Montanafall foliage
Where is fall color peaking in Montana right now?
No official report has come in for fall foliage yet this season. Next to start: Lost Horse Canyon, usually from Oct 1.
Updated Sep 28.
Places by state
Montana
- GlacierIn its usual window
Local timing: Sep 11–Oct 20
- Lost Horse CanyonStarts in 3 days
Regional timing: Oct 1–31
Official reports
- Sep 27Park ServiceAlpine larch above about 7,000 feet in western Montana turns yellow-orange each October (regional, Northern Region botanist)Source (opens US Forest Service, Alpine Larch in the Northern Rocky Mountains in a new tab)
- Sep 27Park ServiceFree first-come camping at Twin Lakes; Lost Horse Road narrow and roughSource (opens US Forest Service, Schumaker Campground in a new tab)
- Sep 27Park ServiceRecreation pass Memorial Day to Labor Day; floating dock end of May to AugustSource (opens US Forest Service, Lake Como Recreation Area in a new tab)
Show all 9
- Sep 27Park ServiceGlacially carved granite canyon with an observation point over the BitterrootsSource (opens US Forest Service, Lost Horse Canyon in a new tab)
- Sep 27Park ServiceRental cabin on Lost Horse Road; winter season January 15 to March 15Source (opens US Forest Service, Lost Horse Guard Station in a new tab)
- Sep 27Park Service8-mile loop trail with a waterfall at the west end of the lakeSource (opens US Forest Service, Lake Como Campground in a new tab)
- Sep 27Park ServiceUnder the cliffs of Blodgett Canyon, 6 miles from Hamilton; food storage order March 1 to December 1Source (opens US Forest Service, Blodgett Campground in a new tab)
- Sep 27Park ServiceTrees turning by mid-September, western larch last in mid-October; Going-to-the-Sun Road and service seasonsSource (opens National Park Service, Glacier operating hours and seasons in a new tab)
- Sep 27Park ServiceLogan Pass wildflowers between mid-June and mid-August; no off-trail travel in its alpine meadowsSource (opens National Park Service, Glacier photo tips in a new tab)
Questions people ask
Where can I see fall foliage in Montana?
We track 2 places: Glacier and Lost Horse Canyon.
Why does color come earlier in some places?
Higher ground turns first. In the Great Smoky Mountains, color can start as early as mid-September at the highest elevations, develops above 4,000 feet from early to mid-October, and reaches the lower and middle slopes between mid-October and early November.Source: National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains fall color ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How do you track fall foliage?
Each place moves through 6 stages: Still green, First color, Moderate, High color, Peak and Past peak. Every stage we show comes from a dated report with its source, and every forecast lists its sources.