Field notes · 2026 estimate
When to see peak color at Bozeman & Gallatin Valley
Peak fall color is predicted around October 7. Plan for the strongest viewing window from October 2 to October 12.
Predicted peakOctober 7
Best windowOctober 2 – October 12
Confidence range±5 days
The prediction is a 25-year climatology built from NASA MODIS MOD13Q1 vegetation-index data, with the definition of peak calibrated against PhenoCam ground cameras. Where state foliage spotters report peak (New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Missouri), it has landed inside our ±5-day window about two years in three. An unusual summer or autumn can still move it further.
Nearby locales
Other places to see color near Bozeman & Gallatin Valley
Driving distance and time by road, not straight-line.