Wilderness Area·Colorado·17,129 acres
James Peak Wilderness
Forecast issued Nov 9, 7:48am ET
Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.
Weather Hard frost Tuesday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
Weather Wind to 35 mph Tuesday. Color may come down before it turns.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at James Peak Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at James Peak Wilderness around Sep 18, and the four days to aim for are Sep 17 to 20.
The wilderness runs from about 9,440 to 12,263 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 2 days: the high stands around Sep 21, the low ground around Sep 23. That's 4 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the wilderness | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 31 to Sep 6 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Nearly peak | |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Peak color | 10,000 to 11,000 ft, 11,000 to 12,000 ft |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Just past peak | 9,000 to 10,000 ft, 12,000 to 13,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Just past peak |
- 12,000–13,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 219%
- 11,000–12,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1942%
- 10,000–11,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1736%
- 9,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2313%
Height off 3DEP inside the wilderness’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the wilderness stands in it.
That’s 4 days later than our model alone would say. This September has been running warm, which shifts peak color.
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, September 17 to Friday, September 18
You’ll find it peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- 12,000–13,000 ftNearly peakpeak Sep 21
- 11,000–12,000 ftPeak colorpeak Sep 19
- 10,000–11,000 ftPeak colorpeak Sep 17
- 9,000–10,000 ftNearly peakpeak Sep 23
- Where to drive
- Guanella Pass, about 18 miles · Peak to Peak Scenic Byway (CO 7, 72 and 119), about 20 miles · Kenosha Pass (US 285), about 31 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, narrowleaf cottonwood, willow, water birch
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen85%
- narrowleaf cottonwood8%
- willow5%
- water birch3%
Every one of these turns yellow or gold here. The shades only tell the species apart.
Also named across Colorado, outside what the canopy read measures here: 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.
Questions people ask about James Peak Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at James Peak Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at James Peak Wilderness around Sep 18, and the four days to aim for are Sep 17 to 20.
- Where is the best fall color at James Peak Wilderness right now?
On Nov 9 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 9,000 to 10,000 feet, around Sep 23.
- How long does peak last at James Peak Wilderness?
About four days at the top, Sep 17 to 20, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 2 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 6 days.
- Is James Peak Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Sep 18, and on Nov 9 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at James Peak Wilderness?
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
Arapaho and Roosevelt and Eagles Nest Wilderness are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 16 best Oct 15 to 18
- Peak Oct 2 best Oct 1 to 4
- Peak Sep 21 best Sep 20 to 23
- Peak Sep 28 best Sep 27 to 30
Fall color roads near James Peak Wilderness
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the wilderness, so allow more by road.
- Guanella Pass
Georgetown to Grant. The aspen on the Georgetown side are some of the closest big groves to Denver.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bear Lake Road
Bierstadt Moraine and the aspen below Bear Lake, the densest gold in the park. Timed entry runs through mid-October.
- Boreas Pass Road
Breckenridge to Como on the old railroad grade, aspen the whole way. Gravel, fine for a car.
- 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.