National Forest·Idaho, Montana·1,594,734 acres
Bitterroot 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 Thursday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Bitterroot National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Bitterroot National Forest around Sep 29, and the four days to aim for are Sep 28 to Oct 1.
The forest runs from about 4,288 to 7,837 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 31 days: the high stands around Sep 16, the low ground around Oct 4. 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 31 to Sep 6 | Still green | |
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Starting to turn | 7,000 to 8,000 ft |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Nearly peak | 6,000 to 7,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Peak color | 4,000 to 5,000 ft, 5,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Just past peak | |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Fading |
- 7,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1626%
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2233%
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2824%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 411%
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.
Monday, September 28 to Tuesday, September 29
You’ll find it fading up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 7,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 16; down at 5,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 4. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 7,000–8,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 16
- 6,000–7,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 22
- 5,000–6,000 ftPeak colorpeak Sep 28
- 4,000–5,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 4
- Where to drive
- Skalkaho Pass (MT 38), about 29 miles · Seeley-Swan Highway (MT 83), about 107 miles · Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway (ID 21), about 136 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, serviceberry, Rocky Mountain maple, huckleberry
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen51%
- serviceberry16%
- Rocky Mountain maple16%
- huckleberry16%
Also named across Montana, outside what the canopy read measures here: Western Larch, Black Cottonwood, Paper Birch.
Montana's fall is a two-act show: aspens and cottonwoods turn gold around Sep 29, then western larches steal the finale in mid-October, turning entire mountain slopes amber before dropping their needles.
Questions people ask about Bitterroot National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Bitterroot National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Bitterroot National Forest around Sep 29, and the four days to aim for are Sep 28 to Oct 1.
- Where is the best fall color at Bitterroot 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 4.
- How long does peak last at Bitterroot National Forest?
About four days at the top, Sep 28 to Oct 1, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 31 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 35 days.
- Is Bitterroot National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Sep 29, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Bitterroot 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 29, 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 Nez Perce-Clearwater and Beaverhead-Deerlodge 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 Bitterroot 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.
- 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.