Wilderness Area·New Mexico·44,517 acres
Columbine-Hondo 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 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 Columbine-Hondo Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Columbine-Hondo Wilderness around Oct 12, and the four days to aim for are Oct 11 to 14.
The wilderness runs from about 8,308 to 11,607 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 12 days: the high stands around Sep 28, the low ground around Oct 10. That's 4 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the wilderness | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Still green | |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Nearly peak | 10,000 to 11,000 ft, 11,000 to 12,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Peak color | 8,000 to 9,000 ft, 9,000 to 10,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak |
- 11,000–12,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2821%
- 10,000–11,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 3030%
- 9,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 528%
- 8,000–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1021%
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 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.
Sunday, October 11 to Monday, October 12
You’ll find it fading up high, peak color lower down.
Up at 11,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 28; down at 9,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 10. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 11,000–12,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 28
- 10,000–11,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 30
- 9,000–10,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 5
- 8,000–9,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 10
- Where to drive
- Enchanted Circle (NM 38, 522 and 64), about 4 miles · High Road to Taos, about 46 miles · Highway of Legends (CO 12), about 54 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, Gambel oak
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen95%
- Gambel oak5%
Also named across New Mexico, outside what the canopy read measures here: Narrowleaf Cottonwood, 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.
Questions people ask about Columbine-Hondo Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at Columbine-Hondo Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at Columbine-Hondo Wilderness around Oct 12, and the four days to aim for are Oct 11 to 14.
- Where is the best fall color at Columbine-Hondo Wilderness right now?
On Nov 10 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 8,000 to 9,000 feet, around Oct 10.
- How long does peak last at Columbine-Hondo Wilderness?
About four days at the top, Oct 11 to 14, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 12 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 16 days.
- Is Columbine-Hondo Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 12, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Columbine-Hondo Wilderness?
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
Carson and Cruces Basin Wilderness are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 9 best Oct 8 to 11
- Peak Oct 12 best Oct 11 to 14
- Peak Oct 20 best Oct 19 to 22
- Peak Oct 18 best Oct 17 to 20
Fall color roads near Columbine-Hondo Wilderness
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the wilderness, so allow more by road.
- Enchanted Circle (NM 38, 522 and 64)
Taos, Questa, Red River, Eagle Nest and Angel Fire, aspen on the Sangre de Cristo the whole loop.
- High Road to Taos
Cottonwood in the villages, aspen above Truchas.
- Highway of Legends (CO 12)
Trinidad to La Veta around the Spanish Peaks, aspen up high and Gambel oak below.
- Cumbres and La Manga passes (CO 17)
Antonito to Chama through the Conejos aspen, with the narrow-gauge train doing the same route.
- 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.
- Wolf Creek Pass (US 160)
South Fork to Pagosa Springs, aspen on the west side of the pass.