National Forest·Oregon·1,612,322 acres
Deschutes National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
Photograph: More Than Just Parks
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.
4 reports came in from Deschutes County this week, 4 of them at peak. They moved our date 1 day later. See the county on the map.
When is peak fall foliage at Deschutes National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Deschutes National Forest around Oct 15, and the four days to aim for are Oct 14 to 17.
The forest runs from about 3,293 to 6,429 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 21 days: the high stands around Oct 4, the low ground around Oct 25. That's 7 days later than our model alone would say, because this season's reports from the ground moved it.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Still green | |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn | 6,000 to 7,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Nearly peak | 5,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | 4,000 to 5,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak | 3,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak | |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Fading |
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 410%
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1129%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1750%
- 3,000–4,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2511%
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 7 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.
Wednesday, October 14 to Thursday, October 15
You’ll find it just past peak up high, starting to turn lower down.
Up at 6,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 4; down at 4,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 25. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 6,000–7,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 4
- 5,000–6,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 11
- 4,000–5,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 17
- 3,000–4,000 ftStarting to turnpeak Oct 25
- Where to drive
- McKenzie Pass Scenic Byway (Route 242), about 32 miles · Historic Columbia River Highway, about 123 miles
- What turns
- black cottonwood, bigleaf maple, willow, red alder, vine maple
What turns, and when
- black cottonwood27%
- bigleaf maple22%
- willow18%
- red alder17%
- vine maple9%
- red-osier dogwood6%
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 Deschutes National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Deschutes National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Deschutes National Forest around Oct 15, and the four days to aim for are Oct 14 to 17.
- Where is the best fall color at Deschutes National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 3,000 to 4,000 feet, around Oct 25.
- How long does peak last at Deschutes National Forest?
About four days at the top, Oct 14 to 17, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 21 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 25 days.
- Is Deschutes National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 15, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Deschutes National Forest?
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
Willamette and Mount Jefferson Wilderness and Umpqua and Ochoco are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 20 best Oct 19 to 22
- Peak Oct 7 best Oct 6 to 9
Fall color roads near Deschutes National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, so allow more by road.
- McKenzie Pass Scenic Byway (Route 242)
Crosses the Cascades through lava fields and old-growth forest. Vine maple understory turns electric in mid-October.
- Historic Columbia River Highway
Waterfalls, basalt cliffs, and vine maples. The restored sections between Troutdale and Ainsworth are the crown jewels.