National Forest·Idaho, Montana·2,302,161 acres
Lolo 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 Monday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
2 reports came in from Missoula County this week, 2 of them at peak. Our date held. See the county on the map.
When is peak fall foliage at Lolo National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Lolo National Forest around Sep 29, and the four days to aim for are Sep 28 to Oct 1.
The forest runs from about 3,247 to 7,164 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 27 days: the high stands around Sep 11, the low ground around Oct 6.
| 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 | Fading |
- 7,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 117%
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1719%
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2327%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 3029%
- 3,000–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 615%
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.
If 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 just past peak up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 6,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 17; down at 4,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 6. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 6,000–7,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 17
- 5,000–6,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 23
- 4,000–5,000 ftPeak colorpeak Sep 30
- 3,000–4,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 6
- Where to drive
- Seeley-Swan Highway (MT 83), about 44 miles · Skalkaho Pass (MT 38), about 72 miles · Going-to-the-Sun Road, about 112 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, black cottonwood, serviceberry, Rocky Mountain maple, huckleberry
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen40%
- black cottonwood13%
- serviceberry12%
- Rocky Mountain maple12%
- huckleberry12%
- willow10%
Also named across Montana, outside what the canopy read measures here: Western Larch, 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 Lolo National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Lolo National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Lolo 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 Lolo National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 3,000 to 4,000 feet, around Oct 6.
- How long does peak last at Lolo 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 27 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 31 days.
- Is Lolo National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Sep 29, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Lolo 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
Mission Mountains Wilderness and Flathead and Bob Marshall Wilderness 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
- Peak Oct 2 best Oct 1 to 4
Fall color roads near Lolo 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.