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Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET

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National Forest·New Mexico·1,095,645 acres

Lincoln National Forest

Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET

Peak colorOct 25Aim for Oct 24 to 27
In the forest today, Nov 10Fading
SepOctNov

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.

I-25I-10I-20US 2Ruidoso DownsMescaleroEl PasoRoswellAlamogordoLas CrucesCarlsbadArtesiaLincoln
I-10US 2US 285US 380Ruidoso DownsMescaleroEl PasoArtesiaCarlsbadHolloman Air Force BaseLa LuzCapitanLincoln
Still greenStartingNearly peakPeakPast peakNo fall canopy we forecastInside the line, each band of elevation is painted on its own date.
Around Lincoln National Forest Otero County holds most of the forest and is leaves down today. That’s the county as a whole, which peaks 6 days earlier than the forest’s own stands: the forest is fading. Lincoln County, to the north, is 1 day ahead.
Lincoln National Forest fall foliage map 2026: the unit and the counties around it painted by how far along their color is on Nov 10. Peak forecast around Oct 25, best Oct 24 to 27.
Save or share this mapToday’s Lincoln National Forest fall foliage map as a picture, redrawn every morning. Free to reuse with credit to More Than Just Parks and a link back; the terms.Save the mapPin itFacebookXEmail

When is peak fall foliage at Lincoln National Forest in 2026?

Our forecast puts peak color at Lincoln National Forest around Oct 25, and the four days to aim for are Oct 24 to 27.

The forest runs from about 4,569 to 8,733 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 14 days: the high stands around Oct 20, the low ground around Oct 31. That's 4 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.

Lincoln, fall color week by week, 2026
WeekIn the forestElevation at peak
Oct 5 to Oct 11Starting to turn
Oct 12 to Oct 18Nearly peak
Oct 19 to Oct 25Peak color6,000 to 7,000 ft, 7,000 to 8,000 ft, 8,000 to 9,000 ft
Oct 26 to Nov 1Peak color4,000 to 5,000 ft, 5,000 to 6,000 ft
Nov 2 to Nov 8Just past peak
Nov 9 to Nov 15 this weekFading
By elevation The forest runs from about 4,569 to 8,733 feet. That’s 14 days of season between the top and the bottom: the high stands peak around Oct 20, the low ground holds until about Oct 31, and the color comes downhill in between. The date at the top of this page is the 6,000 to 7,000 foot band.
  1. 8,000–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 2011%
  2. 7,000–8,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2317%
  3. 6,000–7,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2542%
  4. 5,000–6,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2818%
  5. 4,000–5,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 3111%

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 trip

If 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 24 to Sunday, October 25

You’ll find it just past peak up high, nearly peak lower down.

Up at 8,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 20; down at 5,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 31. Pick your elevation for the day you come.

  • 8,000–9,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 20
  • 7,000–8,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 23
  • 6,000–7,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 25
  • 5,000–6,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 28
  • 4,000–5,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 31
What turns
quaking aspen, Gambel oak, bigtooth maple, serviceberry, willow

What turns, and when

Also named across New Mexico, outside what the canopy read measures here: Narrowleaf Cottonwood, 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 Lincoln National Forest

When is peak fall foliage at Lincoln National Forest?

Our forecast puts peak color at Lincoln National Forest around Oct 25, and the four days to aim for are Oct 24 to 27.

Where is the best fall color at Lincoln National Forest right now?

On Nov 10 the forest is fading. The last band to peak was 4,000 to 5,000 feet, around Oct 31.

How long does peak last at Lincoln National Forest?

About four days at the top, Oct 24 to 27, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 14 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 18 days.

Is Lincoln National Forest past peak?

Yes. Peak was around Oct 25, and on Nov 10 it's fading.

What trees turn color at Lincoln 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

All of New Mexico

Nearby, and when they turn

  1. White Sands National ParkNM · about 54 miles
    Peak Nov 2 best Nov 1 to 4
  2. Carlsbad Caverns National ParkNM · about 75 miles
    Peak Nov 2 best Nov 1 to 4
  3. Guadalupe Mountains National ParkNM, TX · about 77 miles
    Peak Oct 31 best Oct 30 to Nov 2
  4. Cibola National ForestNM · about 159 miles
    Peak Oct 21 best Oct 20 to 23
  5. Sandia Mountain WildernessNM · about 165 miles
    Peak Oct 28 best Oct 27 to 30
  6. Gila National ForestNM · about 171 miles
    Peak Oct 24 best Oct 23 to 26