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Forecast issued Nov 11, 7:48am ET

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National Forest·California·426,468 acres

Cleveland National Forest

Forecast issued Nov 11, 7:48am ET

Peak colorNov 2Aim for Nov 1 to 4
In the forest today, Nov 11Just 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-8I-5I-78I-14San DiegoLos AngelesRiversideTemeculaSanta AnaSan BernardinoMira MesaMenifeeSan Bernardinopeak Oct 29Angelespeak Nov 1Cleveland
I-5I-78I-14US 101San DiegoTemeculaLos AngelesRiversideRancho PenasquitosMenifeeAnaheimSan BernardinoSan Bernardinopeak Oct 29Angelespeak Nov 1Cleveland
Still greenStartingNearly peakPeakPast peakNo fall canopy we forecastInside the line, each band of elevation is painted on its own date.
Around Cleveland National Forest San Diego County holds most of the forest and is just past peak today. Riverside County, to the northeast, is 1 day behind. Orange County, to the northwest, is 4 days behind.
Cleveland National Forest fall foliage map 2026: the unit and the counties around it painted by how far along their color is on Nov 11. Peak forecast around Nov 2, best Nov 1 to 4.
Save or share this mapToday’s Cleveland 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 Cleveland National Forest in 2026?

Our forecast puts peak color at Cleveland National Forest around Nov 2, and the four days to aim for are Nov 1 to 4.

The forest runs from about 832 to 4,577 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 13 days: the high stands around Oct 28, the low ground around Nov 7. That's 1 day later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.

Cleveland, fall color week by week, 2026
WeekIn the forestElevation at peak
Oct 12 to Oct 18Starting to turn
Oct 19 to Oct 25Nearly peak
Oct 26 to Nov 1Peak color3,000 to 4,000 ft, 4,000 to 5,000 ft
Nov 2 to Nov 8Peak color0 to 1,000 ft, 1,000 to 2,000 ft, 2,000 to 3,000 ft
Nov 9 to Nov 15 this weekJust past peak
Nov 16 to Nov 22Fading
By elevation The forest runs from about 832 to 4,577 feet. That’s 13 days of season between the top and the bottom: the high stands peak around Oct 28, the low ground holds until about Nov 7, 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. 4,000–5,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 288%
  2. 3,000–4,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 3025%
  3. 2,000–3,000 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 233%
  4. 1,000–2,000 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 524%
  5. 0–1,000 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 77%

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.

Sunday, November 1 to Monday, November 2

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

Up at 4,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 28; down at 2,000 feet they hold on until about Nov 5. Pick your elevation for the day you come.

  • 4,000–5,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 28
  • 3,000–4,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 30
  • 2,000–3,000 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 2
  • 1,000–2,000 ftNearly peakpeak Nov 5
What turns
California black oak, blue oak, valley oak, Fremont cottonwood

What turns, and when

Also named across California, outside what the canopy read measures here: Quaking Aspen, Bigleaf Maple, White Alder.

Eastern Sierra aspens turn brilliant gold against granite walls, black oaks in Yosemite Valley go bronze and russet, and cottonwoods line the desert creeks in pale yellow.

Questions people ask about Cleveland National Forest

When is peak fall foliage at Cleveland National Forest?

Our forecast puts peak color at Cleveland National Forest around Nov 2, and the four days to aim for are Nov 1 to 4.

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

On Nov 11 the forest is just past peak. The last band to peak was 0 to 1,000 feet, around Nov 7.

How long does peak last at Cleveland National Forest?

About four days at the top, Nov 1 to 4, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 13 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 17 days.

Is Cleveland National Forest past peak?

Yes. Peak was around Nov 2, and on Nov 11 it's just past peak.

What trees turn color at Cleveland National Forest?

Quaking Aspen, Black Oak, Bigleaf Maple, Fremont Cottonwood, White Alder. Eastern Sierra aspens turn brilliant gold against granite walls, black oaks in Yosemite Valley go bronze and russet, and cottonwoods line the desert creeks in pale 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 California

Nearby, and when they turn

San Bernardino and Angeles are on the map above, with their own date.

  1. Joshua Tree National ParkCA · about 80 miles
    Peak Nov 3 best Nov 2 to 5
  2. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation AreaCA · about 125 miles
    Peak Nov 6 best Nov 5 to 8