Alaska Fall Foliage 2026
Typical peak window
Sep 3 – Sep 11
Centered on Sep 7 at reference elevation.
low confidence in typical timing.
Interior Alaska peaks in the first half of September; the southcentral coast in late September.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Seasonal timing
In a typical season, Alaska’s peak falls around Sep 7, within Sep 3–11; high ground near 4,000 feet peaks around Aug 31, and valleys near 1,750 feet around Sep 8. Interior Alaska typically peaks in the first half of September, while the southcentral coast peaks in late September; below Denali, look for quaking aspen, paper birch, balsam poplar, and willow.
What turns here
- quaking aspen
- paper birch
- balsam poplar
- willow
Yellows show up every year. Reds need sunny days and cool, frost-free nights. A bad year takes those first.
Color progression
Typical peak Sep 7Typical color progression for Alaska. No change from Jul 31 to Aug 17. First color from Aug 17 to Aug 26. Approaching peak from Aug 26 to Sep 3. Peak from Sep 3 to Sep 11. Past peak from Sep 11 to Sep 21. Bare from Sep 21 to Oct 5.
Leaves are typically down on Nov 1, 2026. Color starts around Aug 17.
Alaska by borough
34 days from North Slope Borough to Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area.
Tap a location marker for coordinates and light times. Where peak usually lands. Boundaries: US Census, 2023. Elevation: USGS 3DEP + SRTM. Regional dates: Travel Alaska and the US Forest Service. Method
2 hatched boroughs have no published window behind them, so we don't have a date for them.
A borough is still an average. Yakutat City and Borough spans 20 days on its own, ridge to valley.
Every borough, as text
| Borough | Typical peak | Stage on Nov 1, 2026 | Median elev. | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aleutians East Borough | Sep 27 – Oct 5 | Bare | 125 ft | 1 days |
| Aleutians West Census Area | Sep 23 – Oct 1 | Bare | 1,161 ft | 6 days |
| Anchorage Municipality | Sep 11 – Sep 19 | Bare | 2,572 ft | 10 days |
| Bethel Census Area | No published timing window available. | |||
| Bristol Bay Borough | Sep 27 – Oct 5 | Bare | 113 ft | 1 days |
| Denali Borough | Sep 3 – Sep 11 | Bare | 1,790 ft | 13 days |
| Dillingham Census Area | Sep 26 – Oct 4 | Bare | 351 ft | 4 days |
| Fairbanks North Star Borough | Sep 3 – Sep 11 | Bare | 1,581 ft | 9 days |
| Haines Borough | Sep 22 – Sep 30 | Bare | 2,425 ft | 14 days |
| Hoonah-Angoon Census Area | Sep 28 – Oct 6 | Bare | 516 ft | 15 days |
| Juneau City and Borough | Sep 23 – Oct 1 | Bare | 1,971 ft | 14 days |
| Kenai Peninsula Borough | Sep 16 – Sep 24 | Bare | 1,037 ft | 9 days |
| Ketchikan Gateway Borough | Sep 27 – Oct 5 | Bare | 923 ft | 13 days |
| Kodiak Island Borough | Sep 24 – Oct 2 | Bare | 856 ft | 7 days |
| Kusilvak Census Area | No published timing window available. | |||
| Lake and Peninsula Borough | Sep 25 – Oct 3 | Bare | 548 ft | 8 days |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough | Sep 11 – Sep 19 | Bare | 2,569 ft | 18 days |
| Nome Census Area | Aug 27 – Sep 4 | Bare | 375 ft | 3 days |
| North Slope Borough | Aug 26 – Sep 3 | Bare | 605 ft | 11 days |
| Northwest Arctic Borough | Aug 26 – Sep 3 | Bare | 534 ft | 7 days |
| Petersburg Borough | Sep 24 – Oct 2 | Bare | 1,652 ft | 14 days |
| Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | Sep 29 – Oct 7 | Bare | 340 ft | 6 days |
| Sitka City and Borough | Sep 26 – Oct 4 | Bare | 1,084 ft | 8 days |
| Skagway Municipality | Sep 16 – Sep 24 | Bare | 3,901 ft | 10 days |
| Southeast Fairbanks Census Area | Aug 31 – Sep 8 | Bare | 2,457 ft | 11 days |
| Valdez-Cordova Census Area | Sep 11 – Sep 19 | Bare | 2,593 ft | 16 days |
| Wrangell City and Borough | Sep 24 – Oct 2 | Bare | 1,593 ft | 12 days |
| Yakutat City and Borough | Sep 26 – Oct 4 | Bare | 1,173 ft | 20 days |
| Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | Sep 6 – Sep 14 | Bare | 973 ft | 6 days |
Peak by elevation
8 days between the ridges and the valleys below them. The borough map above averages that away.
| Elevation band | Approx. elevation | Typical peak | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| High ridges & passes | 4,000 ft | Aug 31 | Bare |
| Mid elevation | 2,000 ft | Sep 7 | Bare |
| Valleys & lowlands | 1,750 ft | Sep 8 | Bare |
Foliage stages
- No change 0–10%
- First color 10–25%
- Approaching peak 25–60%
- Peak 60–90%
- Past peak 40–70%, dropping
- Bare <20%
Plan the light
Alaska on September 7, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:07 AM |
| Sunrise Rises ENE · 75° | 6:56 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 62 min of low, warm light | 7:59 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:53 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 62 min before sunset | 7:47 PM |
| Sunset Sets WNW · 285° | 8:49 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 9:38 PM |
Times in America/Anchorage · day length 13h 52m · computed from NOAA solar equations.
Local terrain can hide the sun; allow extra time to reach your viewpoint.
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises ENE, sets WNW.
Aim within 45° of the sun for translucent leaves. Turn your back to it for flat, accurate color.
Where to shoot in Alaska
3 researched locations, earliest peak first. Filter these locations
- Savage River Bare
Denali Park Road · 2,573 ft · peaks Sep 4
Dwarf birch and willow turn the tundra red on both banks of the braided Savage River, under the gray scree of Healy Ridge. Late August into the first week of September is the window, weeks ahead of the Lower 48.
- Hatcher Pass Bare
Talkeetna Mountains · 3,830 ft · peaks Sep 11
Tundra turns red and orange across open alpine bowls above the Little Susitna River, with the road switchbacking through the color. Nothing grows tall at this elevation, so the ridgelines stack cleanly behind each other.
- Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Bare
Kenai Peninsula · 279 ft · peaks Sep 23
Lowland lakes and spruce-birch forest on the Kenai, where Sitka spruce coastal rainforest meets the westernmost boreal forest in North America. Birch and aspen carry the color at a few hundred feet, thousands below the tundra entries further north.
Recent reports from Alaska
Report what you sawCommon questions
- When do the leaves change in Alaska?
- Alaska typically peaks Sep 3 – Sep 11, centered on Sep 7. Interior Alaska peaks in the first half of September; the southcentral coast in late September. These are typical dates from a latitude and elevation model; current conditions may differ.
- Does elevation change when fall color peaks in Alaska?
- Yes, by about 8 days. High ground around 4,000 ft peaks near Aug 31, while valleys near 1,750 ft wait until Sep 8. Peak moves roughly 3.5 days earlier for every 1,000 feet you climb. Try lower valleys after high ground has passed peak, or higher ground while valleys are still green.
- Where are the best places to see fall color in Alaska?
- The guide includes 3 researched locations in Alaska, including Savage River, Hatcher Pass, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Savage River turns first, around Sep 4, and Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is last, around Sep 23. Each includes coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.
- What trees turn color in Alaska?
- Mainly quaking aspen, paper birch, balsam poplar, willow. Yellows and oranges come from carotenoids that are already in the leaf, so they show up every year. Reds are made fresh each autumn and need warm sunny days with cool, frost-free nights, which is why a dry summer or a warm September produces a duller year.