As cold weather slowly approaches the Hill Country, the Lost Maples State Natural Area is expected to soon be ablaze with fall colors.

Every year in November, the dark green leaves of maple trees turn into bright colors such as yellow, orange and red.

Amanda Zumwalt, superintendent of parks, said the trees will light up in about 11 days.

“We need a really good cold front to get to about 40 degrees overnight and then lots of sunshine during the day,” Zumwalt said. “Once we reach the cold front, get enough sunlight, and have had a few cold nights, the maples will be in full color in about 11 days.”

According to the KSAT Weather Authority team, next cold front It’s coming on Monday. Lower humidity arrives on Tuesday, followed by noticeably cooler weather by midweek; Highs could be in the 60s and lows in the 40s on Wednesday and Thursday.

As of now, Zumwalt says maybe 20% of the trees have some type of color. The color is expected to lighten in the next two weeks.

“It goes from a nice dark green to suddenly a week and a half later, bright yellows, bright reds, all kinds of oranges. So this is really shocking,” Zumwalt said.

Know Before You Go

Saturdays and Sundays are usually sold out, and weekdays are the best time to go. You can see ticket availability online.

You need to make a reservation before you go. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said they have reached capacity for the day and are relying on reservations to guarantee a spot for guests.

Live leaves should stick around for two to three weeks after a cold front.

The leaves will fall in a few weeks, so there’s still time to check them out!