National Forest·Oregon·1,480,886 acres
Malheur National Forest
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 Sunday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Malheur National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Malheur National Forest around Oct 13, and the four days to aim for are Oct 12 to 15.
The forest runs from about 3,957 to 6,442 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 19 days: the high stands around Sep 25, the low ground around Oct 14. That's 1 day earlier than our model alone would say, because this September has been running cool.
| Week | In the forest | 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 7,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn | 5,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Nearly peak | 4,000 to 5,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | 3,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak |
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2510%
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 246%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 838%
- 3,000–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 146%
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 1 day earlier than our model alone would say. This September has been running cool, 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 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 25; down at 5,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 8. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 6,000–7,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 25
- 5,000–6,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 2
- 4,000–5,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 8
- Where to drive
- McKenzie Pass Scenic Byway (Route 242), about 146 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, serviceberry, Rocky Mountain maple, huckleberry, black cottonwood
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen55%
- serviceberry13%
- Rocky Mountain maple11%
- huckleberry11%
- black cottonwood6%
- willow4%
Also named across Oregon, outside what the canopy read measures here: Vine Maple, Bigleaf Maple, 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 Malheur National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Malheur National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Malheur National Forest around Oct 13, and the four days to aim for are Oct 12 to 15.
- Where is the best fall color at Malheur 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 14.
- How long does peak last at Malheur National Forest?
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 forest's elevations the color moves over about 19 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 23 days.
- Is Malheur National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 13, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Malheur 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
Ochoco and Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 13 best Oct 12 to 15
- Peak Oct 15 best Oct 14 to 17
- Peak Oct 21 best Oct 20 to 23
Fall color roads near Malheur 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.