Scott Frank and his wife visited Virginia Lakes Canyon on Oct. 11. Frank reported that while it was a mixed bag of color, some of it was “SPECTACULAR!”
“First off,” Frank explained, “the lakes themselves are far past peak. Almost all of the trees have lost their leaves.”
Although there is still a nice view of the shoreline, the real remaining show lies with two magnificent treats along the road. The first is right after you turn onto Virginia Lakes Road off of Conway Summit. Off to the right you’ll see a giant hillside covered in beautiful trees.
“The entire area is covered in well-traveled dirt roads (we had a Subaru, but no guarantees for low clearance sedans),” Frank said, “and the foliage there is unbelievably spectacular. Bright yellows, glowing oranges, the whole deal.”
The second big treat is right where this road crosses Virginia Creek, according to Frank. There are a few pull outs, and right along the creek the trees will blow your mind. Just absolutely gorgeous, he said, especially when you see them lining the creek with a series of small cascading waterfalls.
“I admit,” Frank said, “when we first drove to the lakes we were disappointed – but boy, coming back and stopping at the creekside, and then that giant grove right near Conway Summit (was) some of the best foliage we saw in the Sierra this autumn.”
Virginia Lakes (8,800′) – Peak to Past Peak (GO NOW! to You missed it.)
