National Forest·Oregon·1,681,108 acres
Willamette National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
bigleaf maple and black cottonwood
vine maple, peak Oct 31
Peak color should arrive around Oct 19 for the bigleaf maple and black cottonwood, and around Oct 31 for the vine maple.
Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.
1 report came in from Lane County this week, 1 of them still green. Our date held. See the county on the map.
When is peak fall foliage at Willamette National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Willamette National Forest around Oct 20, and the four days to aim for are Oct 19 to 22. vine maple peak later, around Oct 31.
The forest runs from about 1,951 to 5,830 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 16 days: the high stands around Oct 3, the low ground around Oct 12.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Still green | |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Still green | |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn | 5,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Starting to turn | 4,000 to 5,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Nearly peak | 1,000 to 2,000 ft, 3,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Peak color | 2,000 to 3,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak |
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 316%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1024%
- 3,000–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1631%
- 2,000–3,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1921%
- 1,000–2,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 126%
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.
Monday, October 19 to Tuesday, October 20
You’ll find it fading up high, peak color lower down.
Up at 5,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 3; down at 3,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 19. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 5,000–6,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 3
- 4,000–5,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 10
- 3,000–4,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 16
- 2,000–3,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 19
- Where to drive
- McKenzie Pass Scenic Byway (Route 242), about 21 miles · Historic Columbia River Highway, about 102 miles
- What turns
- bigleaf maple, black cottonwood, willow, red alder, vine maple
What turns, and when
- bigleaf maple23%
- black cottonwood22%
- willow17%
- red alder16%
- vine maple11%
- Oregon white oak6%
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 Willamette National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Willamette National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Willamette National Forest around Oct 20, and the four days to aim for are Oct 19 to 22. vine maple peak later, around Oct 31.
- Where is the best fall color at Willamette 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 19.
- How long does peak last at Willamette National Forest?
About four days at the top, Oct 19 to 22, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 16 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 20 days.
- Is Willamette National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 20, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Willamette 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
Deschutes and Mount Jefferson Wilderness and Umpqua and Mt. Hood are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 11 best Oct 10 to 13
- Peak Oct 7 best Oct 6 to 9
Fall color roads near Willamette 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.