National Forest·California·977,951 acres
Six Rivers National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
California black oak and blue oak
Oregon white oak and bigleaf maple, peak Nov 9
Peak color should arrive around Oct 19 for the California black oak and blue oak, and around Nov 9 for the Oregon white oak and bigleaf maple.
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.
When is peak fall foliage at Six Rivers National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Six Rivers National Forest around Oct 23, and the four days to aim for are Oct 22 to 25. Oregon white oak and bigleaf maple peak later, around Nov 9.
The forest runs from about 1,178 to 4,514 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 2 days: the high stands around Oct 27, the low ground around Oct 23. That's 8 days later than our model alone would say, because this season's reports from the ground moved it.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Nearly peak | |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Peak color | 1,000 to 2,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak | 2,000 to 3,000 ft, 4,000 to 5,000 ft |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Just past peak | 3,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Nov 9 to Nov 15 this week | Fading |
- 4,000–5,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2712%
- 3,000–4,000 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 328%
- 2,000–3,000 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 134%
- 1,000–2,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2323%
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 8 days later than our model alone would say. This season’s reports from the ground moved it, and they outrank us.
Plan this tripIf you can only come on certain days
Set the days you can be here. Everything under them answers for those days, not for peak.
Thursday, October 22 to Friday, October 23
You’ll find it nearly peak up high, peak color lower down.
Up at 4,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 27; down at 2,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 23. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 4,000–5,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 27
- 3,000–4,000 ftStarting to turnpeak Nov 3
- 2,000–3,000 ftStarting to turnpeak Nov 1
- 1,000–2,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 23
- What turns
- California black oak, blue oak, valley oak, Fremont cottonwood, Oregon white oak
What turns, and when
- California black oak26%
- blue oak23%
- valley oak11%
- Fremont cottonwood11%
- Oregon white oak8%
- white alder8%
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 Six Rivers National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Six Rivers National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Six Rivers National Forest around Oct 23, and the four days to aim for are Oct 22 to 25. Oregon white oak and bigleaf maple peak later, around Nov 9.
- Where is the best fall color at Six Rivers National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is fading. The last band to peak was 3,000 to 4,000 feet, around Nov 3.
- How long does peak last at Six Rivers National Forest?
About four days at the top, Oct 22 to 25, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 2 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 6 days.
- Is Six Rivers National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 23, and on Nov 10 it's fading.
- What trees turn color at Six Rivers 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
Nearby, and when they turn
Smith River and Klamath and Shasta-Trinity and Rogue River-Siskiyou and Mendocino are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 17 best Oct 16 to 19