National Forest·Washington·957,248 acres
Colville National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
quaking aspen and Rocky Mountain maple
western larch, peak Oct 11
Peak color should arrive around Oct 1 for the quaking aspen and Rocky Mountain maple, and around Oct 11 for the western larch.
Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.
1 report came in from Stevens County this week, 1 of them at peak. Our date held. See the county on the map.
When is peak fall foliage at Colville National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Colville National Forest around Oct 2, and the four days to aim for are Oct 1 to 4. western larch peak later, around Oct 11.
The forest runs from about 2,162 to 5,633 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 11 days: the high stands around Sep 19, the low ground around Oct 2. That's 1 day earlier than our model alone would say, because this September has been running cool.
| 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 | 5,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Nearly peak | 4,000 to 5,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Peak color | 2,000 to 3,000 ft, 3,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Just past peak | |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Just past peak |
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1912%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2528%
- 3,000–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 235%
- 2,000–3,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 220%
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 1 day earlier than our model alone would say. This September has been running cool, 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.
Thursday, October 1 to Friday, October 2
You’ll find it fading up high, peak color lower down.
Up at 5,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 19; down at 3,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 2. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 5,000–6,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 19
- 4,000–5,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 25
- 3,000–4,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 2
- 2,000–3,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 2
- Where to drive
- Sherman Pass Scenic Byway (Route 20), about 23 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, Rocky Mountain maple, serviceberry, huckleberry, western larch
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen44%
- Rocky Mountain maple14%
- serviceberry14%
- huckleberry14%
- western larch8%
- black cottonwood4%
Also named across Washington, outside what the canopy read measures here: Vine Maple, Bigleaf Maple, Red Alder.
Vine maples turn scarlet in the Cascade understory, bigleaf maples go gold in the lowlands, and the western larches in the Okanogan and Wenatchee forests turn amber on the high slopes.
Questions people ask about Colville National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Colville National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Colville National Forest around Oct 2, and the four days to aim for are Oct 1 to 4. western larch peak later, around Oct 11.
- Where is the best fall color at Colville 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 2.
- How long does peak last at Colville National Forest?
About four days at the top, Oct 1 to 4, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 11 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 15 days.
- Is Colville National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 2, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Colville National Forest?
Vine Maple, Bigleaf Maple, Black Cottonwood, Red Alder, Western Larch. Vine maples turn scarlet in the Cascade understory, bigleaf maples go gold in the lowlands, and the western larches in the Okanogan and Wenatchee forests turn amber on the high slopes.
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
Lake Roosevelt and Idaho Panhandle and Kootenai are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 10 best Oct 9 to 12
- Peak Oct 3 best Oct 2 to 5
- Peak Oct 3 best Oct 2 to 5
Fall color roads near Colville National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, so allow more by road.
- Sherman Pass Scenic Byway (Route 20)
The highest pass road in Washington. Western larch groves turn gold in mid-to-late October against dark subalpine fir.