Foliage map › Destinations › Montana › Missoula
Missoula, Montana fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Missoula area peaks around October 9, with the best viewing from roughly October 7 to October 15.
- Typical peak
- October 9
- Best viewing
- Oct 7 – Oct 15
- Color starts
- Around Sep 27
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Oct 22
- Elevation
- 3,200 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 9. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s estimated status and the five-week outlook.
The season at a glance
Bar height shows how good the viewing typically is on each day, from September 1 through November 30. Colors show the stage, from green through peak red to bare.
Open Missoula on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Missoula
Missoula sits where five valleys meet, along the Clark Fork River. Trails climb Mount Sentinel to the “M” for a view over the city, and just north of town, the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area has trails up a wooded creek valley. In the mountains around the city, western larch turns gold among the evergreens.
Scenic drive
Montana 83, the Seeley-Swan Highway, runs north from near Missoula through the Seeley and Swan valleys, past a chain of lakes and larch forests between the Mission and Swan ranges.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Look for higher ground
None of the destinations we track within 150 miles of Missoula typically peaks much earlier. Look for higher ground nearby: in this part of the country, color tends to arrive about 3 to 4 days earlier for every 1,000 feet you climb.
Too late? Already past peak
Look for lower valleys
None of the destinations we track within 150 miles of Missoula typically peaks much later. Lower valleys nearby are your best bet: color tends to hang on about 3 to 4 days longer for every 1,000 feet lower.
Nearby destinations
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Missoula?
In a typical year, fall color in the Missoula area peaks around October 9, with the best viewing from roughly October 7 to October 15. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Missoula?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around September 27, and most leaves are down by about October 22.
Is Missoula early or late compared with the rest of Montana?
Missoula peaks close to the middle of the Montana season, about Oct 7 on average across the 3 Montana destinations we track.
What trees color up around Missoula?
The main fall color in this area comes from tamarack and larch, quaking aspen, and willow. See the leaf guide to identify them.
Estimates come from the Leaves.com model of typical years, based on latitude, elevation, and distance from large bodies of water. They are not live observations. How it works.