National Forest·Oregon·630,541 acres
Siuslaw National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
bigleaf maple and vine maple
black cottonwood and willow, peak Sep 26
Peak color should arrive around Sep 26 for the black cottonwood and willow, and around Oct 19 for the bigleaf maple and vine maple.
Roadsides and wetland edges turn first, and the woods behind them run a few days later.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Siuslaw National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Siuslaw National Forest around Oct 15, and the four days to aim for are Oct 14 to 17. black cottonwood and willow peak later, around Sep 26.
The forest runs from about 85 to 1,467 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 4 days: the high stands around Oct 11, the low ground around Oct 15.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Nearly peak | 1,500 to 2,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | 0 to 500 ft, 500 to 1,000 ft, 1,000 to 1,500 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak |
- 1,500–2,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 114%
- 1,000–1,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1319%
- 500–1,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1443%
- 0–500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1534%
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.
If 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 peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- 1,000–1,500 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 13
- 500–1,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 14
- 0–500 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 15
- Where to drive
- McKenzie Pass Scenic Byway (Route 242), about 104 miles · Historic Columbia River Highway, about 120 miles
- What turns
- bigleaf maple, vine maple, black cottonwood, red alder, willow
What turns, and when
- bigleaf maple31%
- vine maple29%
- black cottonwood19%
- red alder17%
- willow5%
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 Siuslaw National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Siuslaw National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Siuslaw National Forest around Oct 15, and the four days to aim for are Oct 14 to 17. black cottonwood and willow peak later, around Sep 26.
- Where is the best fall color at Siuslaw National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 0 to 500 feet, around Oct 15.
- How long does peak last at Siuslaw 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 4 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 8 days.
- Is Siuslaw National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 15, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Siuslaw 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
Oregon Dunes and Willamette and Three Sisters Wilderness and Mount Jefferson Wilderness and Umpqua are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 20 best Oct 19 to 22
Fall color roads near Siuslaw 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.