National Forest·Idaho, Montana·1,810,300 acres
Kootenai National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
black cottonwood and quaking aspen
western larch, peak Oct 18
Peak color should arrive around Oct 4 for the black cottonwood and quaking aspen, and around Oct 18 for the western larch.
Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.
Weather Hard frost Monday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Kootenai National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Kootenai National Forest around Oct 5, and the four days to aim for are Oct 4 to 7. western larch peak later, around Oct 18.
The forest runs from about 2,615 to 6,114 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 20 days: the high stands around Sep 13, the low ground around Oct 3. That's 1 day earlier than our model alone would say, because this September has been running cool.
| 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 | Still green | 6,000 to 7,000 ft |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Starting to turn | 5,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Nearly peak | 4,000 to 5,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Peak color | 2,000 to 3,000 ft, 3,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Peak color | |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Just past peak |
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 136%
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1924%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2533%
- 3,000–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 224%
- 2,000–3,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 312%
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 earlier than our model alone would say. This September has been running cool, 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, October 4 to Monday, October 5
You’ll find it fading up high, peak color lower down.
Up at 5,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 19; down at 3,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 3. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 5,000–6,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 19
- 4,000–5,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 25
- 3,000–4,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 2
- 2,000–3,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 3
- Where to drive
- Going-to-the-Sun Road, about 78 miles · Seeley-Swan Highway (MT 83), about 118 miles · Sherman Pass Scenic Byway (Route 20), about 137 miles
- What turns
- black cottonwood, quaking aspen, Rocky Mountain maple, serviceberry, huckleberry
What turns, and when
- black cottonwood33%
- quaking aspen29%
- Rocky Mountain maple9%
- serviceberry9%
- huckleberry9%
- western larch6%
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 Oct 4, then western larches steal the finale around Oct 18, turning entire mountain slopes amber before dropping their needles.
Questions people ask about Kootenai National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Kootenai National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Kootenai National Forest around Oct 5, and the four days to aim for are Oct 4 to 7. western larch peak later, around Oct 18.
- Where is the best fall color at Kootenai National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 2,000 to 3,000 feet, around Oct 3.
- How long does peak last at Kootenai National Forest?
About four days at the top, Oct 4 to 7, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 20 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 24 days.
- Is Kootenai National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 5, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Kootenai 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 Oct 4, then western larches steal the finale around Oct 18, 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
Fall color roads near Kootenai National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, so allow more by road.
- 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.
- Seeley-Swan Highway (MT 83)
Larch gold along the Swan Valley in mid-October, under the Mission and Swan ranges.
- Sherman Pass Scenic Byway (Route 20)
The highest pass road in Washington. Western larch groves turn gold in mid-to-late October against dark subalpine fir.