Idaho Fall Foliage 2026
Typical peak window
Sep 14 – Sep 22
Centered on Sep 18 at reference elevation.
low confidence in typical timing.
Sawtooth aspen peaks late September; Panhandle larch in late October.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Seasonal timing
In a typical season, high ground around 8,700 feet peaks near September 8, while the statewide peak window runs September 14–22, centered on September 18. Sawtooth aspen typically peaks in late September, and valleys around 3,850 feet peak near September 25. Panhandle western larch typically peaks in late October.
What turns here
- quaking aspen
- western larch
- cottonwood
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 18Typical color progression for Idaho. No change from Aug 11 to Aug 28. First color from Aug 28 to Sep 6. Approaching peak from Sep 6 to Sep 14. Peak from Sep 14 to Sep 22. Past peak from Sep 22 to Oct 2. Bare from Oct 2 to Oct 16.
Leaves are typically down on Nov 1, 2026. Color starts around Aug 28.
Idaho by county
20 days from Custer County to Canyon County.
Tap a location marker for coordinates and light times. Where peak usually lands. Boundaries: US Census, 2023. Elevation: USGS 3DEP + SRTM. Method
A county is still an average. Adams County spans 12 days on its own, ridge to valley.
Every county, as text
| County | Typical peak | Stage on Nov 1, 2026 | Median elev. | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ada County | Sep 27 – Oct 5 | Bare | 2,924 ft | 2 days |
| Adams County | Sep 18 – Sep 26 | Bare | 4,340 ft | 12 days |
| Bannock County | Sep 21 – Sep 29 | Bare | 5,352 ft | 9 days |
| Bear Lake County | Sep 16 – Sep 24 | Bare | 6,913 ft | 8 days |
| Benewah County | Sep 18 – Sep 26 | Bare | 2,981 ft | 3 days |
| Bingham County | Sep 22 – Sep 30 | Bare | 4,625 ft | 6 days |
| Blaine County | Sep 14 – Sep 22 | Bare | 6,670 ft | 12 days |
| Boise County | Sep 17 – Sep 25 | Bare | 5,535 ft | 10 days |
| Bonner County | Sep 15 – Sep 23 | Bare | 2,939 ft | 8 days |
| Bonneville County | Sep 16 – Sep 24 | Bare | 6,213 ft | 7 days |
| Boundary County | Sep 11 – Sep 19 | Bare | 3,704 ft | 11 days |
| Butte County | Sep 18 – Sep 26 | Bare | 5,486 ft | 11 days |
| Camas County | Sep 15 – Sep 23 | Bare | 6,475 ft | 8 days |
| Canyon County | Sep 28 – Oct 6 | Bare | 2,479 ft | 1 days |
| Caribou County | Sep 17 – Sep 25 | Bare | 6,343 ft | 5 days |
| Cassia County | Sep 22 – Sep 30 | Bare | 5,100 ft | 7 days |
| Clark County | Sep 15 – Sep 23 | Bare | 5,915 ft | 5 days |
| Clearwater County | Sep 17 – Sep 25 | Bare | 3,391 ft | 7 days |
| Custer County | Sep 8 – Sep 16 | Bare | 7,812 ft | 9 days |
| Elmore County | Sep 24 – Oct 2 | Bare | 3,983 ft | 11 days |
| Franklin County | Sep 22 – Sep 30 | Bare | 5,223 ft | 9 days |
| Fremont County | Sep 14 – Sep 22 | Bare | 6,139 ft | 6 days |
| Gem County | Sep 25 – Oct 3 | Bare | 3,255 ft | 8 days |
| Gooding County | Sep 26 – Oct 4 | Bare | 3,592 ft | 6 days |
| Idaho County | Sep 13 – Sep 21 | Bare | 5,091 ft | 11 days |
| Jefferson County | Sep 20 – Sep 28 | Bare | 4,815 ft | 1 days |
| Jerome County | Sep 25 – Oct 3 | Bare | 3,960 ft | 2 days |
| Kootenai County | Sep 17 – Sep 25 | Bare | 2,621 ft | 7 days |
| Latah County | Sep 19 – Sep 27 | Bare | 2,843 ft | 3 days |
| Lemhi County | Sep 12 – Sep 20 | Bare | 6,170 ft | 12 days |
| Lewis County | Sep 18 – Sep 26 | Bare | 3,686 ft | 5 days |
| Lincoln County | Sep 24 – Oct 2 | Bare | 4,286 ft | 2 days |
| Madison County | Sep 18 – Sep 26 | Bare | 5,239 ft | 6 days |
| Minidoka County | Sep 24 – Oct 2 | Bare | 4,338 ft | 1 days |
| Nez Perce County | Sep 24 – Oct 2 | Bare | 1,844 ft | 5 days |
| Oneida County | Sep 21 – Sep 29 | Bare | 5,586 ft | 5 days |
| Owyhee County | Sep 21 – Sep 29 | Bare | 5,220 ft | 11 days |
| Payette County | Sep 27 – Oct 5 | Bare | 2,545 ft | 2 days |
| Power County | Sep 22 – Sep 30 | Bare | 4,936 ft | 6 days |
| Shoshone County | Sep 13 – Sep 21 | Bare | 4,272 ft | 8 days |
| Teton County | Sep 15 – Sep 23 | Bare | 6,225 ft | 4 days |
| Twin Falls County | Sep 23 – Oct 1 | Bare | 5,026 ft | 8 days |
| Valley County | Sep 14 – Sep 22 | Bare | 5,712 ft | 9 days |
| Washington County | Sep 23 – Oct 1 | Bare | 3,347 ft | 6 days |
Peak by elevation
17 days between the ridges and the valleys below them. The county map above averages that away.
| Elevation band | Approx. elevation | Typical peak | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| High ridges & passes | 8,700 ft | Sep 8 | Bare |
| Mid elevation | 6,000 ft | Sep 18 | Bare |
| Valleys & lowlands | 3,850 ft | Sep 25 | 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
Idaho on September 18, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:53 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 87° | 7:22 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 38 min of low, warm light | 8:00 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:34 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 38 min before sunset | 7:07 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 273° | 7:45 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 8:14 PM |
Times in America/Boise · day length 12h 23m · 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 E, sets W.
Aim within 45° of the sun for translucent leaves. Turn your back to it for flat, accurate color.
Where to shoot in Idaho
3 researched locations, earliest peak first. Filter these locations
- Redfish Lake Bare
Sawtooth National Recreation Area · 6,547 ft · peaks Sep 17
Grand Mogul and Mount Heyburn close the southwest end of the lake, and aspen stands near the lodge and along Redfish Lake Creek supply the yellow. Shoot from the boat-launch beach at first light while the water is still flat.
- Stanley Lake Bare
Sawtooth National Recreation Area · 6,513 ft · peaks Sep 17
McGown Peak stands off the west end of the lake and reflects the whole way across on a calm morning. Aspen and cottonwood along the inlet and the Stanley Lake Creek bottom lay a yellow band at the base of the peak.
- Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge Bare
Kootenai River Valley · 1,782 ft · peaks Sep 22
Valley floor in the far northern panhandle, nearly five thousand feet below the Sawtooth lakes and running on a different tree entirely. Western larch is a deciduous conifer, so the hillsides here go gold in needles rather than leaves and then drop them, which reads nothing like aspen.
Recent reports from Idaho
Report what you sawCommon questions
- When do the leaves change in Idaho?
- Idaho typically peaks Sep 14 – Sep 22, centered on Sep 18. Sawtooth aspen peaks late September; Panhandle larch in late October. These are typical dates from a latitude and elevation model; current conditions may differ.
- Does elevation change when fall color peaks in Idaho?
- Yes, by about 17 days. High ground around 8,700 ft peaks near Sep 8, while valleys near 3,850 ft wait until Sep 25. 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 Idaho?
- The guide includes 3 researched locations in Idaho, including Redfish Lake, Stanley Lake, Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge. Redfish Lake turns first, around Sep 17, and Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge is last, around Sep 22. Each includes coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.
- What trees turn color in Idaho?
- Mainly quaking aspen, western larch, cottonwood. 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.