National Forest·Washington·2,569,388 acres
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
black cottonwood and willow
vine maple, peak Oct 20
Peak color should arrive around Oct 4 for the black cottonwood and willow, and around Oct 20 for the vine maple.
Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest around Oct 6, and the four days to aim for are Oct 5 to 8. vine maple peak later, around Oct 20.
The forest runs from about 598 to 5,712 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 21 days: the high stands around Sep 20, the low ground around Oct 4. That's 2 days 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 | Still green | |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Starting to turn | 5,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Starting to turn | 4,000 to 5,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Nearly peak | 0 to 1,000 ft, 1,000 to 2,000 ft, 3,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Peak color | 2,000 to 3,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Just past peak |
- 5,000–6,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2015%
- 4,000–5,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2626%
- 3,000–4,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 225%
- 2,000–3,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 617%
- 1,000–2,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 18%
- 0–1,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 47%
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 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.
Monday, October 5 to Tuesday, October 6
You’ll find it fading up high, peak color lower down.
Up at 5,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 20; down at 3,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 6. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 5,000–6,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 20
- 4,000–5,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 26
- 3,000–4,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 2
- 2,000–3,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 6
- Where to drive
- Mountain Loop Highway, about 18 miles · Sherman Pass Scenic Byway (Route 20), about 146 miles
- What turns
- black cottonwood, willow, bigleaf maple, red alder, vine maple
What turns, and when
- black cottonwood24%
- willow24%
- bigleaf maple21%
- red alder14%
- vine maple14%
- red-osier dogwood4%
Also named across Washington, outside what the canopy read measures here: 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.
Questions people ask about Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest around Oct 6, and the four days to aim for are Oct 5 to 8. vine maple peak later, around Oct 20.
- Where is the best fall color at Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie 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 6.
- How long does peak last at Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest?
About four days at the top, Oct 5 to 8, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 21 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 25 days.
- Is Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 6, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie 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
Glacier Peak Wilderness and Okanogan-Wenatchee and North Cascades are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 1 best Sep 30 to Oct 3
- Peak Oct 3 best Oct 2 to 5
- Peak Oct 12 best Oct 11 to 14
Fall color roads near Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, so allow more by road.
- Mountain Loop Highway
A loop through the Cascade foothills east of Everett. Bigleaf maples and vine maples color the narrow valleys.
- 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.