Wilderness Area·Colorado·161,010 acres
South San Juan Wilderness
Forecast issued Nov 9, 5:27pm 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.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at South San Juan Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at South San Juan Wilderness around Oct 5, and the four days to aim for are Oct 4 to 7.
The wilderness runs from about 8,868 to 12,070 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 10 days: the high stands around Sep 28, the low ground around Oct 8. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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, 12,000 to 13,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Peak color | 8,000 to 9,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Just past peak |
- 12,000–13,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 286%
- 11,000–12,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2642%
- 10,000–11,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2529%
- 9,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 216%
- 8,000–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 86%
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.
Sunday, October 4 to Monday, October 5
You’ll find it peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- 11,000–12,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 26
- 10,000–11,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 25
- 9,000–10,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 2
- Where to drive
- Wolf Creek Pass (US 160), about 18 miles · Cumbres and La Manga passes (CO 17), about 19 miles · Million Dollar Highway (US 550), about 74 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, narrowleaf cottonwood, willow, Gambel oak, water birch
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen83%
- narrowleaf cottonwood7%
- willow5%
- Gambel oak3%
- water birch2%
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 South San Juan Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at South San Juan Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at South San Juan Wilderness around Oct 5, and the four days to aim for are Oct 4 to 7.
- Where is the best fall color at South San Juan Wilderness right now?
On Nov 9 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 8,000 to 9,000 feet, around Oct 8.
- How long does peak last at South San Juan Wilderness?
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 wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 10 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 14 days.
- Is South San Juan Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 5, and on Nov 9 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at South San Juan 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
Cruces Basin Wilderness and Rio Grande and Weminuche Wilderness and Carson and San Juan are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Sep 29 best Sep 28 to Oct 1
Fall color roads near South San Juan Wilderness
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the wilderness, so allow more by road.
- Wolf Creek Pass (US 160)
South Fork to Pagosa Springs, aspen on the west side of the pass.
- Cumbres and La Manga passes (CO 17)
Antonito to Chama through the Conejos aspen, with the narrow-gauge train doing the same route.
- Million Dollar Highway (US 550)
Between Silverton and Ouray. The aspen-covered slopes above the road at Red Mountain Pass are among the most photographed fall scenes in America.
- Enchanted Circle (NM 38, 522 and 64)
Taos, Questa, Red River, Eagle Nest and Angel Fire, aspen on the Sangre de Cristo the whole loop.
- Owl Creek Pass
Ridgway to Silver Jack Reservoir on gravel, aspen under Chimney Rock and Courthouse Mountain.
- Last Dollar Road
Telluride to Ridgway on gravel through the aspen under the Sneffels Range.