Wilderness Area·Colorado·12,615 acres
Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness
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 Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness around Sep 30, and the four days to aim for are Sep 29 to Oct 2.
That's 6 days later than our model alone would say, because this season's reports from the ground moved it.
| Week | In the wilderness | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 31 to Sep 6 | Still green | |
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Starting to turn | 10,500 to 11,000 ft, 11,000 to 11,500 ft |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Nearly peak | 9,500 to 10,000 ft, 10,000 to 10,500 ft, 11,500 to 12,000 ft, 12,000 to 12,500 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Peak color | |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Just past peak |
- 12,000–12,500 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 244%
- 11,500–12,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2415%
- 11,000–11,500 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1921%
- 10,500–11,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1823%
- 10,000–10,500 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2122%
- 9,500–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2415%
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 6 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.
Tuesday, September 29 to Wednesday, September 30
You’ll find it peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- 11,500–12,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 24
- 11,000–11,500 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 19
- 10,500–11,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 18
- 10,000–10,500 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 21
- 9,500–10,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 24
- Where to drive
- Guanella Pass, about 19 miles · Boreas Pass Road, about 21 miles · Kenosha Pass (US 285), about 25 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen100%
Also named across Colorado, outside what the canopy read measures here: 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.
Questions people ask about Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness around Sep 30, and the four days to aim for are Sep 29 to Oct 2.
- Where is the best fall color at Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness right now?
On Nov 10 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 9,500 to 10,000 feet, around Sep 24.
- How long does peak last at Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness?
About four days at the top, Sep 29 to Oct 2, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive.
- Is Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Sep 30, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Ptarmigan 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
Holy Cross Wilderness and Arapaho are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Sep 20 best Sep 19 to 22
- Peak Oct 6 best Oct 5 to 8
- Peak Sep 21 best Sep 20 to 23
- Peak Oct 5 best Oct 4 to 7
Fall color roads near Ptarmigan 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.
- Boreas Pass Road
Breckenridge to Como on the old railroad grade, aspen the whole way. Gravel, fine for a car.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bear Lake Road
Bierstadt Moraine and the aspen below Bear Lake, the densest gold in the park. Timed entry runs through mid-October.
- Independence Pass (CO 82)
Aspen to Twin Lakes up the Roaring Fork. The pass closes for the winter around the first of November.