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

On Nov 10 the forest is just past peak. The last band to peak was 0 to 1,000 feet, around Nov 2.

How long does peak last at Los Padres National Forest?

About four days at the top, Oct 28 to 31, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 14 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 18 days.

Is Los Padres National Forest past peak?

Yes. Peak was around Oct 29, and on Nov 10 it's just past peak.

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National Forest·California·1,774,285 acres

Los Padres National Forest

Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET

Peak color, most of the standOct 29Aim for Oct 28 to 31

In the forest today, Nov 10Just past peak

Fremont cottonwood and white alder

valley oak, peak Nov 15

Peak color should arrive around Oct 28 for the Fremont cottonwood and white alder, and around Nov 15 for the valley oak.

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

4 reports came in from Santa Barbara County this week, 3 of them still green and 1 of them just starting. Our date held. See the county on the map.

Still greenStartingNearly peakPeakPast peakNo fall canopy we forecastInside the line, each band of elevation is painted on its own date.

Around Los Padres National Forest San Luis Obispo County holds most of the forest and is just past peak today. Santa Barbara County, to the south, is 1 day behind. Ventura County, to the southeast, is 3 days ahead.

When is peak fall foliage at Los Padres National Forest in 2026?

Our forecast puts peak color at Los Padres National Forest around Oct 29, and the four days to aim for are Oct 28 to 31. valley oak peak later, around Nov 15.

The forest runs from about 264 to 5,310 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 14 days: the high stands around Oct 19, the low ground around Nov 2.

Los Padres, fall color week by week, 2026
Week	In the forest	Elevation at peak
Oct 5 to Oct 11	Starting to turn
Oct 12 to Oct 18	Starting to turn
Oct 19 to Oct 25	Nearly peak	3,000 to 4,000 ft, 4,000 to 5,000 ft, 5,000 to 6,000 ft
Oct 26 to Nov 1	Peak color	1,000 to 2,000 ft, 2,000 to 3,000 ft
Nov 2 to Nov 8	Just past peak	0 to 1,000 ft
Nov 9 to Nov 15 this week	Just past peak

By elevation The forest runs from about 264 to 5,310 feet. That’s 14 days of season between the top and the bottom: the high stands peak around Oct 19, the low ground holds until about Nov 2, and the color comes downhill in between. The date at the top of this page is the 1,000 to 2,000 foot band.

5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 198%
4,000–5,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 229%
3,000–4,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2514%
2,000–3,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2822%
1,000–2,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 3026%
0–1,000 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 220%

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.

Today from the sedgwick3 camera, 37 km from Los Padres National Forest — See it now PhenoCam Network, Lake Fire scrub recovery camera, 37 km away, captured Nov 9.

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.

ArrivingLeaving

Wednesday, October 28 to Thursday, October 29

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

Up at 4,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 22; down at 1,000 feet they hold on until about Nov 2. Pick your elevation for the day you come.

4,000–5,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 22
3,000–4,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 25
2,000–3,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 28
1,000–2,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 30
0–1,000 ftNearly peakpeak Nov 2

What turns: Fremont cottonwood, white alder, willow, California black oak, blue oak

What turns, and when

Fremont cottonwood27%
white alder18%
willow18%
California black oak15%
blue oak15%
valley oak8%

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

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 Los Padres National Forest

When is peak fall foliage at Los Padres National Forest?: Our forecast puts peak color at Los Padres National Forest around Oct 29, and the four days to aim for are Oct 28 to 31. valley oak peak later, around Nov 15.
Where is the best fall color at Los Padres National Forest right now?: On Nov 10 the forest is just past peak. The last band to peak was 0 to 1,000 feet, around Nov 2.
How long does peak last at Los Padres National Forest?: About four days at the top, Oct 28 to 31, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 14 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 18 days.
Is Los Padres National Forest past peak?: Yes. Peak was around Oct 29, and on Nov 10 it's just past peak.
What trees turn color at Los Padres 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

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

Channel Islands National ParkCA · about 73 miles
Peak Nov 6 best Nov 5 to 8
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation AreaCA · about 89 miles
Peak Nov 6 best Nov 5 to 8
Pinnacles National ParkCA · about 124 miles
Peak Oct 28 best Oct 27 to 30