Wilderness Area·Utah·22,843 acres
Wellsville Mountain Wilderness
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.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Wellsville Mountain Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Wellsville Mountain Wilderness around Oct 15, and the four days to aim for are Oct 14 to 17.
The wilderness runs from about 4,762 to 8,339 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 25 days: the high stands around Sep 23, the low ground around Oct 18. That's 2 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the wilderness | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Still green | |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Still green | |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Starting to turn | 8,000 to 9,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn | 7,000 to 8,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Nearly peak | 5,000 to 6,000 ft, 6,000 to 7,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | 4,000 to 5,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak | |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak |
- 8,000–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2310%
- 7,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2921%
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 534%
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1128%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 187%
Height off 3DEP inside the wilderness’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the wilderness 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.
Wednesday, October 14 to Thursday, October 15
You’ll find it leaves down up high, just past peak lower down.
Up at 8,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 23; down at 6,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 11. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 8,000–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 23
- 7,000–8,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 29
- 6,000–7,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 5
- 5,000–6,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 11
- Where to drive
- Logan Canyon (US 89), about 28 miles · Guardsman Pass, about 75 miles · Mirror Lake Highway (UT 150), about 82 miles
- What turns
- bigtooth maple, quaking aspen, Gambel oak
What turns, and when
- bigtooth maple54%
- quaking aspen23%
- Gambel oak23%
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 Wellsville Mountain Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at Wellsville Mountain Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at Wellsville Mountain Wilderness around Oct 15, and the four days to aim for are Oct 14 to 17.
- Where is the best fall color at Wellsville Mountain Wilderness right now?
On Nov 10 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 4,000 to 5,000 feet, around Oct 18.
- How long does peak last at Wellsville Mountain Wilderness?
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 wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 25 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 29 days.
- Is Wellsville Mountain Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 15, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Wellsville Mountain Wilderness?
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
Bear Lake and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 13 best Oct 12 to 15
- Peak Oct 13 best Oct 12 to 15
- Peak Oct 12 best Oct 11 to 14
- Peak Oct 20 best Oct 19 to 22
Fall color roads near Wellsville Mountain Wilderness
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the wilderness, so allow more by road.
- Logan Canyon (US 89)
Logan to Bear Lake, maple and aspen up the canyon.
- 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.
- Nebo Loop
Payson to Nephi around Mount Nebo, maple scarlet first and then aspen gold.