The predicted color stage on the selected date, modelled from satellite history. A forecast, not a live observation.When each area's color is predicted to peak this season. The date doesn't change this view.
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Field notes · 2026 estimate

When to see peak color at Gila National Forest

Peak fall color is predicted around November 7. Plan for the strongest viewing window from November 2 to November 12.

Predicted peakNovember 7
Best windowNovember 2 – November 12
Confidence range±5 days
Color seasonOctober 15 – November 10

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.

Fall color at Gila National Forest begins as early as October 15 in some spots and continues through November 10 in others — a 26-day window where you can catch peak color somewhere in the area regardless of when you visit.

Nearby locales

Other places to see color near Gila National Forest

Driving distance and time by road, not straight-line.

Over 3 hours