Field notes · 2026 estimate
When to see peak color at Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway
Peak fall color is predicted around October 4. Plan for the strongest viewing window from September 29 to October 9.
Predicted peakOctober 4
Best windowSeptember 29 – October 9
Confidence range±5 days
The prediction is a 24-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 Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway
Driving distance and time by road, not straight-line.
Over 3 hours
- Jemez Mountain Trail Scenic Byway118 mi · 3 hr 28 min
- Rio Grande Bosque150 mi · 3 hr 36 min
- Mesa Verde Park155 mi · 3 hr 43 min
- Pecos Canyon State Park134 mi · 3 hr 47 minPeak around Oct 9
- Sandia Crest Scenic Byway150 mi · 4 hr 8 minPeak around Oct 11
- Sandia Mountains155 mi · 4 hr 25 minPeak around Oct 14
- Fourth of July Canyon186 mi · 4 hr 51 minPeak around Oct 13