Roger Naylor

Special for The Republic

If the desert has a seasonal weak spot, it’s in the form of fall color. Mild temperatures dance in at the end of summer, but but we don't get brilliant leaves. (Sorry, paloverde trees. You’re lovely in spring.) Fortunately, dazzling autumn displays are just a road trip away. Here are a few directions you can go. And crazy as it seems — you better pack a jacket.

Flagstaff

When you want autumn fast and flashy, head for Flag and mountain slopes drenched with aspens. Prowling the western flank of the San Francisco Peaks, Hart Prairie Road (Forest Road 151) winds through high meadows and thick conifer forests interrupted by huge stands of aspens. Go on the right October day and every breeze will trigger a cascade of lemon and gold leaves, as if it were raining dollops of sunshine.

The dirt road can be managed in a passenger car, although there might be a few bumps along the way. From downtown Flagstaff, take U.S. 180 west for about 10 miles to FR 151 (near mile marker 226). Hart Prairie Road winds through colorful timber for 10 miles then reconnects to 180.

RELATED: Best places to find fall in Arizona | Fall colors peek through at Grand Canyon's North Rim 2016 | Top things to do in Arizona this fall | Best fall-colors hikes in Flagstaff | 5 best Sedona fall-colors hikes

For a bird’s eye view of the seasonal splendor, let the chairlift at Arizona Snowbowl carry you up the mountain. The three-person lift chair drops you off at a high perch of 11,500 feet. Spend time savoring the dizzying views and chatting with a forest service ranger, on hand to answer questions. The gentle ride up and down the mountain banded with golden belts of aspen may be the most peaceful 25 minutes you’ve had in ages.

The chairlift operates Fridays through Sundays through mid-October. Cost is $13-$19. Purchase tickets in advance on the website for a discount.

Details: 928-779-1951, www.arizonasnowbowl.com.

Leaf peeping from a car or flying chair is nice but it’s so much better to walk among the trees. A network of trails loops over and around the Peaks, the hulking remains of an eroded volcano. One of the most stunning is the Kachina Trail, which takes off from the parking lot below the Snowbowl. Kachina dips immediately into lush woodlands and you’re immersed in aspens almost as soon as you’re out of your vehicle. The trail rambles for 5 miles across high slopes painted in yellow hues. The most vibrant color is contained in the first half of the hike.

A little lower on the mountain, Veit Springs makes an easy 1.5-mile loop past the remnants of old homesteads. You’ll find a tumbledown cabin and spring houses huddled at the edge of an impressive boulder field. But mostly what you’ll notice is a path carpeted and canopied in gold. It feels like you’re exploring a lush tunnel of aspens.

Details: 928-526-0866, www.fs.usda.gov/coconino.

LEAF-ometer: To keep track of Flag’s color status, check out the LEAF-ometer. It's updated through the season at www.flagstaffarizona.org/leafometer.

RELATED: Learn about all of Arizona's national parks | Adventurers wanted: Explore Arizona with XAZ | Our 5 favorite 'Only in Arizona' experiences | 39 things only Arizonans know

Sedona

The winding drive on Arizona 89A through Oak Creek Canyon between Flagstaff and Sedona is astonishing anytime but explodes with color during the cool autumn months. If you’re looking for the closest thing Arizona has to a New England display of fall foliage, make a stop at West Fork Trail.

Starting from the Call of the Canyon parking area, West Fork pulls you into verdant forests tucked beneath high cliffs. Echoes of birdsong and the splashy stream fill the canyon. The main trail parallels the meandering creek the whole way. Peak season for fall colors usually runs from mid-October well into November. The path seems to burrow into a kaleidoscope of willows, box elders, velvet ash and the fiery scarlet of bigtooth maples. They’re supported by an understory of grapevines, sumac and Virginia creeper in a tangle of varying hues.

Call of the Canyon Picnic Site is 9.5 miles north of Sedona. It's open from 8 a.m. to dusk. The fee is $10 per vehicle.

Naturally, West Fork is packed on autumn weekends. If you can wrangle a weekday visit, you won’t regret it. You can also enjoy a little more solitude at other Sedona trails.

• The Huckaby Trail emerges along an elevated ridge, overlooking the multi-hued ribbon of Oak Creek before descending to the stream banks past a colorful collection of vines, shrubs and trees.

• The hike through Secret Canyon leads through a deeply forested ravine and some beautiful red-rock narrows. Most of the vibrant leaves surround the canyon bottom that often harbors a few pools.

• Allens Bend Trail is a short jaunt beneath the remnants of an old orchard and a canopy of riparian trees. Enjoy the serenade of the nearby stream but be careful of poison ivy. The itch-inducing vine changes to lovely shades of yellow, orange and red in the fall but remains just as potent.

Details: 928-203-2900, www.fs.usda.gov/coconino.

3 more destinations

If you’re looking to travel further afield, you’ve got some options.

For a leisurely road trip, aim for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It’s a long scenic route just to reach the Kaibab Plateau, skirting Marble Canyon and the rising ramparts of the Vermilion Cliffs. Turn onto State Route 67, a high-country, aspen-swaddled road under skies so crisp they seem brittle, and summer heat will be a dim memory before you reach the edge of the canyon.

Many North Rim roads and lookouts were closed over summer because of the Fuller Fire but most have reopened. Check the Grand Canyon website for updates. And go soon. Splashes of color are visible by late September, usually peaking in early October. Grand Canyon Lodge closes Oct. 15. The park remains open for day use until Dec. 1, or until snow closes SR 67.

Details: 928-638-7888, www.nps.gov/grca.

MORE TRAVEL:Live in Arizona? 5 spots you need to see | Top 5 Arizona adventures to get your adrenaline pumping | 5 more places every Arizonan should visit

Good monsoon rain at Canyon de Chelly National Monument in recent weeks means the cottonwoods and willows lining the canyon bottom could put on an impressive show this fall. One ranger predicted peak color about mid-October, but call ahead to be sure.

Viewing the bounty of leaves from the rim drives is free and open to anyone. You can even hike down to the canyon floor alongside a winding stream lined with cottonwoods on the White House Ruins Trail. But to really explore the canyon depths, to see the yellows and golds pinned against soaring red walls and achingly blue sky, book a tour. Jeep tours are offered daily through Thunderbird Lodge (928-674-5842, www.thunderbirdlodge.com.) Other registered guides for jeep, horseback and hiking excursions can be found near the visitor center at the park entrance.

Details: 928-674-5500, www.nps.gov/cach.

To extend your autumn, head south toward Ramsey Canyon, a lush defile on the east face of the Huachuca Mountains. A single pathway climbs into the high-walled canyon from the back door of the Nature Conservancy visitor center. The trail passes a nice medley of Arizona sycamore, bigtooth maple, cottonwood, willow and velvet ash, with a few oaks mixed in away from the water. Autumn colors should linger well into November. The visitor center is in Hereford, about 6 miles south of Sierra Vista off State Route 92. Admission is $6.

Details: 520-378-2785, www.nature.org/arizona.

Find the reporter at www.rogernaylor.com. Or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RogerNaylorinAZ or Twitter @AZRogerNaylor.

MORE AZCENTRAL ON SOCIAL:Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

A guide to the best road trip destinations in Arizona

Celebrating 100 years of national parks