National Park·Arizona·1,177,837 acres
Grand Canyon National Park
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.
2 reports came in from Coconino County this week, 2 of them at peak. They moved our date 1 day later. See the county on the map.
When is peak fall foliage at Grand Canyon National Park in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Grand Canyon National Park around Oct 25, and the four days to aim for are Oct 24 to 27.
The park runs from about 2,713 to 8,138 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 19 days: the high stands around Oct 8, the low ground around Oct 27. That's 1 day later than our model alone would say, because this season's reports from the ground moved it.
| Week | In the park | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Still green | |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Starting to turn | 8,000 to 10,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Nearly peak | 6,000 to 8,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Peak color | 4,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Peak color | 2,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Just past peak |
- 8,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 86%
- 6,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1423%
- 4,000–6,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2144%
- 2,000–4,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2727%
Height off 3DEP inside the park’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the park stands in it.
That’s 1 day later than our model alone would say. This season’s reports from the ground moved it, and they outrank us.
The place
A mile deep, 277 river miles long, up to 18 miles wide. The Colorado River spent 5 to 6 million years carving through rock layers that span nearly 2 billion years of Earth's history. You stand at the rim and your brain simply refuses to process the scale of it.
Established 1919. About 6.4 million/year visitors.
If you can only come on certain days
Set the days you can be here. Everything under them answers for those days, not for peak.
Saturday, October 24 to Sunday, October 25
You’ll find it just past peak up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 6,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 14; down at 4,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 27. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 6,000–8,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 14
- 4,000–6,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 21
- 2,000–4,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 27
- Where to drive
- Boulder Mountain (UT 12), about 147 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, Gambel oak, bigtooth maple, serviceberry
- Entrance
- $35
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen71%
- Gambel oak17%
- bigtooth maple6%
- serviceberry6%
Also named across Arizona, outside what the canopy read measures here: Arizona Sycamore, Fremont Cottonwood.
Aspens on the San Francisco Peaks turn gold above 8,000 feet, Gambel oaks go orange and russet at mid-elevations, and cottonwoods line the creek bottoms in butter yellow.
Questions people ask about Grand Canyon National Park
- When is peak fall foliage at Grand Canyon National Park?
Our forecast puts peak color at Grand Canyon National Park around Oct 25, and the four days to aim for are Oct 24 to 27.
- Where is the best fall color at Grand Canyon National Park right now?
On Nov 10 the park is fading. The last band to peak was 2,000 to 4,000 feet, around Oct 27.
- How long does peak last at Grand Canyon National Park?
About four days at the top, Oct 24 to 27, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the park's elevations the color moves over about 19 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 23 days.
- Is Grand Canyon National Park past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 25, and on Nov 10 it's fading.
- What trees turn color at Grand Canyon National Park?
Quaking Aspen, Bigtooth Maple, Gambel Oak, Arizona Sycamore, Fremont Cottonwood. Aspens on the San Francisco Peaks turn gold above 8,000 feet, Gambel oaks go orange and russet at mid-elevations, and cottonwoods line the creek bottoms in butter yellow.
- Is there an entrance fee at Grand Canyon National Park?
Entrance fee $35.
This forecast is built from the species that stand here, their elevation and this September’s weather, and corrected in season by cameras, foresters and our own crew. Out here we score it against NASA's satellite record of when the canopy shuts down, read inside each unit’s own boundary: two dates in three land within 12 days of it. How this map is made
Nearby, and when they turn
Kaibab and Zion and Prescott and Coconino are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 26 best Oct 25 to 28
- Peak Oct 21 best Oct 20 to 23
Fall color roads near Grand Canyon National Park
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the park, so allow more by road.
- Boulder Mountain (UT 12)
Torrey to Boulder over the aspen plateau, with Capitol Reef below.