National Recreation Area·Nebraska·870 acres
Missouri National Recreational River
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 Thursday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Missouri National Recreational River in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Missouri National Recreational River around Oct 16, and the four days to aim for are Oct 15 to 18.
That's 4 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the river |
|---|---|
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Nearly peak |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak |
That’s 4 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.
Thursday, October 15 to Friday, October 16
You’ll find it peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- What turns
- northern red oak, white oak, red maple, shagbark hickory, silver maple
What turns, and when
- northern red oak31%
- white oak31%
- red maple19%
- shagbark hickory15%
- silver maple3%
Also named across Nebraska, outside what the canopy read measures here: Cottonwood, Bur Oak, Hackberry, Green Ash.
Cottonwoods along the Platte and Niobrara rivers turn gold, and the Pine Ridge in the northwest produces a surprising mix of ponderosa pine and hardwood color.
Across Nebraska as a whole: Early-to-mid October in the north, late October along the Platte and Missouri rivers.
Questions people ask about Missouri National Recreational River
- When is peak fall foliage at Missouri National Recreational River?
Our forecast puts peak color at Missouri National Recreational River around Oct 16, and the four days to aim for are Oct 15 to 18.
- Where is the best fall color at Missouri National Recreational River right now?
On Nov 10 the river is leaves down.
- How long does peak last at Missouri National Recreational River?
About four days at the top, Oct 15 to 18, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive.
- Is Missouri National Recreational River past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 16, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Missouri National Recreational River?
Cottonwood, Bur Oak, Red Oak, Hackberry, Green Ash. Cottonwoods along the Platte and Niobrara rivers turn gold, and the Pine Ridge in the northwest produces a surprising mix of ponderosa pine and hardwood color.
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
- Peak Oct 13 best Oct 12 to 15