Wilderness Area·New Hampshire·35,302 acres
Sandwich Range 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 40 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 Sandwich Range Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Sandwich Range Wilderness around Oct 18, and the four days to aim for are Oct 17 to 20.
The wilderness runs from about 1,324 to 3,433 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 6 days: the high stands around Oct 15, the low ground around Oct 20. 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 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Nearly peak | |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | 2,000 to 2,500 ft, 2,500 to 3,000 ft, 3,000 to 3,500 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Peak color | 1,000 to 1,500 ft, 1,500 to 2,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak |
- 3,000–3,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1511%
- 2,500–3,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1619%
- 2,000–2,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1826%
- 1,500–2,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1925%
- 1,000–1,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 2015%
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.
Saturday, October 17 to Sunday, October 18
You’ll find it just past peak up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 3,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 15; down at 1,500 feet they hold on until about Oct 20. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 3,000–3,500 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 15
- 2,500–3,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 16
- 2,000–2,500 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 18
- 1,500–2,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 19
- 1,000–1,500 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 20
- Where to drive
- Kancamagus Highway, about 7 miles · Route 112 (Lost River Road), about 19 miles · Route 100, about 66 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 Sandwich Range Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at Sandwich Range Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at Sandwich Range Wilderness around Oct 18, and the four days to aim for are Oct 17 to 20.
- Where is the best fall color at Sandwich Range Wilderness right now?
On Nov 10 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 1,000 to 1,500 feet, around Oct 20.
- How long does peak last at Sandwich Range Wilderness?
About four days at the top, Oct 17 to 20, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 6 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 10 days.
- Is Sandwich Range Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 18, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Sandwich Range 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
Wild River Wilderness is on the map above, with its own date.
- Peak Oct 10 best Oct 9 to 12
- 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
Fall color roads near Sandwich Range 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.
- Route 169
Designated a National Scenic Byway, this quiet road through the Last Green Valley is Connecticut's best-kept fall secret. Peaks late October.