National Scenic Area·Oregon, Washington·292,682 acres
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
bigleaf maple and vine maple
black cottonwood and northern red oak, peak Sep 29
Peak color should arrive around Sep 29 for the black cottonwood and northern red oak, and around Oct 21 for the bigleaf maple and vine maple.
Roadsides and wetland edges turn first, and the woods behind them run a few days later.
1 report came in from Hood River County this week, 1 of them at peak. Our date held. See the county on the map.
When is peak fall foliage at Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area around Oct 16, and the four days to aim for are Oct 15 to 18. black cottonwood and northern red oak peak later, around Sep 29.
The river runs from about 131 to 2,755 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 2 days: the high stands around Oct 17, the low ground around Oct 15. That's 3 days later than our model alone would say, because this season's reports from the ground moved it.
| Week | In the river | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Nearly peak | |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | 0 to 1,000 ft, 1,000 to 2,000 ft, 2,000 to 3,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak | |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak |
- 2,000–3,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1718%
- 1,000–2,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1233%
- 0–1,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1546%
Height off 3DEP inside the river’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the river stands in it.
That’s 3 days later than our model alone would say. This season’s reports from the ground moved it, and they outrank us.
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.
- 2,000–3,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 17
- 1,000–2,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 12
- 0–1,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 15
- Where to drive
- Historic Columbia River Highway, about 23 miles · McKenzie Pass Scenic Byway (Route 242), about 97 miles
- What turns
- bigleaf maple, vine maple, black cottonwood, red alder, Oregon white oak
What turns, and when
- bigleaf maple27%
- vine maple22%
- black cottonwood18%
- red alder13%
- Oregon white oak9%
- northern red oak4%
Also named across Oregon, outside what the canopy read measures here: Western Larch.
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.
Questions people ask about Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
- When is peak fall foliage at Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area?
Our forecast puts peak color at Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area around Oct 16, and the four days to aim for are Oct 15 to 18. black cottonwood and northern red oak peak later, around Sep 29.
- Where is the best fall color at Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area right now?
On Nov 10 the river is leaves down. The last band to peak was 2,000 to 3,000 feet, around Oct 17.
- How long does peak last at Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area?
About four days at the top, Oct 15 to 18, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the river's elevations the color moves over about 2 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 6 days.
- Is Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 16, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area?
Vine Maple, Bigleaf Maple, Black Cottonwood, Red Alder, Western Larch. 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.
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
Mt. Hood is on the map above, with its own date.
- Peak Oct 16 best Oct 15 to 18
- Peak Oct 12 best Oct 11 to 14
- Peak Oct 11 best Oct 10 to 13
- Peak Oct 5 best Oct 4 to 7
- Peak Oct 21 best Oct 20 to 23
Fall color roads near Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the river, so allow more by road.
- Historic Columbia River Highway
Waterfalls, basalt cliffs, and vine maples. The restored sections between Troutdale and Ainsworth are the crown jewels.
- McKenzie Pass Scenic Byway (Route 242)
Crosses the Cascades through lava fields and old-growth forest. Vine maple understory turns electric in mid-October.