Wilderness Area·Colorado·500,310 acres
Weminuche 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 Weminuche Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Weminuche Wilderness around Oct 1, and the four days to aim for are Sep 30 to Oct 3.
The wilderness runs from about 8,908 to 12,469 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 11 days: the high stands around Sep 26, the low ground around Oct 7. 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 | Starting to turn | |
| 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, 12,000 to 13,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Peak color | 9,000 to 10,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Just past peak | 8,000 to 9,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Just past peak |
- 12,000–13,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2616%
- 11,000–12,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2537%
- 10,000–11,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2426%
- 9,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 3014%
- 8,000–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 76%
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.
Wednesday, September 30 to Thursday, October 1
You’ll find it just past peak up high, peak color lower down.
Up at 12,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 26; down at 10,000 feet they hold on until about Sep 30. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 12,000–13,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 26
- 11,000–12,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 25
- 10,000–11,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 24
- 9,000–10,000 ftPeak colorpeak Sep 30
- Where to drive
- Wolf Creek Pass (US 160), about 29 miles · Million Dollar Highway (US 550), about 30 miles · Last Dollar Road, about 42 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, Gambel oak, narrowleaf cottonwood, bigtooth maple, serviceberry
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen87%
- Gambel oak6%
- narrowleaf cottonwood3%
- bigtooth maple2%
- serviceberry2%
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 Weminuche Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at Weminuche Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at Weminuche Wilderness around Oct 1, and the four days to aim for are Sep 30 to Oct 3.
- Where is the best fall color at Weminuche Wilderness right now?
On Nov 10 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 8,000 to 9,000 feet, around Oct 7.
- How long does peak last at Weminuche Wilderness?
About four days at the top, Sep 30 to Oct 3, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 11 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 15 days.
- Is Weminuche Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 1, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Weminuche 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
Powderhorn Wilderness and Uncompahgre Wilderness and Rio Grande and Lizard Head Wilderness are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Sep 29 best Sep 28 to Oct 1
- Peak Oct 5 best Oct 4 to 7
Fall color roads near Weminuche 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.
- 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.
- Last Dollar Road
Telluride to Ridgway on gravel through the aspen under the Sneffels Range.
- Owl Creek Pass
Ridgway to Silver Jack Reservoir on gravel, aspen under Chimney Rock and Courthouse Mountain.
- Dallas Divide (CO 62)
Ridgway to Placerville. The Sneffels Range over a hillside of aspen at the divide, the most photographed fall view in Colorado.
- Cumbres and La Manga passes (CO 17)
Antonito to Chama through the Conejos aspen, with the narrow-gauge train doing the same route.