National Forest·Idaho·2,328,123 acres
Payette National Forest
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 Monday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
1 report came in from Valley County this week, 1 of them at peak. Our date held. See the county on the map.
When is peak fall foliage at Payette National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Payette National Forest around Oct 13, and the four days to aim for are Oct 12 to 15.
The forest runs from about 3,363 to 7,811 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 32 days: the high stands around Sep 23, the low ground around Oct 19. That's 6 days later than our model alone would say, because this season's reports from the ground moved it.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Still green | |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Still green | |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Starting to turn | 7,000 to 8,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn | 6,000 to 7,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Nearly peak | 5,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | 4,000 to 5,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak | 3,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Fading |
- 7,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2323%
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2928%
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 621%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1214%
- 3,000–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 198%
Height off 3DEP inside the forest’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the forest 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.
Monday, October 12 to Tuesday, October 13
You’ll find it fading up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 7,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 23; down at 4,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 19. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 7,000–8,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 23
- 6,000–7,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 29
- 5,000–6,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 6
- 4,000–5,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 12
- 3,000–4,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 19
- Where to drive
- Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway (ID 21), about 72 miles · Sawtooth Scenic Byway (ID 75), about 97 miles · Skalkaho Pass (MT 38), about 120 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, serviceberry, Rocky Mountain maple, huckleberry
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen53%
- serviceberry16%
- Rocky Mountain maple16%
- huckleberry16%
Also named across Idaho, outside what the canopy read measures here: Black Cottonwood, Western Larch, Water Birch.
Aspens turn gold on the mountainsides, cottonwoods line the river corridors in yellow, and western larches in the northern panhandle go deep amber before dropping their needles.
Questions people ask about Payette National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Payette National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Payette National Forest around Oct 13, and the four days to aim for are Oct 12 to 15.
- Where is the best fall color at Payette National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 3,000 to 4,000 feet, around Oct 19.
- How long does peak last at Payette National Forest?
About four days at the top, Oct 12 to 15, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 32 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 36 days.
- Is Payette National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 13, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Payette National Forest?
Quaking Aspen, Black Cottonwood, Western Larch, Rocky Mountain Maple, Water Birch. Aspens turn gold on the mountainsides, cottonwoods line the river corridors in yellow, and western larches in the northern panhandle go deep amber before dropping their needles.
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
Fall color roads near Payette National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, so allow more by road.
- Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway (ID 21)
Boise to Stanley, aspen and cottonwood along the South Fork of the Payette.
- Sawtooth Scenic Byway (ID 75)
Ketchum to Stanley over Galena Summit, aspen at the summit and cottonwood down the Salmon.
- Skalkaho Pass (MT 38)
Hamilton to Philipsburg over a gravel summit, larch and aspen turning together.