National Recreation Area·Idaho, Oregon·661,468 acres
Hells Canyon National Recreation Area
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 Wind to 36 mph Wednesday. Color may come down before it turns.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Hells Canyon National Recreation Area in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Hells Canyon National Recreation Area around Oct 13, and the four days to aim for are Oct 12 to 15.
The recreation area runs from about 1,606 to 6,774 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 14 days: the high stands around Sep 23, the low ground around Oct 7. That's 3 days later than our model alone would say, because this season's reports from the ground moved it.
| Week | In the recreation area | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Still green | |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Still green | |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Starting to turn | 6,000 to 8,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Nearly peak | 0 to 2,000 ft, 4,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | 2,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak | |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Fading |
- 6,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2311%
- 4,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 637%
- 2,000–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1842%
- 0–2,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 710%
Height off 3DEP inside the recreation area’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the recreation area 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.
Monday, October 12 to Tuesday, October 13
You’ll find it fading up high, just past peak lower down.
Up at 6,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 23; down at 2,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 7. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 6,000–8,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 23
- 4,000–6,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 6
- 2,000–4,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 18
- 0–2,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 7
- Where to drive
- Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway (ID 21), about 117 miles · Sawtooth Scenic Byway (ID 75), about 146 miles · Skalkaho Pass (MT 38), about 147 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, serviceberry, Rocky Mountain maple, huckleberry, chokecherry
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen55%
- serviceberry16%
- Rocky Mountain maple13%
- huckleberry13%
- chokecherry3%
Also named across Oregon, outside what the canopy read measures here: 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.
Questions people ask about Hells Canyon National Recreation Area
- When is peak fall foliage at Hells Canyon National Recreation Area?
Our forecast puts peak color at Hells Canyon National Recreation Area around Oct 13, and the four days to aim for are Oct 12 to 15.
- Where is the best fall color at Hells Canyon National Recreation Area right now?
On Nov 10 the recreation area is leaves down. The last band to peak was 2,000 to 4,000 feet, around Oct 18.
- How long does peak last at Hells Canyon National Recreation Area?
About four days at the top, Oct 12 to 15, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the recreation area's elevations the color moves over about 14 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 18 days.
- Is Hells Canyon National Recreation Area past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 13, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Hells Canyon National Recreation 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
Fall color roads near Hells Canyon National Recreation Area
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the recreation area, so allow more by road.
- Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway (ID 21)
Boise to Stanley, aspen and cottonwood along the South Fork of the Payette.
- Sawtooth Scenic Byway (ID 75)
Ketchum to Stanley over Galena Summit, aspen at the summit and cottonwood down the Salmon.
- Skalkaho Pass (MT 38)
Hamilton to Philipsburg over a gravel summit, larch and aspen turning together.