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Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET

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The White Cliffs at golden hour from the air.

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National Monument·Montana·507,084 acres

Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument

Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET

Photograph: More Than Just Parks

Peak colorOct 6Aim for Oct 5 to 8
In the monument today, Nov 10Leaves down
SepOctNov

Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.

Weather Wind to 36 mph Tuesday. Color may come down before it turns.

No new reports from the ground here this week.

I-15US 89US 191LewistownGreat FallsHavreChinookFort Belknap AgencyMaltaShelbyConradUpper Missouri River Breaks
US 89US 191LewistownHavreChinookUpper Missouri River Breaks
Still greenStartingNearly peakPeakPast peakNo fall canopy we forecastInside the line, each band of elevation is painted on its own date.
Around Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument Chouteau County holds most of the monument and is leaves down today. Fergus County, to the southeast, is 5 days ahead. Blaine County, to the northeast, is 3 days behind.
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument fall foliage map 2026: the unit and the counties around it painted by how far along their color is on Nov 10. Peak forecast around Oct 6, best Oct 5 to 8.
Save or share this mapToday’s Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument fall foliage map as a picture, redrawn every morning. Free to reuse with credit to More Than Just Parks and a link back; the terms.Save the mapPin itFacebookXEmail

When is peak fall foliage at Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument in 2026?

Our forecast puts peak color at Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument around Oct 6, and the four days to aim for are Oct 5 to 8.

That's 2 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.

Upper Missouri River Breaks, fall color week by week, 2026
WeekIn the monumentElevation at peak
Sep 21 to Sep 27Starting to turn
Sep 28 to Oct 4Nearly peak
Oct 5 to Oct 11Peak color2,500 to 2,750 ft, 2,750 to 3,000 ft, 3,000 to 3,250 ft, 3,250 to 3,500 ft, 3,500 to 3,750 ft
Oct 12 to Oct 18Just past peak
Oct 19 to Oct 25Fading
By elevation The monument runs from about 2,565 to 3,483 feet. It turns together: there isn’t enough relief here for the color to come down in stages.
  1. 3,500–3,750 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 75%
  2. 3,250–3,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 916%
  3. 3,000–3,250 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1135%
  4. 2,750–3,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1127%
  5. 2,500–2,750 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 915%

Height off 3DEP inside the monument’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the monument 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 trip

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, October 5 to Tuesday, October 6

You’ll find it peak color.

That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.

  • 3,250–3,500 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 9
  • 3,000–3,250 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 11
  • 2,750–3,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 11
  • 2,500–2,750 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 9
What turns
bur oak, plains cottonwood, green ash, hackberry, quaking aspen

What turns, and when

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 Oct 6, then western larches steal the finale in mid-October, turning entire mountain slopes amber before dropping their needles.

Questions people ask about Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument

When is peak fall foliage at Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument?

Our forecast puts peak color at Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument around Oct 6, and the four days to aim for are Oct 5 to 8.

Where is the best fall color at Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument right now?

On Nov 10 the monument is leaves down. The last band to peak was 2,750 to 3,000 feet, around Oct 11.

How long does peak last at Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument?

About four days at the top, Oct 5 to 8, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive.

Is Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument past peak?

Yes. Peak was around Oct 6, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.

What trees turn color at Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument?

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 6, 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

All of Montana

Nearby, and when they turn

  1. Helena-Lewis and Clark National ForestMT · about 125 miles
    Peak Sep 28 best Sep 27 to 30