National Forest·Montana, South Dakota·1,189,644 acres
Custer 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.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Custer National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Custer National Forest around Sep 27, and the four days to aim for are Sep 26 to 29.
The forest runs from about 3,131 to 10,218 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 46 days: the high stands around Aug 31, the low ground around Oct 16. That's 3 days 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 | Still green | |
| Aug 31 to Sep 6 | Starting to turn | 10,000 to 12,000 ft |
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Starting to turn | 8,000 to 10,000 ft |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Nearly peak | |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Peak color | 6,000 to 8,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Peak color | |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Just past peak | 4,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Fading | 2,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Leaves down | |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Leaves down | |
- 10,000–12,000 ftLeaves downpeak Aug 318%
- 8,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 826%
- 6,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 229%
- 4,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 811%
- 2,000–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1647%
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 3 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 26 to Sunday, September 27
You’ll find it fading up high, starting to turn lower down.
Up at 8,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 8; down at 4,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 16. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 8,000–10,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 8
- 6,000–8,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 22
- 4,000–6,000 ftStarting to turnpeak Oct 8
- 2,000–4,000 ftStarting to turnpeak Oct 16
- Where to drive
- Bighorn Scenic Byway (US 14), about 42 miles · Beartooth Highway (US 212), about 95 miles · Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (WY 296), about 104 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, willow, bur oak, serviceberry, green ash
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen34%
- willow22%
- bur oak10%
- serviceberry7%
- green ash7%
- hackberry5%
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 27, then western larches steal the finale in mid-October, turning entire mountain slopes amber before dropping their needles.
Questions people ask about Custer National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Custer National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Custer National Forest around Sep 27, and the four days to aim for are Sep 26 to 29.
- Where is the best fall color at Custer National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 2,000 to 4,000 feet, around Oct 16.
- How long does peak last at Custer National Forest?
About four days at the top, Sep 26 to 29, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 46 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 50 days.
- Is Custer National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Sep 27, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Custer 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 27, 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
Bighorn Canyon is on the map above, with its own date.
- Peak Sep 12 best Sep 11 to 14
- Peak Sep 28 best Sep 27 to 30
- Peak Sep 26 best Sep 25 to 28
- Peak Sep 21 best Sep 20 to 23
- Peak Sep 28 best Sep 27 to 30
Fall color roads near Custer National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, so allow more by road.
- Bighorn Scenic Byway (US 14)
Shell Canyon to Dayton, aspen in the canyon and around Burgess Junction.
- Beartooth Highway (US 212)
Red Lodge to Cooke City. The aspen are in Rock Creek canyon before the switchbacks; above them it is tundra.
- Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (WY 296)
Cody toward Cooke City, cottonwood in the Clarks Fork canyon and aspen on Dead Indian Hill.