National Forest·Idaho, Montana·3,366,180 acres
Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest
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 Wednesday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest around Sep 20, and the four days to aim for are Sep 19 to 22.
The forest runs from about 4,568 to 8,759 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 32 days: the high stands around Sep 11, the low ground around Oct 7. That's 2 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 24 to Aug 30 | Starting to turn | |
| Aug 31 to Sep 6 | Starting to turn | |
| 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 |
- 8,000–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1112%
- 7,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1727%
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2431%
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 3017%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 79%
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 2 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.
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 11; down at 5,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 7. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 8,000–9,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 11
- 7,000–8,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 17
- 6,000–7,000 ftNearly peakpeak Sep 24
- 5,000–6,000 ftStarting to turnpeak Sep 30
- 4,000–5,000 ftStarting to turnpeak Oct 7
- Where to drive
- Skalkaho Pass (MT 38), about 66 miles · Seeley-Swan Highway (MT 83), about 131 miles · Teton Scenic Byway (ID 31, 32 and 33), about 149 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, narrowleaf cottonwood, willow, water birch, thinleaf alder
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen41%
- narrowleaf cottonwood22%
- willow14%
- water birch7%
- thinleaf alder6%
- serviceberry4%
Also named across Montana, outside what the canopy read measures here: Western Larch, Black Cottonwood, Rocky Mountain Maple, Paper Birch.
Montana's fall is a two-act show: aspens and cottonwoods turn gold around Sep 20, then western larches steal the finale in mid-October, turning entire mountain slopes amber before dropping their needles.
Questions people ask about Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest around Sep 20, and the four days to aim for are Sep 19 to 22.
- Where is the best fall color at Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest right now?
On Nov 9 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 4,000 to 5,000 feet, around Oct 7.
- How long does peak last at Beaverhead-Deerlodge 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 Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Sep 20, and on Nov 9 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest?
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 20, 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
Anaconda Pintler Wilderness and Bitterroot and Salmon-Challis and Gallatin 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
Fall color roads near Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, 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.
- Teton Scenic Byway (ID 31, 32 and 33)
Swan Valley to Ashton, aspen on the west side of the Tetons.