Leaf peeping

Fall colors in New Mexico

Typical peak runs Sep 27 – Oct 18. Pick the week, then the place.

Photo: Tesuque Creek Trail (152)

Fall color in New Mexico typically peaks between Sep 27 and Oct 18, with the middle of the season around Oct 5. Color starts in the high country (Lake Fork Trail (82) around Sep 12) and finishes lower (Railroad Canyon Trail #128 around Oct 14). We track 38 places here: 26 hikes, 4 summits, 4 campgrounds, and 4 mountain biking trails. Above 10,000 ft, color typically peaks around Sep 30; between 9,000 and 10,000 ft, around Oct 10.

When to go

Week by week

How many places are in their typical peak window each week, with the top pick. Today’s week is highlighted.

  1. Sep 8 – 14

    1 places
    Lake Fork Trail (82)Top pick · hike

  2. Sep 15 – 21

    5 places
    Kiwanis Meadow TrailTop pick · hike

  3. Sep 22 – 28

    20 places
    Tesuque Creek Trail (152)Top pick · hike

  4. Sep 29 – Oct 5

    Busiest

    31 places
    Norski Trail (255)Top pick · hike

  5. Oct 6 – 12

    This week

    30 places
    Nogal PeakTop pick · summit

  6. Oct 13 – 19

    18 places
    Railroad Canyon Trail #128Top pick · hike

  7. Oct 20 – 26

    6 places
    Nogal CanyonTop pick · hike

  8. Oct 27 – Nov 2

    3 places
    Holden Prong Trail #114Top pick · hike

Elevation

Color walks downhill

In New Mexico, the higher the ground, the earlier the turn. Each row is a 1,000-foot band.

  1. 10,000+ ftSep 30
  2. 9,000–10,000 ftOct 10

Dot = median typical peak for places in that band. Bands with fewer than 10 places are left out.

This week

In typical peak now in New Mexico

Places whose usual window includes today.

Plan ahead

Coming up next

Typical peak starts within the next three weeks.

Where

By park and forest

Typical timing for the public lands with the most places, and the best-known spots in each.

Ranger district

Smokey Bear Ranger District

Median peak

Oct 17

2 places tracked

Hikes

Best fall hikes

Trails ranked by how much hardwood forest surrounds them and how consistent the timing is across years.

Camp

Campgrounds in the color

Wake up in it. Check availability and any seasonal closures before you go.

Everything

Map and full list

Every place we track in New Mexico, grouped by where it is in its typical window.

  • In typical peak now (19)
  • Coming up (5)
  • Past peak (14)

In typical peak now

Today falls inside the usual peak window for these places.

Coming up

Typical peak starts within the next three weeks.

Past peak

The usual peak window has ended for the year.

Questions

Fall colors in New Mexico: FAQ

When is peak fall color in New Mexico?

Across the 38 places we track in New Mexico, typical peak runs from Sep 27 to Oct 18, with the middle of the season around Oct 5. Where you are in the state matters: higher elevations come earlier and valleys later.

Where do leaves change first in New Mexico?

Among the places we track in New Mexico, Lake Fork Trail (82) has the earliest typical peak, around Sep 12. The latest is Railroad Canyon Trail #128, around Oct 14. Above 10,000 ft, color typically peaks around Sep 30; between 9,000 and 10,000 ft, around Oct 10.

What are the best fall hikes in New Mexico?

Hikes with strong typical color in New Mexico include Bosque, Encino Trail, Manzano Crest Trail (170), Old Bosque Trail, and Hidden Lake. They are ranked by how much of the surrounding forest is hardwood and how consistent the timing has been across years.

Is this a forecast?

No. These dates are typical timing: when leaves have usually reached peak in past years, from NASA satellite vegetation data from 2017 to 2024 and USGS forest cover. A warm, dry or very wet year can shift them by a week or more, so treat them as a planning window, not a prediction for this year.

Keep going

Nearby states

Typical timing from NASA MODIS vegetation data (2017–2024) and USGS NLCD 2021 forest cover. Not a forecast. Timing is typical, not a forecast. How we time it.