another cold front, which in turn will keep the leaves very happy. 

If you are planning a trip out to the natural area in the days, and weeks to come, be sure and purchase your Save the Day entrance online before you visit, to assure you aren’t turned away due to the park reaching capacity.

TPWD photos taken Oct. 29, 2019, by Cory Thompson and Randy Jonas.
 

Oct. 21, 2019

The park received a little rain with the latest cool front but the extended summer heat and the drought have not been kind to our maples. We are seeing more yellow and now a tinge of red, but some of our trees are stressed and will soon lose their leaves all together. Hopefully the cool weather will stick around now and the trees that have hung in there, will turn bright red, yellow and orange to dazzle our autumn season.

TPWD photo taken Oct. 21, 2019, by Lisa Fitzsimmons.

Oct. 14, 2019

Mother Nature gave us with a couple of cool fronts last week and we are starting to see a tinge of yellow. With another cool front and rain  promised before the weekend, the maples should continue their fall transformation nicely.

TPWD photo taken Oct. 14, 2019, by Lisa Fitzsimmons.

Oct. 5, 2019

We are a couple of weeks into autumn, but summer seems to be hanging around longer than normal this year, resulting in very little color change as of now. We hope with the upcoming cool front, the trees will get the hint to start their showy transformation. 

Despite the lack of color, all our trails are open, the pond is stocked with catfish, the night skies have been the best and the campgrounds are buzzing with happy campers, despite the county-wide burn ban.  Life is certainly better outside. 

TPWD photo taken Oct. 5, 2019 by Lisa Fitzsimmons.

Archived Lost Maples fall foliage reports from previous years.

Current fall foliage report.