National Forest·New Mexico·241 acres
Cuba-Rio Puerco Land Utilization Project
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 Monday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Cuba-Rio Puerco Land Utilization Project in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Cuba-Rio Puerco Land Utilization Project around Oct 16, and the four days to aim for are Oct 15 to 18.
That's 4 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the area |
|---|---|
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Nearly peak |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak |
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.
Thursday, October 15 to Friday, October 16
You’ll find it peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- Where to drive
- Sandia Crest Road (NM 536), about 65 miles · High Road to Taos, about 68 miles · Alpine Loop (NM 475), about 68 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, Gambel oak, narrowleaf cottonwood, bigtooth maple, serviceberry
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen31%
- Gambel oak23%
- narrowleaf cottonwood11%
- bigtooth maple10%
- serviceberry10%
- willow8%
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.
Across New Mexico as a whole: Late September at 10,000 feet, early-to-mid October at lower elevations.
Questions people ask about Cuba-Rio Puerco Land Utilization Project
- When is peak fall foliage at Cuba-Rio Puerco Land Utilization Project?
Our forecast puts peak color at Cuba-Rio Puerco Land Utilization Project around Oct 16, and the four days to aim for are Oct 15 to 18.
- Where is the best fall color at Cuba-Rio Puerco Land Utilization Project right now?
On Nov 10 the area is leaves down.
- How long does peak last at Cuba-Rio Puerco Land Utilization Project?
About four days at the top, Oct 15 to 18, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive.
- Is Cuba-Rio Puerco Land Utilization Project past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 16, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Cuba-Rio Puerco Land Utilization Project?
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
Santa Fe and Carson and Pecos Wilderness are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 18 best Oct 17 to 20
- Peak Oct 28 best Oct 27 to 30
- Peak Oct 4 best Oct 3 to 6
Fall color roads near Cuba-Rio Puerco Land Utilization Project
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the area, so allow more by road.
- Sandia Crest Road (NM 536)
Aspen near the top of Albuquerque's mountain.
- High Road to Taos
Cottonwood in the villages, aspen above Truchas.
- 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.
- Cumbres and La Manga passes (CO 17)
Antonito to Chama through the Conejos aspen, with the narrow-gauge train doing the same route.
- 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.
- Wolf Creek Pass (US 160)
South Fork to Pagosa Springs, aspen on the west side of the pass.