Wilderness Area·Montana·158,754 acres
Anaconda Pintler 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 Anaconda Pintler Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Anaconda Pintler Wilderness around Sep 17, and the four days to aim for are Sep 16 to 19.
The wilderness runs from about 6,458 to 9,067 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 18 days: the high stands around Sep 3, the low ground around Sep 21. That's 1 day later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the wilderness | 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 | Just past peak | 6,000 to 7,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Just past peak |
- 9,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 36%
- 8,000–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 930%
- 7,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1545%
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2119%
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 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.
Wednesday, September 16 to Thursday, September 17
You’ll find it just past peak up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 8,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 9; down at 7,000 feet they hold on until about Sep 21. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 8,000–9,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 9
- 7,000–8,000 ftPeak colorpeak Sep 15
- 6,000–7,000 ftNearly peakpeak Sep 21
- Where to drive
- Skalkaho Pass (MT 38), about 25 miles · Seeley-Swan Highway (MT 83), about 100 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, serviceberry, Rocky Mountain maple, huckleberry, black cottonwood
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen49%
- serviceberry15%
- Rocky Mountain maple15%
- huckleberry15%
- black cottonwood5%
Also named across Montana, outside what the canopy read measures here: Western Larch, Paper Birch.
Montana's fall is a two-act show: aspens and cottonwoods turn gold around Sep 17, then western larches steal the finale in mid-October, turning entire mountain slopes amber before dropping their needles.
Questions people ask about Anaconda Pintler Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at Anaconda Pintler Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at Anaconda Pintler Wilderness around Sep 17, and the four days to aim for are Sep 16 to 19.
- Where is the best fall color at Anaconda Pintler Wilderness right now?
On Nov 10 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 6,000 to 7,000 feet, around Sep 21.
- How long does peak last at Anaconda Pintler Wilderness?
About four days at the top, Sep 16 to 19, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 18 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 22 days.
- Is Anaconda Pintler Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Sep 17, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Anaconda Pintler Wilderness?
Quaking Aspen, Western Larch, Black Cottonwood, Rocky Mountain Maple, Paper Birch. Montana's fall is a two-act show: aspens and cottonwoods turn gold around Sep 17, then western larches steal the finale in mid-October, turning entire mountain slopes 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
Bitterroot and Beaverhead-Deerlodge and Nez Perce-Clearwater are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 2 best Oct 1 to 4
- Peak Sep 25 best Sep 24 to 27
- Peak Sep 25 best Sep 24 to 27
Fall color roads near Anaconda Pintler Wilderness
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the wilderness, so allow more by road.
- Skalkaho Pass (MT 38)
Hamilton to Philipsburg over a gravel summit, larch and aspen turning together.
- Seeley-Swan Highway (MT 83)
Larch gold along the Swan Valley in mid-October, under the Mission and Swan ranges.