National Forest·Utah, Wyoming·1,378,546 acres
Ashley National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
Photograph: More Than Just Parks
Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.
Weather Hard frost Wednesday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Ashley National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Ashley National Forest around Sep 30, and the four days to aim for are Sep 29 to Oct 2.
The forest runs from about 6,044 to 11,001 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 30 days: the high stands around Sep 16, the low ground around Oct 11. That's 4 days later than our model alone would say, because this season's reports from the ground moved it.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 31 to Sep 6 | Still green | |
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Starting to turn | 10,000 to 11,000 ft, 11,000 to 12,000 ft |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Nearly peak | 9,000 to 10,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Peak color | 7,000 to 8,000 ft, 8,000 to 9,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Just past peak | 6,000 to 7,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Just past peak | |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Fading |
- 11,000–12,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 165%
- 10,000–11,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1514%
- 9,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2117%
- 8,000–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2819%
- 7,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 419%
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1124%
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 4 days later than our model alone would say. This season’s reports from the ground moved it, and they outrank us.
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.
Tuesday, September 29 to Wednesday, September 30
You’ll find it fading up high, starting to turn lower down.
Up at 10,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 15; down at 7,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 11. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 10,000–11,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 15
- 9,000–10,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 21
- 8,000–9,000 ftPeak colorpeak Sep 28
- 7,000–8,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 4
- 6,000–7,000 ftStarting to turnpeak Oct 11
- Where to drive
- Mirror Lake Highway (UT 150), about 50 miles · Guardsman Pass, about 76 miles · Alpine Scenic Loop (Routes 92 and 189), about 81 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, narrowleaf cottonwood, willow
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen87%
- narrowleaf cottonwood8%
- willow5%
Every one of these turns yellow or gold here. The shades only tell the species apart.
Also named across Utah, outside what the canopy read measures here: Bigtooth Maple, Gambel Oak, Rocky Mountain Maple.
Utah's fall is a dual show: aspens turn gold on the high plateaus while bigtooth maples along the Wasatch Front go vivid scarlet, creating one of the most colorful mountain fronts in the West.
Questions people ask about Ashley National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Ashley National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Ashley National Forest around Sep 30, and the four days to aim for are Sep 29 to Oct 2.
- Where is the best fall color at Ashley National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 6,000 to 7,000 feet, around Oct 11.
- How long does peak last at Ashley National Forest?
About four days at the top, Sep 29 to Oct 2, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 30 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 34 days.
- Is Ashley National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Sep 30, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Ashley National Forest?
Quaking Aspen, Bigtooth Maple, Gambel Oak, Narrowleaf Cottonwood, Rocky Mountain Maple. Utah's fall is a dual show: aspens turn gold on the high plateaus while bigtooth maples along the Wasatch Front go vivid scarlet, creating one of the most colorful mountain fronts in the West.
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
Flaming Gorge and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 20 best Oct 19 to 22
- Peak Oct 13 best Oct 12 to 15
- Peak Oct 13 best Oct 12 to 15
- Peak Oct 12 best Oct 11 to 14
Fall color roads near Ashley National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, so allow more by road.
- Mirror Lake Highway (UT 150)
Kamas to the Uinta lakes, aspen in the lower canyon.
- Guardsman Pass
Park City to Big Cottonwood Canyon, aspen and maple above Brighton.
- Alpine Scenic Loop (Routes 92 and 189)
Mount Timpanogos draped in bigtooth maple scarlet and aspen gold. The most colorful fall drive in Utah.
- Nebo Loop
Payson to Nephi around Mount Nebo, maple scarlet first and then aspen gold.
- Logan Canyon (US 89)
Logan to Bear Lake, maple and aspen up the canyon.