Wilderness Area·New Hampshire·27,605 acres
Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness
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 Wind to 45 mph Tuesday. Color may come down before it turns.
Weather Hard frost Wednesday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness around Oct 15, and the four days to aim for are Oct 14 to 17.
The wilderness runs from about 828 to 4,918 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 13 days: the high stands around Oct 8, the low ground around Oct 21. That's 12 days later than our model alone would say, because this season's reports from the ground moved it.
| Week | In the wilderness | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Nearly peak | 4,000 to 5,000 ft, 5,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | 2,000 to 3,000 ft, 3,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak | 0 to 1,000 ft, 1,000 to 2,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak |
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 84%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1110%
- 3,000–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1430%
- 2,000–3,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1629%
- 1,000–2,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1918%
- 0–1,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 218%
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 12 days later than our model alone would say. This season’s reports from the ground moved it, and they outrank us.
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.
Wednesday, October 14 to Thursday, October 15
You’ll find it just past peak up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 4,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 11; down at 1,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 21. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 4,000–5,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 11
- 3,000–4,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 14
- 2,000–3,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 16
- 1,000–2,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 19
- 0–1,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 21
- Where to drive
- Kancamagus Highway, about 12 miles · Route 112 (Lost River Road), about 26 miles · Route 100, about 76 miles
- What turns
- sugar maple, red maple, paper birch, yellow birch, American beech
What turns, and when
- sugar maple30%
- red maple20%
- paper birch20%
- yellow birch10%
- American beech10%
- quaking aspen10%
Also named across New Hampshire, outside what the canopy read measures here: White Birch.
New Hampshire's White Mountains produce the most dramatic fall color in the Northeast, with sugar maples blazing orange and scarlet against the granite peaks and dark green of spruce.
Questions people ask about Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness around Oct 15, and the four days to aim for are Oct 14 to 17.
- Where is the best fall color at Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness right now?
On Nov 10 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 0 to 1,000 feet, around Oct 21.
- How long does peak last at Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness?
About four days at the top, Oct 14 to 17, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 13 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 17 days.
- Is Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 15, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness?
Sugar Maple, Red Maple, Yellow Birch, White Birch, American Beech. New Hampshire's White Mountains produce the most dramatic fall color in the Northeast, with sugar maples blazing orange and scarlet against the granite peaks and dark green of spruce.
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. We score it here against 27 long-running forest cameras: two dates in three land within 10 days of the camera’s own peak. How this map is made
Nearby, and when they turn
- Peak Oct 15 best Oct 14 to 17
- Peak Oct 4 best Oct 3 to 6
- Peak Oct 5 best Oct 4 to 7
- Peak Oct 7 best Oct 6 to 9
- Peak Oct 6 best Oct 5 to 8
- Peak Oct 7 best Oct 6 to 9
Fall color roads near Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the wilderness, so allow more by road.
- Kancamagus Highway
One of America's finest fall drives through the White Mountains, peaking early-to-mid October. The stretch between Lincoln and Conway is jaw-dropping.
- Route 112 (Lost River Road)
A less-trafficked alternative to the Kanc, running through Kinsman Notch with excellent birch and maple color.
- Route 100
Runs the full length of Vermont through the Green Mountains. The section between Stowe and Killington is the postcard version of New England fall.
- Mohawk Trail (Route 2)
The original scenic highway in America, crossing the Berkshires. The Hairpin Turn overlook at Florida, MA offers a 60-mile view of color.