Wyoming Fall Foliage 2026
The aspen and cottonwood zones flanking the Teton Range typically reach peak between mid and late September, with high country groves around 9,500 feet turning first in early September and valley floors catching up by late month. The short elevation window means color concentrates quickly across the basins. Grand Teton National Park and the Snake River bottomlands offer the highest density of accessible stands.
When Wyoming peaks
Sep 12 – Sep 20
Centered on Sep 16. The Tetons and high country peak in the last week of September; the basins in early October.
low confidence. Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Where peak usually lands. Drought or an early freeze moves it by a few days. Method
What turns here
- quaking aspen
- cottonwood
- 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 16Typical color progression for Wyoming. No change from Aug 9 to Aug 26. First color from Aug 26 to Sep 4. Approaching peak from Sep 4 to Sep 12. Peak from Sep 12 to Sep 20. Past peak from Sep 20 to Sep 30. Bare from Sep 30 to Oct 14.
Color starts around Aug 26.
Peak by elevation
15 days between the ridges and the valleys. County maps average this away, which is how you miss peak at the right place.
| Elevation band | Approx. elevation | Typical peak | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| High ridges & passes | 9,500 ft | Sep 8 | No change |
| Mid elevation | 7,000 ft | Sep 16 | No change |
| Valleys & lowlands | 5,000 ft | Sep 23 | No change |
Foliage stages
- No change 0–10%
- First color 10–25%
- Approaching peak 25–60%
- Peak 60–90%
- Past peak 40–70%, dropping
- Bare <20%
Light at peak
Wyoming on September 16, the day it typically peaks. Knowing when color arrives is one thing. Knowing where the sun will be is another.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:34 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 85° | 7:03 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 38 min of low, warm light | 7:41 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:17 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 38 min before sunset | 6:54 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 274° | 7:32 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 8:00 PM |
Times in America/Denver · day length 12h 29m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises E, sets W.
Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.
Location pages name the light directly.
Where to shoot in Wyoming
3 researched locations, earliest peak first.
- Snake River Overlook No change
Grand Teton National Park · 6,906 ft · peaks Sep 16
This is the pullout where Ansel Adams made The Tetons and the Snake River in 1942, with the river curving through cottonwood flats under the range. Conifers have grown up since then, so a longer lens on the bend and the peaks beats copying the wide original.
- Oxbow Bend No change
Grand Teton National Park · 6,755 ft · peaks Sep 17
Mount Moran rises nearly 6,000 feet above a slack bend of the Snake River, with aspen and cottonwood packed along the far bank. Windless mornings hold the reflection, and moose working the willow flats turn up in the same frame.
- Schwabacher Landing No change
Grand Teton National Park · 6,547 ft · peaks Sep 18
Beaver ponds off the main channel give still water the Snake River itself does not, with the Grand, Middle, and South Teton lined up to the west. Cottonwood and aspen along the bank carry the color in the foreground.
Recent reports from Wyoming
Report what you sawCommon questions
- When do the leaves change in Wyoming?
- Wyoming typically peaks Sep 12 – Sep 20, centered on Sep 16. The Tetons and high country peak in the last week of September; the basins in early October. These are typical dates from a latitude and elevation model, not a live reading of this year's canopy.
- Does elevation change when fall color peaks in Wyoming?
- Yes, by about 15 days. High ground around 9,500 ft peaks near Sep 8, while valleys near 5,000 ft wait until Sep 23. Peak moves roughly 3.5 days earlier for every 1,000 feet you climb, so if you miss it low you can often drive up and find it.
- Where are the best places to see fall color in Wyoming?
- We track 3 verified locations in Wyoming, including Snake River Overlook, Oxbow Bend, Schwabacher Landing. Snake River Overlook turns first, around Sep 16, and Schwabacher Landing is last, around Sep 18. Each has real coordinates, elevation and sunrise light times.
- What trees turn color in Wyoming?
- Mainly quaking aspen, cottonwood, 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.