National Scenic Riverway·Minnesota, Wisconsin·20,829 acres
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
Roadsides and wetland edges turn first, and the woods behind them run a few days later.
Weather Hard frost Thursday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway around Oct 7, and the four days to aim for are Oct 6 to 9.
The river runs from about 830 to 1,398 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 2 days: the high stands around Oct 6, the low ground around Oct 8. That's 3 days later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the river | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Nearly peak | |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Peak color | 750 to 1,000 ft, 1,000 to 1,250 ft, 1,250 to 1,500 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Just past peak |
- 1,250–1,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 621%
- 1,000–1,250 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 743%
- 750–1,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 837%
Height off 3DEP inside the river’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the river stands in it.
That’s 3 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, October 6 to Wednesday, October 7
You’ll find it peak color.
That's the day our forecast puts peak color here.
- 1,250–1,500 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 6
- 1,000–1,250 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 7
- 750–1,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 8
- What turns
- sugar maple, red maple, paper birch, quaking aspen, yellow birch
What turns, and when
- sugar maple26%
- red maple22%
- paper birch17%
- quaking aspen9%
- yellow birch8%
- American beech8%
Also named across Wisconsin, outside what the canopy read measures here: Red Oak.
Wisconsin's Northwoods produce vivid sugar maple orange against birch gold and the dark green of hemlock and spruce, while the Mississippi River bluffs add a warm oak-and-hickory palette.
Questions people ask about Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway
- When is peak fall foliage at Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway?
Our forecast puts peak color at Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway around Oct 7, and the four days to aim for are Oct 6 to 9.
- Where is the best fall color at Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway right now?
On Nov 10 the river is leaves down. The last band to peak was 750 to 1,000 feet, around Oct 8.
- How long does peak last at Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway?
About four days at the top, Oct 6 to 9, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the river's elevations the color moves over about 2 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 6 days.
- Is Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 7, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway?
Sugar Maple, Red Maple, Quaking Aspen, Paper Birch, Red Oak. Wisconsin's Northwoods produce vivid sugar maple orange against birch gold and the dark green of hemlock and spruce, while the Mississippi River bluffs add a warm oak-and-hickory palette.
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. We score it here against 13 long-running forest cameras: two dates in three land within 9 days of the camera’s own peak. How this map is made
Nearby, and when they turn
Chequamegon-Nicolet is on the map above, with its own date.
- Peak Oct 9 best Oct 8 to 11
- Peak Oct 13 best Oct 12 to 15
- Peak Oct 1 best Sep 30 to Oct 3
- Peak Oct 2 best Oct 1 to 4
- Peak Oct 5 best Oct 4 to 7