National Forest·New Mexico·1,619,794 acres
Cibola National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am 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 Cibola National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Cibola National Forest around Oct 21, and the four days to aim for are Oct 20 to 23.
The forest runs from about 5,356 to 8,463 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 8 days: the high stands around Oct 16, the low ground around Oct 24. That's 4 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Nearly peak | 7,000 to 8,000 ft, 8,000 to 9,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Peak color | 5,000 to 6,000 ft, 6,000 to 7,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak | |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Just past peak |
- 8,000–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1614%
- 7,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1841%
- 6,000–7,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2133%
- 5,000–6,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2412%
Height off 3DEP inside the forest’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the forest stands in it.
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.
Tuesday, October 20 to Wednesday, October 21
You’ll find it just past peak up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 8,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 16; down at 6,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 24. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 8,000–9,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 16
- 7,000–8,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 18
- 6,000–7,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 21
- 5,000–6,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 24
- Where to drive
- Sandia Crest Road (NM 536), about 72 miles · Alpine Loop (NM 475), about 124 miles · High Road to Taos, about 139 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, narrowleaf cottonwood, willow, Gambel oak, bigtooth maple
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen38%
- narrowleaf cottonwood30%
- willow15%
- Gambel oak10%
- bigtooth maple4%
- serviceberry3%
Also named across New Mexico, outside what the canopy read measures here: Rocky Mountain Maple.
Aspens turn gold in the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez mountains, Gambel oaks go russet and orange at lower elevations, and cottonwoods line the Rio Grande bosque in butter yellow.
Questions people ask about Cibola National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Cibola National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Cibola National Forest around Oct 21, and the four days to aim for are Oct 20 to 23.
- Where is the best fall color at Cibola National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is fading. The last band to peak was 5,000 to 6,000 feet, around Oct 24.
- How long does peak last at Cibola National Forest?
About four days at the top, Oct 20 to 23, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 8 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 12 days.
- Is Cibola National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 21, and on Nov 10 it's fading.
- What trees turn color at Cibola National Forest?
Quaking Aspen, Narrowleaf Cottonwood, Gambel Oak, Rocky Mountain Maple, Bigtooth Maple. Aspens turn gold in the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez mountains, Gambel oaks go russet and orange at lower elevations, and cottonwoods line the Rio Grande bosque in butter yellow.
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
Jemez and Gila and Santa Fe are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 28 best Oct 27 to 30
- Peak Oct 18 best Oct 17 to 20
- Peak Oct 16 best Oct 15 to 18
Fall color roads near Cibola National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, so allow more by road.
- Sandia Crest Road (NM 536)
Aspen near the top of Albuquerque's mountain.
- Alpine Loop (NM 475)
Climbs from Santa Fe to the Ski Basin through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. One of the most accessible aspen drives in the Southwest.
- High Road to Taos
Cottonwood in the villages, aspen above Truchas.