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Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET

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National Forest·Arizona·2,866,800 acres

Tonto National Forest

Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET

Peak colorOct 31Aim for Oct 30 to Nov 2
In the forest today, Nov 10Just past peak
SepOctNov

Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.

No new reports from the ground here this week.

I-10I-40I-8I-17PhoenixChandlerDeer ValleySan Tan ValleyMaricopaPaysonFlorenceAnthemCoconinopeak Oct 22Prescottpeak Nov 2Apache-Sitgreavespeak Oct 17Tonto
I-10I-40I-8I-17PhoenixChandlerPeoriaFountain HillsPaysonFlorenceAnthemMaricopaCoconinopeak Oct 22Prescottpeak Nov 2Apache-Sitgreavespeak Oct 17Tonto
Still greenStartingNearly peakPeakPast peakNo fall canopy we forecastInside the line, each band of elevation is painted on its own date.
Around Tonto National Forest Gila County holds most of the forest and is just past peak today. Pinal County, to the south, is 5 days behind. Coconino County, to the north, is 8 days ahead.
Tonto National Forest fall foliage map 2026: the unit and the counties around it painted by how far along their color is on Nov 10. Peak forecast around Oct 31, best Oct 30 to Nov 2.
Save or share this mapToday’s Tonto National Forest fall foliage map as a picture, redrawn every morning. Free to reuse with credit to More Than Just Parks and a link back; the terms.Save the mapPin itFacebookXEmail

When is peak fall foliage at Tonto National Forest in 2026?

Our forecast puts peak color at Tonto National Forest around Oct 31, and the four days to aim for are Oct 30 to Nov 2.

The forest runs from about 2,086 to 7,077 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 17 days: the high stands around Oct 17, the low ground around Oct 31. That's 1 day later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.

Tonto, fall color week by week, 2026
WeekIn the forestElevation at peak
Sep 28 to Oct 4Still green
Oct 5 to Oct 11Starting to turn
Oct 12 to Oct 18Starting to turn7,000 to 8,000 ft
Oct 19 to Oct 25Nearly peak5,000 to 6,000 ft, 6,000 to 7,000 ft
Oct 26 to Nov 1Peak color2,000 to 3,000 ft, 3,000 to 4,000 ft, 4,000 to 5,000 ft
Nov 2 to Nov 8Peak color
Nov 9 to Nov 15 this weekJust past peak
By elevation The forest runs from about 2,086 to 7,077 feet. That’s 17 days of season between the top and the bottom: the high stands peak around Oct 17, the low ground holds until about Oct 31, and the color comes downhill in between. The date at the top of this page is the 2,000 to 3,000 foot band.
  1. 7,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 176%
  2. 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 207%
  3. 5,000–6,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2318%
  4. 4,000–5,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2623%
  5. 3,000–4,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 2924%
  6. 2,000–3,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 3119%

Height off 3DEP inside the forest’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the forest stands in it.

That’s 1 day later than our model alone would say. This September has been running warm, which shifts peak color.

Plan this trip

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.

Friday, October 30 to Saturday, October 31

You’ll find it just past peak up high, peak color lower down.

Up at 5,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 23; down at 3,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 31. Pick your elevation for the day you come.

  • 5,000–6,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 23
  • 4,000–5,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 26
  • 3,000–4,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 29
  • 2,000–3,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 31
What turns
honey mesquite, bigtooth maple, willow, velvet ash, Fremont cottonwood

What turns, and when

Also named across Arizona, outside what the canopy read measures here: Quaking Aspen, Gambel Oak, Arizona Sycamore.

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 Tonto National Forest

When is peak fall foliage at Tonto National Forest?

Our forecast puts peak color at Tonto National Forest around Oct 31, and the four days to aim for are Oct 30 to Nov 2.

Where is the best fall color at Tonto National Forest right now?

On Nov 10 the forest is just past peak. The last band to peak was 2,000 to 3,000 feet, around Oct 31.

How long does peak last at Tonto National Forest?

About four days at the top, Oct 30 to Nov 2, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 17 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 21 days.

Is Tonto National Forest past peak?

Yes. Peak was around Oct 31, and on Nov 10 it's just past peak.

What trees turn color at Tonto National Forest?

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.

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

All of Arizona

Nearby, and when they turn

Coconino and Prescott and Apache-Sitgreaves are on the map above, with their own date.

  1. Petrified Forest National ParkAZ · about 115 miles
    Peak Oct 17 best Oct 16 to 19
  2. Saguaro National ParkAZ · about 119 miles
    Peak Oct 28 best Oct 27 to 30
  3. Coronado National ForestAZ, NM · about 143 miles
    Peak Oct 31 best Oct 30 to Nov 2