National Forest·Montana·2,857,401 acres
Helena-Lewis and Clark 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 Wind to 38 mph Tuesday. Color may come down before it turns.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest around Sep 28, and the four days to aim for are Sep 27 to 30.
The forest runs from about 4,096 to 7,292 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 23 days: the high stands around Sep 14, the low ground around Oct 2. 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 31 to Sep 6 | Still green | |
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Nearly peak | 6,000 to 7,000 ft, 7,000 to 8,000 ft |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Peak color | 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 | |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Fading |
- 7,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1410%
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1928%
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2630%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 228%
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.
Sunday, September 27 to Monday, September 28
You’ll find it fading up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 7,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 14; down at 5,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 2. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 7,000–8,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 14
- 6,000–7,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 19
- 5,000–6,000 ftPeak colorpeak Sep 26
- 4,000–5,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 2
- Where to drive
- Seeley-Swan Highway (MT 83), about 92 miles · Skalkaho Pass (MT 38), about 117 miles · Going-to-the-Sun Road, about 148 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, serviceberry, Rocky Mountain maple, huckleberry, willow
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen43%
- serviceberry13%
- Rocky Mountain maple13%
- huckleberry13%
- willow7%
- green ash4%
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 28, then western larches steal the finale in mid-October, turning entire mountain slopes amber before dropping their needles.
Questions people ask about Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest around Sep 28, and the four days to aim for are Sep 27 to 30.
- Where is the best fall color at Helena-Lewis and Clark 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 2.
- How long does peak last at Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest?
About four days at the top, Sep 27 to 30, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 23 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 27 days.
- Is Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Sep 28, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Helena-Lewis and Clark 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 28, 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
Bob Marshall Wilderness and Mission Mountains Wilderness 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 Helena-Lewis and Clark 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.
- Skalkaho Pass (MT 38)
Hamilton to Philipsburg over a gravel summit, larch and aspen turning together.
- 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.