National Forest·Idaho, Utah, Wyoming·2,492,995 acres
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
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.
1 report came in from Summit County this week, 1 of them at peak. Our date held. See the county on the map.
When is peak fall foliage at Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest around Sep 23, and the four days to aim for are Sep 22 to 25.
The forest runs from about 4,873 to 10,972 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 36 days: the high stands around Sep 10, the low ground around Oct 16. That's 2 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 24 to Aug 30 | Still green | |
| Aug 31 to Sep 6 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Starting to turn | 10,000 to 12,000 ft |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Nearly peak | |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Peak color | 8,000 to 10,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Just past peak | 6,000 to 8,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Just past peak | |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Fading | 4,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Leaves down | |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Leaves down |
- 10,000–12,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1012%
- 8,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2330%
- 6,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 440%
- 4,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1618%
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 2 days later than our model alone would say. This September has been running warm, 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.
Tuesday, September 22 to Wednesday, September 23
You’ll find it fading up high, still green lower down.
Up at 10,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 10; down at 6,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 16. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 10,000–12,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 10
- 8,000–10,000 ftPeak colorpeak Sep 23
- 6,000–8,000 ftStarting to turnpeak Oct 4
- 4,000–6,000 ftStill greenpeak Oct 16
- Where to drive
- Guardsman Pass, about 18 miles · Mirror Lake Highway (UT 150), about 19 miles · Alpine Scenic Loop (Routes 92 and 189), about 30 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, bigtooth maple, Gambel oak, serviceberry
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen61%
- bigtooth maple20%
- Gambel oak16%
- serviceberry4%
Also named across Utah, outside what the canopy read measures here: 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.
Questions people ask about Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest around Sep 23, and the four days to aim for are Sep 22 to 25.
- Where is the best fall color at Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 4,000 to 6,000 feet, around Oct 16.
- How long does peak last at Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest?
About four days at the top, Sep 22 to 25, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 36 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 40 days.
- Is Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Sep 23, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Uinta-Wasatch-Cache 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
- Peak Oct 12 best Oct 11 to 14
- Peak Oct 20 best Oct 19 to 22
- Peak Oct 15 best Oct 14 to 17
- Peak Sep 30 best Sep 29 to Oct 2
- Peak Oct 10 best Oct 9 to 12
- Peak Oct 8 best Oct 7 to 10
Fall color roads near Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, so allow more by road.
- Guardsman Pass
Park City to Big Cottonwood Canyon, aspen and maple above Brighton.
- Mirror Lake Highway (UT 150)
Kamas to the Uinta lakes, aspen in the lower canyon.
- Alpine Scenic Loop (Routes 92 and 189)
Mount Timpanogos draped in bigtooth maple scarlet and aspen gold. The most colorful fall drive in Utah.
- Logan Canyon (US 89)
Logan to Bear Lake, maple and aspen up the canyon.
- Nebo Loop
Payson to Nephi around Mount Nebo, maple scarlet first and then aspen gold.