Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge
Kootenai River Valley, Idaho · 1,782 ft
Typical peak
Sep 18 – Sep 26
low confidence in typical timing.
Best light
Works at both ends of the day
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.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Crowds
low
Usually quieter, especially around dawn.
Getting there
Five miles west of Bonners Ferry off Riverside Road. An auto tour route runs the impoundments with pullouts, and trails climb into the timber on the west side.
What turns here
- western larch
- Douglas-fir
Color progression
Typical peak Sep 22Typical color progression for Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge. No change from Aug 15 to Sep 1. First color from Sep 1 to Sep 10. Approaching peak from Sep 10 to Sep 18. Peak from Sep 18 to Sep 26. Past peak from Sep 26 to Oct 6. Bare from Oct 6 to Oct 20.
Leaves are typically down on Nov 1, 2026. Color starts around Sep 1.
This season so far
First frost
None yet
No night at or below 32°F since Aug 1.
Last 14 days
57°F / 39°F
Average daily high and low.
Modeled weather for these coordinates from the Open-Meteo historical archive, Aug 1 – Oct 31; not a station record. Reported peak is the median date of approved peak-color reports.
Plan the light
Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge on September 22, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:00 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 89° | 6:32 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 42 min of low, warm light | 7:13 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:38 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 41 min before sunset | 6:02 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 271° | 6:44 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:15 PM |
Times in America/Los Angeles · day length 12h 12m · 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.
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.