Wilderness Area·New Hampshire·24,032 acres
Wild 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 Wild River Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Wild River Wilderness around Oct 15, and the four days to aim for are Oct 14 to 17.
The wilderness runs from about 1,558 to 3,648 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 7 days: the high stands around Oct 10, the low ground around Oct 16. That's 10 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 | 3,500 to 4,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | 1,500 to 2,000 ft, 2,000 to 2,500 ft, 2,500 to 3,000 ft, 3,000 to 3,500 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak | |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak |
- 3,500–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 107%
- 3,000–3,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1213%
- 2,500–3,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1326%
- 2,000–2,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1530%
- 1,500–2,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1620%
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 10 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, peak color lower down.
Up at 3,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 12; down at 2,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 16. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 3,000–3,500 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 12
- 2,500–3,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 13
- 2,000–2,500 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 15
- 1,500–2,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 16
- Where to drive
- Kancamagus Highway, about 24 miles · Route 112 (Lost River Road), about 39 miles · Route 100, about 88 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 Wild River Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at Wild River Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at Wild River Wilderness around Oct 15, and the four days to aim for are Oct 14 to 17.
- Where is the best fall color at Wild River Wilderness right now?
On Nov 10 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 1,500 to 2,000 feet, around Oct 16.
- How long does peak last at Wild 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 7 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 11 days.
- Is Wild River Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 15, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Wild 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
Sandwich Range Wilderness is on the map above, with its own date.
- 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
Fall color roads near Wild 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.
- Park Loop Road
Acadia's one-way loop pairs ocean views with maple and birch color. Best in the second and third weeks of October.
- 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.