Wilderness Area·New Mexico·19,154 acres
Wheeler Peak 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 Wheeler Peak Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Wheeler Peak Wilderness around Oct 6, and the four days to aim for are Oct 5 to 8.
The wilderness runs from about 9,207 to 12,389 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 11 days: the high stands around Sep 29, the low ground around Oct 5. 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 | Starting to turn | |
| 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, 12,000 to 13,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Peak color | 9,000 to 10,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Just past peak |
- 12,000–13,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2913%
- 11,000–12,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2833%
- 10,000–11,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 3032%
- 9,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 520%
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.
Monday, October 5 to Tuesday, October 6
You’ll find it just past peak up high, peak color lower down.
Up at 12,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 29; down at 10,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 5. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 12,000–13,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 29
- 11,000–12,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 28
- 10,000–11,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 30
- 9,000–10,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 5
- Where to drive
- Enchanted Circle (NM 38, 522 and 64), about 2 miles · High Road to Taos, about 43 miles · Highway of Legends (CO 12), about 56 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, narrowleaf cottonwood, willow
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen86%
- narrowleaf cottonwood9%
- willow6%
Every one of these turns yellow or gold here. The shades only tell the species apart.
Also named across New Mexico, outside what the canopy read measures here: 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.
Questions people ask about Wheeler Peak Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at Wheeler Peak Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at Wheeler Peak Wilderness around Oct 6, and the four days to aim for are Oct 5 to 8.
- Where is the best fall color at Wheeler Peak Wilderness right now?
On Nov 10 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 9,000 to 10,000 feet, around Oct 5.
- How long does peak last at Wheeler Peak Wilderness?
About four days at the top, Oct 5 to 8, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 11 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 15 days.
- Is Wheeler Peak Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 6, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Wheeler Peak 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 Wheeler Peak 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.
- 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.
- Wolf Creek Pass (US 160)
South Fork to Pagosa Springs, aspen on the west side of the pass.