California Fall Color Report – 10/24/19 

fallbarbara Following is a summary of reports on autumnal change across California. It is compiled from reports and photographs submitted by a network of volunteer observers.   

Similar reports on the status of fall color across California are sent each Thursday until the Thursday before Thanksgiving Day. If you do not want to receive the reports, click the opt out option on the email and your email will be removed from the list.

All reports are substantiated by dated photography. The California Fall Color Report is provided as a free service to media by CaliforniaFallColor.com. Media may extract from the report as they choose.

A selection of the finest and most representative photographs of fall color taken across California in the preceding week is provided for royalty-free use by media, by their photographers. All photographers have granted permission for their photographs to be made available to media in return for photographer credit. Other photographs posted on CaliforniaFallColor.com may be made available to media by obtaining permission f

To view and use the Best of the Week fall color photographs, visit: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/e51zieroxyf4hhf/AABTm15XNd3kuAZbT7O2i5lga?dl=0

Statewide Summary  

Peak fall color has descended to 2,000’ in the Gold Country, Western Sierra, Southern Sierra, Northern Sierra, Shasta Cascade and Southern California’s mountains.

This past week was remarkable with a crimson crescent of peak fall color arcing across the north state from the redwoods, through the Shasta Cascade, across the Northern Sierra and Plumas County into the Gold Country.

Plumas County was particularly beautiful with Quincy appearing from surrounding hills to be a fantasy model village decorated with brightly colored trees.

The Klamath River – k

  • nown for its drift boat fishing – was a waterway flanked with orange and yellow trees.  

The Gold Country is proving to be Peak of the Week, with all Gold Rush towns from Nevada City south to Mariposa at or near peak. In Nevada City, a Victorian Califoria Fall Color Tour occurs on Sat., Oct. 26, sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce. The 1 to 2 hour tour visits 15 of Nevada city’s best fall color locations. More information is found at: https://www.nevadacitychamber.com/nevada-city-things-to-do/outdoor-recreation/victorian-california-fall-colors-tour/

This past week, the Eastern Sierra set a record. Peak fall color could be seen in Bishop at 4,100’ in elevation, all the way up to 9,100’ near the top of Bishop Creek Canyon. Never before has 5,000 vertical feet of fall color reported at one time.

However, fall color is now mostly past peak in Inyo and Mono Counties. Peak fall color is still being seen in the Owens Valley and Round Valley (Inyo County), in Crowley, Lee Vining Canyon and the Antelope Valley surrouning the towns of Walker, Coleville and Topaz (Mono County).

The High Sierra, including Hope Valley and Lake Tahoe are now Past Peak. In the Western Sierra, Yosemite Valley is peaking with bigleaf maple, dogwood and black oak all providing color. A

  • s Halloween approaches, black oak with their black branches and trunks and deep orange leaves will Peak. 

North Coast vineyards are now burning with bright red, burgundy, orange, yellow and lime color as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel and other varieties of grape vines turn to their fall colors.

Hints of fall color are appearing in the urban forests of the Central Valley and San Francisco Bay Area. In Southern California, Lake Arrowhead and Lake Gregory are peaking with Wrightwood, the Sespe Wilderness and unburned drainages within the Santa Monica Mountains NRA near peak.

Boldface indicates “Near Peak” or “Peak” conditions, which means “GO NOW!”  Past Peak areas are new for this week and no longer reported the following week. 

Eastern Sierra

Inyo County  

Bishop Creek Canyon – S Fork (by elevation)

  • South Lake (9,768’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT. 
  • Weir Pond (9,650’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • Parchers Resort (9,260
  • ’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • Willow Campground (9,000’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • Surveyors Meadow (8,975’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT. 
  • Table Mountain Camp (8,900’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • Stiny Loop/Mt Glen Camp (8,500’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • Mist Falls and the groves above Bishop Creek Lodge (8,350’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!  
  • Four Jeffries (8,000’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!  
  • Big Trees Campground (7,800’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!  

Bishop Creek Canyon – M Fork (by elevation)

  • Lake Sabrina (9,150’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • Sabrina Approach (9,100’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • Sabrina Campground (9,000’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • Groves above Cardinal Village (8,550’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • Aspendell (8,400’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!  
  • Intake II (8,000’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!  

Bishop Creek Canyon – N Fork (by elevation)

  • North Lake (9,255’) –
  • Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • North Lake Road (9,000’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.

Pine Creek Canyon and Round Valley (by elevation)

  • Pine Creek Canyon (7,400’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.
  • Pine Creek (7,000’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Round Valley (4,692’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Lower Rock Creek Trail (7,000’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

Owens Valley (alphabetically)

  • Alabama Hills (4,534’) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
  • Big Pine (3,989’) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
  • Bishop, Buckley Ponds – 4,150’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Bishop, downtown (4,150’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Bishop, Rawson Ponds (4,150’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery (4,000’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Owens Valley (4,000’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

Mono County (south to nort

  • h)   
  • Lower Rock Creek Road (7,090’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! 
  • Crowley Community (6,781’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! 
  • McGee Creek Canyon (8,600’) –  Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.    
  • Convict Lake (7850′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT!   
  • Mammoth Lakes (7,881’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • June  Lake Loop/CA-158  (7,654′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT!  
  • Lee Vining Canyon (6,781′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!  
  • Lundy Lake & Canyon (7,858′) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT!   
  • Conway Summit (8,143’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • Twin Lakes, Bridgeport (7,000’) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT!  
  • Dunderberg Meadows (7,200’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • Lower Summers
  •  Meadow (7,146’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.   
  • Sonora Pass (9,623′) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.   
  • Walker River Canyon (5,200’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • Antelope Valley (5,200′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!   
  • Monitor Pass (8,314′) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.   

High Sierra (south to north)  

  • Ebbets Pass, CA-4 (8,730’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT. 
  • Hope Valley, CA-88 (7,300’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • Lake Tahoe (6,225’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT. 
  • Martis Creek Cabin, CA-267 (6,925’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • Truckee (5,817’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • I-80 (5,800’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT. 

Western Sierra

  • Yosemite Valley, Yosemite NP (4,000’) – Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! – Pacific dogwood, Fremont cottonwood, bigleaf maple, black oak (Near Peak).
  • Kings Canyon/Sequoia NP ( 4,000′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Calaveras Big Tr
  • ees SP (4,800′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
  • Mineral King (7,400′) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.

North Coast (south to north) 

  • Napa Vineyards – Near Peak to Peak  (50-100%) GO NOW!  
  • Sonoma Vineyards – Near Peak to Peak  (50-100%) GO NOW!  
  • Mendocino Vineyards – Near Peak to Peak  (50-100%) GO NOW!  
  • Humboldt Redwoods State Park (1,516’) Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!  

Shasta Cascade (south to north)  

  • Chico (197’) – Patchy (10-50%)
  • Red Bluff (305’) – Patchy (10-50%)
  • Quincy (3,342’) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT! 
  • Spanish Creek (3,264’) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT! 
  • Bucks Lake, Plumas County (5,000’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.
  • Genessee (3,701’) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT!  
  • Greenville (3,586’) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT!  
  • Thompson Lake (7,795’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT. 
  • Feather River Canyon (2,000 to 3,000’) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT!  
  • Big Creek, Meadow Valley (3,600’) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT! 
  • Mill Creek (4,737’) –
  •  Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT!  
  • Redding (564’) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!  
  • Etna, Ft Jones, Scott Valley (2,936’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.
  • Coffee Creek (3,068’) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT!  
  • Markleville  (5,531’) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT!  
  • Manzanita Lake, Lassen Volcanic National Park (5,900’) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT!  
  • Burney Falls (3,281’) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT!  
  • Faery Falls (3,586’) – Peak to Past Peak, GO NOW, YOU ALMOST MISSED IT!  
  • Harlan D Miller Memorial Bridge (Dog Creek), Lakehead (1,447’) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! 
  • Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway (7,000’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • Marble Mountains Wilderness Area (3,000 to 5,000’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.

Gold Country (north to south)

  • Sierra City (4,147’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT. 
  • Downieville (2,966’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT. 
  • Nevada City (2,477’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! 
  • Auburn (1,277’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! 
  • Placerville (1,867’)– Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! 
  • El Dorado Hills (768’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! 
  • Apple Hill, Camino (3,133’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! 
  • Sutter Creek (1,188’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! 
  • Mokelumne Hill (1,473’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! 
  • San Andreas (1,017’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! 
  • Columbia SHP (2,139’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! 
  • Sonora (1,785’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! 
  • Jamestown (1,427’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! 
  • Coulterville (1,699’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! 
  • Mariposa (1,949’) – 
  • Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! 

Central Valley 

  • Mormon Island Wetlands (377’) – Patchy (10-50%)
  • Folsom – Patchy (10-50%)
  • Sacramento – Patchy (10-50%)
  • Stockton – Patchy (10-50%)
  • Merced – Patchy (10-50%)
  • Walnut Groves, Upper Sacramento Valley – Patchy (10-50%)
  • Chico – Patchy (10-50%)

Southern California (south to north) 

  • Mt. Laguna (5,738’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.  
  • Palomar Mountain State Park (6,138’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT. 
  • Lake Hemet (4,340’) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!  
  • Oak Glen (4,734’) – Near Pe
    ak (50-75%) GO NOW!  
  • Lake Gregory (4,554’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!  
  • Lake Arrowhead (5,174’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!  
  • Grass Valley Lake (5,058’) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!  
  • Running Springs (6,190’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT. 
  • Big Bear Lake, San Bernardino Mountains (6,752’) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT. 
  • Wrightwood, San Gabriel Mountains – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! 
  • Sespe Wilderness (6,000’) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! 
  • Santa Monica Mountains NRA – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!   

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