Where is the best fall color at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park right now?

On Nov 11 the park is leaves down. The last band to peak was 6,000 to 6,500 feet, around Oct 16.

How long does peak last at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park?

About four days at the top, Oct 16 to 19, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the park's elevations the color moves over about 17 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 21 days.

Is Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park past peak?

Yes. Peak was around Oct 17, and on Nov 11 it's leaves down.

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National Park·Colorado·30,272 acres

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Forecast issued Nov 11, 7:48am ET

Peak colorOct 17Aim for Oct 16 to 19

In the park today, Nov 11Leaves down

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

Weather Hard frost Thursday night. Peak may come early and go fast.

No new reports from the ground here this week.

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

Around Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Nearly all of the park is in Montrose County, which is leaves down today.

When is peak fall foliage at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in 2026?

Our forecast puts peak color at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park around Oct 17, and the four days to aim for are Oct 16 to 19.

The park runs from about 6,202 to 8,493 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 17 days: the high stands around Oct 2, the low ground around Oct 16. That's 3 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison, fall color week by week, 2026
Week	In the park	Elevation at peak
Sep 14 to Sep 20	Still green
Sep 21 to Sep 27	Starting to turn
Sep 28 to Oct 4	Starting to turn	8,000 to 8,500 ft, 8,500 to 9,000 ft
Oct 5 to Oct 11	Nearly peak	7,000 to 7,500 ft, 7,500 to 8,000 ft
Oct 12 to Oct 18	Peak color	6,000 to 6,500 ft, 6,500 to 7,000 ft
Oct 19 to Oct 25	Peak color
Oct 26 to Nov 1	Just past peak

By elevation The park runs from about 6,202 to 8,493 feet. That’s 17 days of season between the top and the bottom: the high stands peak around Oct 2, the low ground holds until about Oct 16, and the color comes downhill in between. The date at the top of this page is the 6,000 to 6,500 foot band.

8,500–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 25%
8,000–8,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 429%
7,500–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 629%
7,000–7,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 914%
6,500–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1314%
6,000–6,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 166%

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

Today from the nps-blca-gunnison-point camera, inside Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park — See it now National Park Service, Gunnison Point webcam, inside the park, captured Nov 10.

That’s 3 days later than our model alone would say. This September has been running warm, which shifts peak color.

The place

The Gunnison River drops an average of 95 feet per mile through this canyon. For context, the Colorado through the Grand Canyon drops 7.5. The walls are up to 2,722 feet deep and in places only 40 feet apart at the river, so narrow that parts of the bottom get only 33 minutes of direct sunlight a day. You stand at the rim and look straight down into 2-billion-year-old rock and your body tells you to step back.

Established 1999. About 336,000/year visitors.

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

Friday, October 16 to Saturday, October 17

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

Up at 8,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 4; down at 7,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 13. Pick your elevation for the day you come.

8,000–8,500 ftFadingpeak Oct 4
7,500–8,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 6
7,000–7,500 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 9
6,500–7,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 13

Where to drive: Owl Creek Pass, about 28 miles · Dallas Divide (CO 62), about 34 miles · Grand Mesa Scenic Byway (CO 65), about 37 miles
What turns: Gambel oak, bigtooth maple, serviceberry, quaking aspen
Entrance: $25

What turns, and when

Gambel oak53%
bigtooth maple18%
serviceberry18%
quaking aspen12%

Also named across Colorado, outside what the canopy read measures here: Narrowleaf Cottonwood, 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 Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

When is peak fall foliage at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park?: Our forecast puts peak color at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park around Oct 17, and the four days to aim for are Oct 16 to 19.
Where is the best fall color at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park right now?: On Nov 11 the park is leaves down. The last band to peak was 6,000 to 6,500 feet, around Oct 16.
How long does peak last at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park?: About four days at the top, Oct 16 to 19, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the park's elevations the color moves over about 17 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 21 days.
Is Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park past peak?: Yes. Peak was around Oct 17, and on Nov 11 it's leaves down.
What trees turn color at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park?: 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.
Is there an entrance fee at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park?: Entrance fee $25.

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 Colorado

Nearby, and when they turn

West Elk Wilderness and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area are on the map above, with their own date.

Uncompahgre WildernessCO · about 35 miles
Peak Sep 21 best Sep 20 to 23
Mount Sneffels WildernessCO · about 40 miles
Peak Sep 29 best Sep 28 to Oct 1
Raggeds WildernessCO · about 40 miles
Peak Oct 7 best Oct 6 to 9
Powderhorn WildernessCO · about 47 miles
Peak Sep 29 best Sep 28 to Oct 1

Fall color roads near Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the park, so allow more by road.

Owl Creek Pass · about 28 miles, CO · 25 miles of road
Ridgway to Silver Jack Reservoir on gravel, aspen under Chimney Rock and Courthouse Mountain.
Dallas Divide (CO 62) · about 34 miles, CO · 24 miles of road
Ridgway to Placerville. The Sneffels Range over a hillside of aspen at the divide, the most photographed fall view in Colorado.
Grand Mesa Scenic Byway (CO 65) · about 37 miles, CO · 55 miles of road
Cedaredge up and over Grand Mesa, aspen around the lakes on top.
Kebler Pass Road (County Road 12) · about 39 miles, CO · 30 miles of road
Home to one of the largest aspen groves on earth. The drive from Crested Butte to Paonia is a wall of gold in late September.
Last Dollar Road · about 41 miles, CO · 18 miles of road
Telluride to Ridgway on gravel through the aspen under the Sneffels Range.
McClure Pass (CO 133) · about 45 miles, CO · 37 miles of road
Carbondale to Paonia through the Crystal River aspen, with Chair Mountain over the pass.