Peak color lands around Oct 9 in most of Oregon, but it moves 21 days across the state. Here’s where, and when, and how sure we are.
Oregon fall foliage map, week of Oct 12
When is peak fall foliage in Oregon in 2026?
Most of Oregon peaks between Oct 4 and Oct 17: the high country first, around Oct 5, and the low ground last, around Oct 12. The first county to peak is Harney County, around Sep 27, and the last is Curry County, around Oct 18.
Elevation does most of the work here. Color runs down a mountain at roughly a day per 100 meters, so a ridge and the valley below it can be a week or two apart in the same county.
| Week | Where it peaks | Most of the state |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | McNary National Wildlife Refuge and 1 county | Starting to turn |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Fremont-Winema National Forest, Hells Canyon-Seven Devils Scenic Area, Vinegar Hill-Indian Rock Scenic Area and 8 counties | Nearly peak |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Deschutes National Forest, Ochoco National Forest and 16 counties | Peak color |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 this week | Klamath National Forest, Malheur National Forest, Umatilla National Forest and 11 counties | Just past peak |
Each date is the middle of the four days we’d aim a trip at, and each place page names them. We publish what the model got wrong, region by region.
4 of 36 counties here are corrected by people who have actually looked at the trees this season. 16 reports from official state sources have moved those dates off the model and narrowed their windows. Counties with neither keep the model forecast and say so. Which is which is marked in the table below.
Mid-to-late October in the Cascades and Gorge, early November in the Willamette Valley is how Oregon is usually described.
Oregon’s season, place by place
The 24 places closest to their peak in Oregon, each set on the calendar at its peak and painted by how far along it is today, Oct 12.
First: Malheur National Forest, Oct 13. Last: Fish Lake Recreation Area, Oct 15.
The dashed rule is today; the solid one is the median of the places on this chart, Oct 14. The date at the top of the page is the median county, which includes the low ground between them.
Where to go in Oregon
The destinations we cover in Oregon, in the order their color arrives. Each carries its own forecast and its own band, because a state isn’t one place.
- PeakPeak Oct 13 best Oct 12 to 15
- PeakPeak Oct 13, maple Oct 21 best Oct 12 to 15
- Steens Mountain Wilderness AreaPeakPeak Oct 13 best Oct 12 to 15
- North Fork John Day WildernessPeakPeak Oct 13, larch Oct 20 best Oct 12 to 15
- Mt. Hood Park Division Recreation AreaPeakPeak Oct 13 best Oct 12 to 15
- Newberry National Volcanic MonumentPeakPeak Oct 13 best Oct 12 to 15
- Klamath Marsh National Wildlife RefugePeakPeak Oct 13 best Oct 12 to 15
- PeakPeak Oct 13 best Oct 12 to 15
- Wapato Lake National Wildlife RefugePeakPeak Oct 13, maple Oct 25 best Oct 12 to 15
- Sphagnum Bog Scenic AreaPeakPeak Oct 13 best Oct 12 to 15
- PeakPeak Oct 14, Oregon white oak Oct 26 best Oct 13 to 16
- PeakPeak Oct 14 best Oct 13 to 16
- Cascade Head National Scenic and Research AreaPeakPeak Oct 14, maple Oct 21 best Oct 13 to 16
- Baskett Slough National Wildlife RefugePeakPeak Oct 14, oak Oct 19 best Oct 13 to 16
- Deer Flat National Wildlife RefugePeakPeak Oct 14 best Oct 13 to 16
- Tualatin River National Wildlife RefugePeakPeak Oct 14, maple Oct 26 best Oct 13 to 16
- Nestucca Bay National Wildlife RefugePeakPeak Oct 14, maple Oct 20 best Oct 13 to 16
- Sand Lake Recreation AreaPeakPeak Oct 14, maple Oct 24 best Oct 13 to 16
- Huckleberry City Recreation AreaPeakPeak Oct 14 best Oct 13 to 16
- Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural AreaPeakPeak Oct 14 best Oct 13 to 16
- PeakPeak Oct 15, maple Oct 19 best Oct 14 to 17
- Malheur National Wildlife RefugePeakPeak Oct 15 best Oct 14 to 17
- Badger Creek WildernessPeakPeak Oct 15, vine maple Oct 25 best Oct 14 to 17
- Fish Lake Recreation AreaPeakPeak Oct 15 best Oct 14 to 17
Also forecast in OregonColumbia River Gorge National Scenic AreaCrater Lake National ParkDeschutes National ForestFremont-Winema National ForestHells Canyon National Recreation AreaMark O. Hatfield WildernessMount Hood WildernessMount Jefferson WildernessMount Washington WildernessOchoco National ForestOregon Dunes National Recreation AreaRoaring River WildernessRogue River-Siskiyou National ForestSalmon-Huckleberry WildernessThree Sisters WildernessUmpqua National ForestWallowa-Whitman National ForestWillamette National Forest
Questions people ask about Oregon fall foliage
- When is peak fall foliage in Oregon?
Most of Oregon peaks between Oct 4 and Oct 17: the high country first, around Oct 5, and the low ground last, around Oct 12. The first county to peak is Harney County, around Sep 27, and the last is Curry County, around Oct 18.
- Where is the best fall foliage in Oregon right now?
As of Oct 12, Malheur National Forest, Mt. Hood National Forest, Steens Mountain Wilderness Area and 21 more are at peak.
- How long does peak last in Oregon?
In any one place, about four days at the top, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across Oregon as a whole, peak moves 21 days from Harney County to Curry County, so there's peak color somewhere in the state for about 25 days.
- Is Oregon past peak?
Mostly. As of Oct 12, 19 of Oregon's 36 counties are past peak, 8 are at it and 9 are still ahead. Curry County is the last to peak, around Oct 18.
- How far along is Oregon's fall foliage today?
On Oct 12, 8 of Oregon's 36 counties (22 percent) are at peak, 9 (25 percent) are turning and 19 (53 percent) are past peak. The county map above paints each one, and the live map lets you scrub the day.
- When do the leaves change in Oregon?
The first color shows in Harney County around Sep 6 and peaks there around Sep 27. Curry County is the last of Oregon's 36 counties, peaking around Oct 18. Most of the state turns through the weeks around Oct 9.
- What's the best time to visit Oregon for fall foliage?
The week of Oct 9 catches the most of the state at once, and the four days we'd aim at there are Oct 8 to 11. That's the leaf peeping window for Oregon as a whole. For Harney County and the counties around it, aim for the week of Sep 27; for Curry County and its neighbors, the week of Oct 18.
What actually turns
Vine maples turn vivid scarlet in the understory of Douglas fir forests, bigleaf maples go gold with enormous leaves, and the Columbia Gorge frames it all against waterfalls and basalt.
- Vine Maple
- Bigleaf Maple
- Black Cottonwood
- Red Alder
- Western Larch
The Historic Columbia River Highway, with Multnomah Falls and a dozen smaller waterfalls framed by vine maple color, is the most dramatic fall setting in the Pacific Northwest.
Worth the drive
Hood River County contains the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge, including Multnomah Falls and dozens of smaller waterfalls that become the backdrop for vine maple color in October. The Historic Columbia River Highway, engineered by Samuel Lancaster in 1913, is one of the most beautiful roads in America at any time of year, and in mid-October it becomes extraordinary.
Every county, by peak week
Harney
Baker, Gilliam, Grant, Hood River regional, Lake, Malheur, Marion observed, Morrow, Multnomah observed, Sherman, Wallowa
Clackamas regional, Clatsop, Columbia regional, Crook, Deschutes corrected, Klamath, Linn regional, Polk, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wasco, Washington regional, Wheeler, Yamhill regional
Benton corrected, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Lane, Lincoln regional
Every date on this site is a forecast: a model corrected by ground reports, carrying a measured error, published in full. Check conditions with the land manager before you travel. Last reviewed September 2026. Open the live map