National Forest·Oregon·854,757 acres
Ochoco National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 12, 5:26pm ET
Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Ochoco National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Ochoco National Forest around Oct 11, and the four days to aim for are Oct 10 to 13.
The forest runs from about 3,058 to 5,739 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 14 days: the high stands around Oct 2, the low ground around Oct 16. 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 14 to Sep 20 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Nearly peak | 5,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Peak color | 4,000 to 5,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | 2,000 to 3,000 ft, 3,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak | |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Fading |
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 235%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 845%
- 3,000–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1515%
- 2,000–3,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 165%
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.
Thursday, November 12 to Friday, November 13
You’ll find it with the leaves down.
Peak color was 33 days before you arrive, around Oct 11.
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 2
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 8
- 3,000–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 15
- What turns
- quaking aspen, black cottonwood, willow, serviceberry, Rocky Mountain maple
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen46%
- black cottonwood16%
- willow9%
- serviceberry7%
- Rocky Mountain maple5%
- huckleberry5%
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 Ochoco National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Ochoco National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Ochoco National Forest around Oct 11, and the four days to aim for are Oct 10 to 13.
- Where is the best fall color at Ochoco National Forest right now?
On Nov 12 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 2,000 to 3,000 feet, around Oct 16.
- How long does peak last at Ochoco National Forest?
About four days at the top, Oct 10 to 13, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 14 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 18 days.
- Is Ochoco National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 11, and on Nov 12 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Ochoco National Forest?
Quaking aspen is 46 percent of the trees that turn here, then black cottonwood (16 percent), willow (9), serviceberry (7), Rocky Mountain maple (5) and huckleberry (5). Quaking aspen, black cottonwood and willow turn yellow or gold; serviceberry, Rocky Mountain maple and huckleberry turn red. What turns, and when
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
Malheur and Deschutes and Three Sisters Wilderness and Mount Jefferson Wilderness and Willamette are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 20 best Oct 19 to 22
Fall color roads near Ochoco 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.