Mother Nature waits for no one, and this year, fall colors in the Eastern Sierra can attest to that. With the first day of fall not quite here yet, some areas in Bishop Creek Canyon are already reaching Near Peak conditions according to color spotters.
With warm temperatures continuing through this weekend and into next week, it is a beautiful time to be in the Owens Valley. And if you don’t have time to jump in the car for a weekend visit, don’t fret, the area is ideal midweek when crowds are low and the stoke is high.
Bishop Creek Canyon
Things up in Bishop Creek Canyon look quite different in certain areas than they did last week. There are full hillsides of yellows between Mountain Glen and Table Mountain campgrounds, as well as lots of yellow leaves above Surveyor’s Meadow and above Parchers and South Lake. Lake Sabrina has sections of gold as well!
South Fork, Bishop Creek
- South Lake (9,768′) – Patchy (10-50%) at the trailhead, more yellows at the higher elevations
- Weir Pond (9,650′) – Patchy (10-50%) at the pond itself, again, everything above the pond is tones of yellow.
- Parcher’s Resort (9,260′) – Patchy (10-50%). Closer to 50% near the resort. Above the resort many of the trees are past peak.
- Willow Campground (9,000′) – Patchy (10-50%) but still pretty green.
- Surveyor’s Meadow (8,975′) – 50-75% – Near Peak (Go Now!)
- Table Mountain Camp (8,900′) – Patchy (10-50%) with a dull green above.
- Mountain Glen Camp (8,850′) – Patchy (10-50%) with some nice yellows starting on the mountains here.
- Mist Falls and the Groves Above Bishop Creek Lodge (8,350′) – Patchy (10-50%), but closer to 10-20%.
- Four Jeffries (8,000′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
Middle Fork, Bishop Creek
- Lake Sabrina (9,150′) – 50-75% – Near Peak (Go Now!) Please note that they are working on the dam, with access to the path on the dam closed.
- Sabrina Approach (9,100′) – Patchy (10-50%) – Really more like 10-20%
- Sabrina Campground (9,000′) – Patchy (10-50%) – Really more like 10-20%
- Groves Above Cardinal Village (8,550′) – Patchy (10-50%) but still mostly green.
- Intake II (8,000′) – 50-75% – Near Peak (Go Now!) Please note, they are working on this dam as well, and Intake II is almost empty.
- Big Trees Campground (7,800′) – Patchy (10-50%)
Bishop
The cottonwoods in and around Bishop and the Owens Valley are a mixture of yellows and greens and still lots and lots of trees that are still all green.
- Bishop (4,150′) – Patchy (10-50%) Yellows in the upper parts of the cottonwoods.
- Buckley Ponds (4,150′) – Still waiting
- Rawson Ponds (4,150′) – Just Starting (0-10%)
- Owens Valley (4,000′) – Patchy (10-50%) Yellows in the upper parts of the cottonwoods.
Northern Inyo County
- Lower Rock Creek Rd (7,087′) – Patchy (10-50%)
- Round Valley (4,692′) – Patchy (10-50%)
- Lower Pine Creek Canyon (7,000′) – Patchy (10-50%)
- Pine Creek Pack Station (7,400′) – Just starting (0-10%)
