Wilderness Area·Wyoming·123,851 acres
Jedediah Smith 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 Jedediah Smith Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Jedediah Smith Wilderness around Sep 30, and the four days to aim for are Sep 29 to Oct 2.
The wilderness runs from about 6,685 to 9,884 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 23 days: the high stands around Sep 14, the low ground around Oct 2. That's 6 days later than our model alone would say, because this season's reports from the ground moved it.
| Week | In the wilderness | 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 | 8,000 to 9,000 ft, 9,000 to 10,000 ft |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Nearly peak | 7,000 to 8,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Peak color | 6,000 to 7,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Just past peak | |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Just past peak |
- 9,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1423%
- 8,000–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2031%
- 7,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2732%
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 211%
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 6 days later than our model alone would say. This season’s reports from the ground moved it, and they outrank us.
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 29 to Wednesday, September 30
You’ll find it fading up high, nearly peak lower down.
Up at 9,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 14; down at 7,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 2. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 9,000–10,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 14
- 8,000–9,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 20
- 7,000–8,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 27
- 6,000–7,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 2
- Where to drive
- Teton Park Road, about 11 miles · Teton Scenic Byway (ID 31, 32 and 33), about 15 miles · Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (WY 296), about 97 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, narrowleaf cottonwood, willow, water birch, Rocky Mountain maple
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen40%
- narrowleaf cottonwood21%
- willow14%
- water birch7%
- Rocky Mountain maple5%
- serviceberry5%
The Tetons rising above the golden cottonwoods of the Snake River flats is one of the most famous fall landscapes in the American West, and the aspen groves at elevation add hillsides of gold.
Questions people ask about Jedediah Smith Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at Jedediah Smith Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at Jedediah Smith Wilderness around Sep 30, and the four days to aim for are Sep 29 to Oct 2.
- Where is the best fall color at Jedediah Smith Wilderness right now?
On Nov 10 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 6,000 to 7,000 feet, around Oct 2.
- How long does peak last at Jedediah Smith Wilderness?
About four days at the top, Sep 29 to Oct 2, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 23 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 27 days.
- Is Jedediah Smith Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Sep 30, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Jedediah Smith Wilderness?
Quaking Aspen, Narrowleaf Cottonwood, Rocky Mountain Maple, Water Birch, Willow. The Tetons rising above the golden cottonwoods of the Snake River flats is one of the most famous fall landscapes in the American West, and the aspen groves at elevation add hillsides of gold.
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
Caribou-Targhee and Gros Ventre Wilderness and Bridger-Teton are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Sep 28 best Sep 27 to 30
- Peak Sep 26 best Sep 25 to 28
- Peak Sep 28 best Sep 27 to 30
Fall color roads near Jedediah Smith Wilderness
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the wilderness, so allow more by road.
- Teton Park Road
The cottonwoods along the Snake River flats with the Tetons behind them. This is the most famous fall landscape in the American West.
- Teton Scenic Byway (ID 31, 32 and 33)
Swan Valley to Ashton, aspen on the west side of the Tetons.
- Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (WY 296)
Cody toward Cooke City, cottonwood in the Clarks Fork canyon and aspen on Dead Indian Hill.
- Beartooth Highway (US 212)
Red Lodge to Cooke City. The aspen are in Rock Creek canyon before the switchbacks; above them it is tundra.
- Logan Canyon (US 89)
Logan to Bear Lake, maple and aspen up the canyon.