National Forest·Colorado·1,535,074 acres
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.
Weather Hard frost Wednesday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests around Oct 5, and the four days to aim for are Oct 4 to 7.
The forest runs from about 7,254 to 11,727 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 21 days: the high stands around Sep 24, the low ground around Oct 11. That's 10 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Still green | |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Nearly peak | 10,000 to 11,000 ft, 11,000 to 12,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Peak color | 9,000 to 10,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Peak color | 7,000 to 8,000 ft, 8,000 to 9,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Just past peak | |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Fading |
- 11,000–12,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2411%
- 10,000–11,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2216%
- 9,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2825%
- 8,000–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 527%
- 7,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1116%
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 10 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.
Sunday, October 4 to Monday, October 5
You’ll find it just past peak up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 11,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 24; down at 8,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 11. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 11,000–12,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 24
- 10,000–11,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 22
- 9,000–10,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 28
- 8,000–9,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 5
- 7,000–8,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 11
- Where to drive
- Bear Lake Road, about 9 miles · Trail Ridge Road (US 34), about 9 miles · Peak to Peak Scenic Byway (CO 7, 72 and 119), about 20 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, Gambel oak, narrowleaf cottonwood, willow, bigtooth maple
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen48%
- Gambel oak13%
- narrowleaf cottonwood13%
- willow9%
- bigtooth maple6%
- serviceberry6%
Also named across Colorado, outside what the canopy read measures here: Rocky Mountain Maple, Alder.
Colorado aspens are the main event, turning entire mountainsides gold and amber while Gambel oaks add russet and orange at lower elevations and cottonwoods line the rivers in yellow.
Questions people ask about Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests
- When is peak fall foliage at Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests?
Our forecast puts peak color at Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests around Oct 5, and the four days to aim for are Oct 4 to 7.
- Where is the best fall color at Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 7,000 to 8,000 feet, around Oct 11.
- How long does peak last at Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests?
About four days at the top, Oct 4 to 7, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 21 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 25 days.
- Is Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 5, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests?
Quaking Aspen, Narrowleaf Cottonwood, Gambel Oak, Rocky Mountain Maple, Alder. Colorado aspens are the main event, turning entire mountainsides gold and amber while Gambel oaks add russet and orange at lower elevations and cottonwoods line the rivers in 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
Eagles Nest Wilderness is on the map above, with its own date.
- Peak Sep 18 best Sep 17 to 20
- Peak Oct 1 best Sep 30 to Oct 3
- Peak Oct 16 best Oct 15 to 18
- Peak Sep 30 best Sep 29 to Oct 2
- Peak Sep 20 best Sep 19 to 22
Fall color roads near Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, so allow more by road.
- Bear Lake Road
Bierstadt Moraine and the aspen below Bear Lake, the densest gold in the park. Timed entry runs through mid-October.
- Trail Ridge Road (US 34)
Rocky Mountain National Park's road over the top. The aspen are in the first miles on both sides, Hidden Valley and Horseshoe Park on the east, the Kawuneeche Valley on the west, before the road climbs above the trees.
- Peak to Peak Scenic Byway (CO 7, 72 and 119)
Estes Park to Black Hawk along the Front Range, aspen most of the way and thickest around Allenspark and Nederland.
- Cache la Poudre Canyon (CO 14)
Cottonwood and then aspen up the Poudre from Fort Collins toward Cameron Pass.
- Guanella Pass
Georgetown to Grant. The aspen on the Georgetown side are some of the closest big groves to Denver.
- Kenosha Pass (US 285)
The grove at the summit is the Front Range's classic aspen stop, and you can walk into it on the Colorado Trail.