Texas has been staying warm and hasn't quite made up its mind to get into fall just yet.  But cooler weather is on the way, and fall foliage will peak in October.

There are three local short trails that will help you make the most of it.

Most of the trees around East Texas seem to be sticking with the green leaves for now, thinking it's still summer.  It's supposed to cool off a little bit at the end of this week, and once the leaves realize winter is coming they'll start turning orange and hit the deck.

We can catch them at their peak in mid October, according to Only In Your State's Fall Foliage Prediction Map.  The map shows the best time to view fall foliage in East Texas will be around October 8th.  The colors will be the most vibrant then, so it's time to plan to get some pics.

If you want to get up close with nature and take a hike, East Texas has three trails full of great photo opps, and they're all three miles or less in length so you don't have to carve out the whole day to have the adventure.

The Maple Trail at Lost Maples State Natural Area in Vanderpool

This may be the shortest hiking trail in the history of short hiking trails.  It's just over a third of a mile long, but gets attention for the density of maple trees along the way and they all turn bright orange and yellow at the same time.  This might be the perfect background for your next big Facebook or Instagram moment, so make sure you give Vanderpool some credit for having a great view.

Mountain View Trail at Daingerfield State Park in Daingerfield

This purdy town is straight north of Longview on Highway 259, and it's a great East Texas spot to see our beautiful pine trees get their fall tint.  The trail is a little over a mile long and it's packed with tall trees.  It will be shady if it's a hot day, and when it cools down and the breeze blows just right it will smell just like fall is supposed to smell.  No pumpkin spice necessary.

Dogwood Trail at Lake Bob Sandlin State Park in Pittsburg

The Dogwood Trail is just over a mile and a half long, and at one point along the way the trail borders a pretty gorgeous lake that's surrounded by dense oak trees.  That's a good spot for a deep breath on a normal day, and when the fall colors pop out it's even better.  Pittsburg is south of Mt. Pleasant, between Daingerflied and Winnsboro.

These are some of the popular public places in East Texas to breathe in fall, but the trees in your back yard might work well too.  Just take some pictures before mid-October so you get the leaves at their peak.  And then happy raking.

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