National Forest·Montana·2,414,171 acres
Flathead National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 11, 7:48am ET
Photograph: More Than Just Parks
quaking aspen and Rocky Mountain maple
western larch, peak Oct 13
Peak color should arrive around Sep 29 for the quaking aspen and Rocky Mountain maple, and around Oct 13 for the western larch.
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 Flathead National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Flathead National Forest around Sep 30, and the four days to aim for are Sep 29 to Oct 2. western larch peak later, around Oct 13.
The forest runs from about 3,574 to 7,139 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 25 days: the high stands around Sep 10, the low ground around Oct 5. That's 1 day later than our model alone would say, because this season's reports from the ground moved it.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 24 to Aug 30 | Still green | |
| Aug 31 to Sep 6 | Still green | |
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Starting to turn | 7,000 to 8,000 ft |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Starting to turn | 6,000 to 7,000 ft |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Nearly peak | 5,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Peak color | 4,000 to 5,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Just past peak | 3,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Just past peak |
- 7,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 107%
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1624%
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2328%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 3029%
- 3,000–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 512%
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 season’s reports from the ground moved it, and they outrank us.
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.
Tuesday, September 29 to Wednesday, September 30
You’ll find it fading up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 6,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 16; down at 4,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 5. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 6,000–7,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 16
- 5,000–6,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 23
- 4,000–5,000 ftPeak colorpeak Sep 30
- 3,000–4,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 5
- Where to drive
- Seeley-Swan Highway (MT 83), about 44 miles · Going-to-the-Sun Road, about 47 miles · Skalkaho Pass (MT 38), about 126 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, Rocky Mountain maple, serviceberry, huckleberry, western larch
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen45%
- Rocky Mountain maple14%
- serviceberry14%
- huckleberry14%
- western larch7%
- black cottonwood4%
Also named across Montana, outside what the canopy read measures here: Paper Birch.
Montana's fall is a two-act show: aspens and cottonwoods turn gold around Sep 29, then western larches steal the finale around Oct 13, turning entire mountain slopes amber before dropping their needles.
Questions people ask about Flathead National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Flathead National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Flathead National Forest around Sep 30, and the four days to aim for are Sep 29 to Oct 2. western larch peak later, around Oct 13.
- Where is the best fall color at Flathead National Forest right now?
On Nov 11 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 3,000 to 4,000 feet, around Oct 5.
- How long does peak last at Flathead National Forest?
About four days at the top, Sep 29 to Oct 2, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 25 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 29 days.
- Is Flathead National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Sep 30, and on Nov 11 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Flathead 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 around Oct 13, 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
Bob Marshall Wilderness and Mission Mountains Wilderness and Glacier and Lolo are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Sep 25 best Sep 24 to 27
- Peak Sep 25 best Sep 24 to 27
Fall color roads near Flathead National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, so allow more by road.
- Seeley-Swan Highway (MT 83)
Larch gold along the Swan Valley in mid-October, under the Mission and Swan ranges.
- Going-to-the-Sun Road
Glacier National Park. Larch trees turn gold in early October on the high passes while aspens color the valley bottoms. The road closes mid-October most years.
- Skalkaho Pass (MT 38)
Hamilton to Philipsburg over a gravel summit, larch and aspen turning together.