Field notes · 2026 estimate
When to see peak color at Medicine Bow National Forest (Snowy Range)
Peak fall color is predicted around September 28. Plan for the strongest viewing window from September 23 to October 3.
Predicted peakSeptember 28
Best windowSeptember 23 – October 3
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 Medicine Bow National Forest (Snowy Range)
Driving distance and time by road, not straight-line.
Over 3 hours
- Washington ParkColorado180 mi · 3 hr 28 minNot started
- Rocky Mountain National ParkColorado155 mi · 3 hr 31 minPeak around Sep 29
- Golden Gate Canyon State ParkColorado193 mi · 4 hr 18 minPeak around Oct 5
- Peak-to-Peak Scenic HighwayColorado171 mi · 4 hr 18 minPeak around Sep 27
- Mestaaehehe Pass RoadColorado210 mi · 4 hr 20 min
- Guanella PassColorado221 mi · 4 hr 26 minPeak around Sep 25
- Boreas Pass RoadColorado220 mi · 4 hr 50 minPeak around Sep 24