Wilderness Area·Montana·28,247 acres
Welcome Creek Wilderness
Forecast issued Nov 9, 5:27pm ET
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 Welcome Creek Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Welcome Creek Wilderness around Oct 2, and the four days to aim for are Oct 1 to 4.
The wilderness runs from about 4,085 to 7,072 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 22 days: the high stands around Sep 15, the low ground around Oct 3. That's 1 day later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the wilderness | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 31 to Sep 6 | Still green | |
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Starting to turn | 6,000 to 7,000 ft, 7,000 to 8,000 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 | |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Just past peak |
- 7,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 156%
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2033%
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2634%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 322%
Height off 3DEP inside the wilderness’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the wilderness stands in it.
That’s 1 day 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.
Thursday, October 1 to Friday, October 2
You’ll find it just past peak up high, peak color lower down.
Up at 6,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 20; down at 5,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 3. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 6,000–7,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 20
- 5,000–6,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 26
- 4,000–5,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 3
- Where to drive
- Skalkaho Pass (MT 38), about 28 miles · Seeley-Swan Highway (MT 83), about 55 miles · Going-to-the-Sun Road, about 145 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, serviceberry, Rocky Mountain maple, huckleberry, black cottonwood
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen45%
- serviceberry14%
- Rocky Mountain maple14%
- huckleberry14%
- black cottonwood8%
- willow6%
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 Oct 2, then western larches steal the finale in mid-October, turning entire mountain slopes amber before dropping their needles.
Questions people ask about Welcome Creek Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at Welcome Creek Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at Welcome Creek Wilderness around Oct 2, and the four days to aim for are Oct 1 to 4.
- Where is the best fall color at Welcome Creek Wilderness right now?
On Nov 9 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 4,000 to 5,000 feet, around Oct 3.
- How long does peak last at Welcome Creek Wilderness?
About four days at the top, Oct 1 to 4, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 22 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 26 days.
- Is Welcome Creek Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 2, and on Nov 9 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Welcome Creek Wilderness?
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 2, 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
Rattlesnake Wilderness and Lolo and Bitterroot are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Sep 25 best Sep 24 to 27
- Peak Sep 17 best Sep 16 to 19
- Peak Sep 26 best Sep 25 to 28
Fall color roads near Welcome Creek Wilderness
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the wilderness, so allow more by road.
- Skalkaho Pass (MT 38)
Hamilton to Philipsburg over a gravel summit, larch and aspen turning together.
- 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.