National Forest·Oregon·985,957 acres
Umpqua National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
willow and black cottonwood
bigleaf maple and vine maple, peak Oct 29
Peak color should arrive around Oct 13 for the willow and black cottonwood, and around Oct 29 for the bigleaf maple and vine maple.
Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.
Weather Hard frost Monday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Umpqua National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Umpqua National Forest around Oct 16, and the four days to aim for are Oct 15 to 18. bigleaf maple and vine maple peak later, around Oct 29.
The forest runs from about 1,687 to 5,915 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 15 days: the high stands around Sep 29, the low ground around Oct 14.
| 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 | 1,000 to 2,000 ft, 4,000 to 5,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak | 2,000 to 3,000 ft, 3,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak |
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 294%
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 613%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1318%
- 3,000–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1928%
- 2,000–3,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2127%
- 1,000–2,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1410%
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.
Thursday, October 15 to Friday, October 16
You’ll find it just past peak up high, peak color lower down.
Up at 5,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 6; down at 2,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 14. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 5,000–6,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 6
- 4,000–5,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 13
- 3,000–4,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 19
- 2,000–3,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 21
- 1,000–2,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 14
- Where to drive
- McKenzie Pass Scenic Byway (Route 242), about 81 miles
- What turns
- willow, black cottonwood, bigleaf maple, red alder, vine maple
What turns, and when
- willow45%
- black cottonwood21%
- bigleaf maple13%
- red alder8%
- vine maple6%
- Oregon white oak4%
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 Umpqua National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Umpqua National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Umpqua National Forest around Oct 16, and the four days to aim for are Oct 15 to 18. bigleaf maple and vine maple peak later, around Oct 29.
- Where is the best fall color at Umpqua National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 2,000 to 3,000 feet, around Oct 21.
- How long does peak last at Umpqua National Forest?
About four days at the top, Oct 15 to 18, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 15 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 19 days.
- Is Umpqua National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 16, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Umpqua 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
Fall color roads near Umpqua 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.