National Forest·Idaho, Montana·4,229,449 acres
Salmon-Challis 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 Wednesday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Salmon-Challis National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Salmon-Challis National Forest around Sep 20, and the four days to aim for are Sep 19 to 22.
The forest runs from about 4,818 to 9,118 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 32 days: the high stands around Sep 6, the low ground around Oct 8. That's 1 day later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 17 to Aug 23 | Still green | |
| Aug 24 to Aug 30 | Starting to turn | |
| Aug 31 to Sep 6 | Starting to turn | 9,000 to 10,000 ft |
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Nearly peak | 8,000 to 9,000 ft |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Peak color | 7,000 to 8,000 ft |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Peak color | 6,000 to 7,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Just past peak | 5,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Fading | 4,000 to 5,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Leaves down |
- 9,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 66%
- 8,000–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1317%
- 7,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1928%
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2526%
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 215%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 87%
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 1 day 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.
Saturday, September 19 to Sunday, September 20
You’ll find it just past peak up high, starting to turn lower down.
Up at 8,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 13; down at 6,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 2. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 8,000–9,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 13
- 7,000–8,000 ftPeak colorpeak Sep 19
- 6,000–7,000 ftNearly peakpeak Sep 25
- 5,000–6,000 ftStarting to turnpeak Oct 2
- Where to drive
- Sawtooth Scenic Byway (ID 75), about 57 miles · Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway (ID 21), about 67 miles · Skalkaho Pass (MT 38), about 109 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, serviceberry, Rocky Mountain maple, huckleberry
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen51%
- 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 Salmon-Challis National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Salmon-Challis National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Salmon-Challis National Forest around Sep 20, and the four days to aim for are Sep 19 to 22.
- Where is the best fall color at Salmon-Challis National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 4,000 to 5,000 feet, around Oct 8.
- How long does peak last at Salmon-Challis National Forest?
About four days at the top, Sep 19 to 22, 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 Salmon-Challis National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Sep 20, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Salmon-Challis 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
Nearby, and when they turn
Boise and Payette are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Sep 28 best Sep 27 to 30
- Peak Sep 27 best Sep 26 to 29
- Peak Sep 22 best Sep 21 to 24
- Peak Sep 27 best Sep 26 to 29
Fall color roads near Salmon-Challis National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, so allow more by road.
- Sawtooth Scenic Byway (ID 75)
Ketchum to Stanley over Galena Summit, aspen at the summit and cottonwood down the Salmon.
- Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway (ID 21)
Boise to Stanley, aspen and cottonwood along the South Fork of the Payette.
- Skalkaho Pass (MT 38)
Hamilton to Philipsburg over a gravel summit, larch and aspen turning together.