Fall Glows and Elks Rut at Redwood Nat’l Park
There may be a federal shutdown, but no one told the Roosevelt Elk at Redwood National Park to stop rutting or the fall colors to stop changing. Color spotter Grant Roden reports from the Elk Meadow Cabins that the “‘federal shut down’ really has had minimal impact at Redwood National and State Parks for visitors that want to see the old growth redwood and habitat. Some of the best areas to visit are in the state parks, where visitor centers and public services are still available, as normally provided.”
30 – 50% – Redwood National and State Parks – These parks are known for their yellow and golden displays of Big Leaf Maple and Alder set in contrast to the redwood forest. Look for spots of crimson poison oak in open brushy areas and along the edges of meadows (it is found infrequently beneath the redwood canopy, as it needs light to survive), but be careful not to touch it! Grant writes, “The red and yellow hues are stunning in contrast to the towering evergreen redwood giants.”
Fall Wildlife Viewing – Grant reports that several wildlife shows are now in progress in Humboldt County.
- Elk Rut – The annual rut of the Roosevelt Elk is at peak, presently, with large bull elk bugling and battling to take charge of harems of elk cows. This is ranks up there with coastal whale, central valley waterfowl and bat migrations as being one of California’s most dramatic wildlife spectacles.
- Shore Birds – A fall migration of shore birds is to be seen at beaches all along the North Coast. Beaches at Freshwater Lagoon, Stone Lagoon and Big Lagoon, near US 101, are good locations to see the migratory birds.
- Chinook Salmon Run – the fall run of Chinook salmon is at peak on the Klamath River.
- Whale Watching – Grey and Blue whales are now migrating along the North Coast. Several charter boat companies offer trips from Eureka and Trinidad
Mammoth Lakes – Color Intensifies – Go Now!
Edina Ingram reports that predictions of warm days and cool nights are expected to sustain intense color to be found in and around Mammoth Lakes. Presently, Mammoth Lakes is peaking or approaching peak.
GO NOW! – Full Peak at all elevations above 8,000′ – The Sherwins and all mountainous areas surrounding the town of Mammoth Lakes are at full peak.
GO NOW! – 50 – 75% – Between 7,000 and 8,000′ – Color is approaching peak along the Sherwin Creek Road, with plenty of green and lime seen on the edges of stands of red, orange and yellow quaking aspen.
Mono County Supplementary Report
GO NOW! – 50 – 75% – Summers Meadow – This is one of Mono County’s lesser-known, spectacular fall color destinations. It is only a few miles off U.S. 395. To find Summers Meadow, take the Green Creek Road turnoff, five miles south of Bridgeport. Follow a dirt road about a mile to the first right, “Lower Summers Meadow Road.” The best colors are located four to five down this graded dirt road that is suitable for any type vehicle.
GO NOW! 75 – 100% – McGee Creek Canyon – McGee Creek is at full peak and glowing with yellow and orange aspen.
Government Shutdown: the federal shutdown has not limited color viewing in the Mammoth Lakes area. U.S. National Forests and BLM lands remain open, though no services are available. Devil’s Postpile National Monument has closed, temporarily. For details and suggestions on what to do in the area, visit : http://9nl.me/park-
Big Bear Lake Logs In
Color spotter Dan McKernan of Big Bear Lake provides this first report of autumn from the San Bernardino Mountains, above Los Angeles.
15 – 30% – Big Bear Lake – The color surrounding Big Bear Lake is now between 20 and 25% change. This area often turns quickly. So, peak could arrive anytime during the coming two weeks. Keep checking back for reports from Dan and look for local spotter reports on Facebook.
How Federal Shutdown Affects Color Viewing
This week’s shutdown of federal facilities has not limited fall color viewing on most federal lands. Only areas with gated admission, such as national parks, have been closed. U.S. Forests and BLM lands remain largely open, though services are – for the interim – not available. Since federal offices are closed, it’s not possible to get answers to whether a land area remains open or not. This site and our Facebook page will carry reports of closures, as received.
New Fall Color Map
Dave Henry and The Sacramento Bee have always done a great job reporting fall color. Now, they’ve introduced a new map that is the best depiction that we have yet seen of where the color is showing in the High Sierra (hopefully, across California). We’ve linked to the new map in Colorful Links, though here’s a snapshot of what it looks like.
Shasta Cascade Reports First Color
Color spotter Shae Garrett provides this roundup of color for the Shasta Cascade Region. Some areas of this vast region of northeast California are beginning to show color, though it’s still two to three weeks from significant displays. As in other areas of the state, red seems to be the theme of this autumn.
0 – 15% – Plumas County – Color spotter Richard McCutcheon recommends following the Cascade Trail along Spanish Creek for spots of orangey-red Indian Rhubarb. Other spotters in Plumas County predict the color will begin appearing in mid October. Here’s a link to upcoming events: http://plumascounty.org/
15 – 30% – Butte County – It’s still too early to make a trip to Chico for fall color, though it is always a great place to visit. For the moment, Chico is mostly green as seen in this photo taken at Bidwell Park. The best color in Chico will be seen there, on the Chico State University campus, along the Highway 32 corridor, and up the Highway 99 corridor in mid October. Chico is known as a city of trees with a spectacular mature canopy in its parks and along its boulevards. The agricultural fields and orchards surrounding Chico have impressive displays of nut and fruit trees in mid October. Here are some upcoming Chico events:
- 19th Annual Window Art Project, Oct. 1 – 31. Downtown businesses collaborate with Chico artists, who display original work in store windows. This is a walking art show. Free admission.
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The Fourth Annual Chico Experience Week, Oct 4 to Oct 13. Chico Experience Week brings Chico State students, alumni, parents, and friends together for 10 days of fun, education, and re-connection on the campus and in Chico.
- 4th Annual Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest, Oct 4 and 5. Sierra Nevada Brewery, Hop Field, 1075 E 20th St. Admission $47.50. This popular event sells out in advance, so plan ahead. It is Oktoberfest revelry at the Sierra Nevada Brewery with live music, food and drink. Starts at 4 p.m. each day. http://www.sierranevada.com
- Harvest Sidewalk Sale, Oct 12, downtown Chico. Rake in fall savings and celebrate the season at this Harvest Sidewalk Sale. Some incredible deals are offered. Free admission. http://www.downtownchico.com
- Forest Ranch Fall Festival, Oct 12, 15522 Nopel Ave, Chico. Free admission. Enjoy local crafts and unique purchases, a farmer’s market, free children’s bounce house and face painting at this family-focused event. Music and food for purchase. www.mountainjoybible.com
- Sierra Oro Farm Trail Passport Weekend, Oct 12 and 13. Sample farm-fresh food and award-winning wines at stops along the Sierra Oro Farm Trail. Meet farmers and winemakers while taking this self-guided tour of Butte County’s countryside. $25 admission. www.sierraoro.org
- Chico Parade of Lights “Dancin’ thur’ the Decades”, Oct 12, 7:30 p.m., Downtown Chico. Create a rolling entry for this parade and light up the route by sharing your take on the parade’s theme “Dancin’ thru’ the Decades.” Parade participants wear decade-themed costumes, decorations and lights (e.g. 1920s flappers, 1950s sock hop, 1970s disco, etc). Parade Route: 3rd St. and Salem, to Main St., 6th St. and ending at 4th St. and Broadway. 7:30 p.m.
- Open Studios Art Tour, Oct 19 and 20, and Oct. 26 and 27 – On two weekends each year, artists throughout the Chico area open their art studios for public visits. Begin at the Chico Art Center (450 Orange St., Suite 6) and plan your tour itinerary to include stops at your favorite artists. www.chicoartcenter.com
- Treat Street, Oct 31, 2-5 p.m., downtown Chico, Free admission. Kids (12 and under) are sure to have a safe and fun Halloween each year at Treat Street in downtown Chico, organized by local merchants. It’s simple, kids… wear a costume, bring a parent and get ready to stroll Halloween-style. More than 60 businesses are listed on the Treat Street route, follow the map and look for special posters in store windows. Costume contest – $5 entry with prizes to the top 3 finalists: Child 0-3, Child 4-7, Child 8-12, Themed family or group, and canine.
Bishop Creek Canyon at Full Peak – GO NOW!
Now is the optimal time to travel US 395 to Bishop and tour the Bishop Creek Canyon. Almost all areas of the canyon are at full peak. Peak color will continue at lower elevations in coming weeks, but not much longer at higher elevations. Photos are showing that wind is beginning to brush turned leaves from trees, so GO NOW!
Jared Smith provides this report from Parcher’s Resort in the Bishop Creek Canyon.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – Overall Conditions above 8,500 ft – The higher reaches of the canyon is going off right now with many areas peaking, some areas nearing peak and a few of the highest areas past peak. There is still a fair amount of green along the roadside between Mt. Glen Campground and Willow Camp but the aspen everywhere else is showing big time color. We did have some serious wind this week along with a little snow which stripped a few exposed groves but the majority of the color survives and is going strong.
GO NOW! – 30 – 50% – Overall Conditions below 8,500 ft – Quite a bit of color showing between Bishop Creek Lodge and Table Mountain Camp but there still a whole lot of green showing as well. Below the lodge the green is beginning to turn to a bright lime but very little yellow is showing. On the middle fork, Aspendell and Cardinal Lodge are lightening quite a bit but most of the brilliant color is above Aspendell.
Location Specific Reports
GO NOW! – 75-100% – South Lake Rd above Mt. Glen Camp (8,600 ft) – Most of this stretch is nearing or at peak color with the green remaining mostly along the road. The next 7 days will likely be the best bet for these groves.
30 – 50% – Mountain Glen Campground (8,400 ft) – Quite a bit of color developing here but the best is definitely yet to come. This area is closer to 30% than 50% color.
30 – 50% – Mist Falls and the groves above Bishop Creek Lodge (8,350 ft) – This area is certainly changing but is progressing slower than many of the other areas, good news for those planning to visit over the next two to three weeks. The majority of the yellow is just above or to the right of the waterfall.
GO NOW! – 50 – 75% – Groves above Cardinal Village & Aspendell (8,550 ft) – The groves above Cardinal Village are fully turned and look spectacular with the crest in the backdrop. The lower lying aspen around Cardinal Village and Aspendell still contain a lot of green but most have started to turn from a dark green to a bright lime green.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – Sabrina Campground (9,000 ft) – Tons of color popping here still. Along the road there is still quite a bit of red, orange and yellow. The campground is turning now as well.
0-15%% – Forks, Four Jeffries, Big Trees & Bishop Park Camgrounds (8,000 ft – 8,300 ft) – No yellow to speak of in these areas but the aspen are certainly turning to lime green in most of these areas. These areas tend to peak quite a bit later than the higher reaches of the canyon so look for these areas to start looking their best around the end of the month or early October depending on the weather.
GO NOW! – 50 – 75% – Table Mountain Camp (8,900 ft) – There has been quite a transformation here over the past week with much of this grove going from lime green to hues of orange, yellow and red in just a few days. There are still some beautiful lime green aspens mixed in with the brilliant fall color making for a great contrast of colors.
GO NOW! – Peak Color – Surveyors Meadow (8,975 ft) – This area is currently in full peak color. Some of the highest aspens were stripped due to wind this week but the majority of the aspen are absolutely brilliant right now including the trees along the road and along the stream. It’s unclear how long this area will hold onto the peak color but we’re hoping at least a week more. Some really cool red hues are showing on the hillside just above the meadow looking towards the Tyee Lakes Ridge.
GO NOW! – 50 – 75% – Willow Campground (9,100 ft) – The color along the road is finally starting to pop while the grove on the mountain above the camp and to the south of the campground are fully turned. Plenty of green still left here which brings the overall rating down to the current mark.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – Parchers Camp – While some green persists on the resort grounds, hills all around are lit up with yellow, orange and a tad bit of red. The wind did strip one grove clean but the majority of the aspen survived.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – Weir Pond (9,700 ft) – The grove above the pond was mostly stripped by the wind but there is still color there. Having said that, the aspen all around the pond and along the road are really popping and look amazing. There is still some color left to turn but it’s pretty dang close to peak color here.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – Lake Sabrina (9,150 ft) – The aspen at the lake have actually peaked or are at peak while the groves just below the dam are looking super bright and quite stunning. The slow moving creek below the dam provides excellent reflections of the color during parts of the day.
GO NOW! – Peak Color – North Lake (9,255 ft) – North Lake consists of varied elevations and groves which pop at different times making this a difficult area to rate. The grove above the lake have already peaked and some of the grove has been stripped by the wind. However, the aspen surrounding the lake, below the lake and along the road are in full peak color and look amazing. Still some green left to turn along the dirt road section before the pack outfit turnoff so it should be great for a while yet.
30 – 50% – Intake II (8,100 ft) – The groves above the lake have fully turned and the groves on the far side of the lake along the shoreline are starting to turn quite nice. The aspen in the campground and on the west shore are still quite green with just a little yellow turning.
15 – 30% – Pine Creek Canyon (7,000 ft) – Color spotter Bart Godett sends photos of orange and yellow appearing in Pine Creek Canyon at Upper Mine and near lower Morgan Lake, north of Bishop. This is the first report we’ve received from Pine Creek. Thanks, Bart! If you spot color in an area not seen on this site, take a picture and send it with a report to editor(at)californiafallcolor.com.
Mono County – Pie Perfect – Go Now!
Mono County color spotter Alicia Vennos sent a little whimsy along with today’s report of fall color… a humorous shot of someone spotting a slice of fall color at Pie in the Sky along the Rock Creek Road.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – Rock Creek Lake – Alicia writes, “Undaunted by recent wind and snow, the color shines on at Rock Creek in southern Mono County, particularly the upper section of Rock Creek Road at Rock Creek Lake where the red and orange hues are dazzling.”
10 – 20% – Convict Lake – The canyon is starting to show a few small pockets of gold and the yellow has increased. The aspens along the lower creek and in the campground are still showing green with a modest amount of yellow. The back of the lake and up the canyon is also showing signs of yellow but no brilliant colors to date. Still some time before Convict Canyon will be at its peak.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – Virginia Lakes – The early snowfall on Saturday, Sept. 21 created the perfect backdrop to the fall color along Virginia Lakes Road.
GO NOW! – 75 – 100% – A stand of astonishingly red aspen are to be viewed along upper Green Creek Road. Take Virginia Lakes Road from the top of Conway Summit (US 395 between Lee Vining and Bridgeport) and watch for the sign to Green Creek Road to the right/north. Green Creek is a wide dirt road in excellent shape and the color is magnificent right now. 75% at upper elevations; 30% at lower elevations.
0 – 15% – Conway Summit – Still hovering at 15%, though keep track of reports, as this beautiful area can turn quickly once it begins to flush. Alicia Vennos provides the above photo of what she describes as a “staggered” timing of fall color. There’s lots of green, but also lime, yellow and just over the ridge to the west is Green Creek Rd. with prolific reds and oranges.
0 – 15% – June Lake Loop – The spectacular June Lake Loop is just starting to get into the spirit of the season — still mostly lime green and yellow — but colder temperatures in coming nights should act as the perfect catalyst to nudge the June Lake area along. A dusting of snow on high peaks surrounding Silver Lake and the other June Lakes promises to provide some incredible scenes in coming weeks as the color turns below.
Snow Dusts Peaks Above Mammoth Lakes – Go Now!
High peaks surrounding Mammoth Lakes were dusted with a couple of inches of snow this past weekend, as an early storm passed over California. Color spotter Christie Osborne says the snow did little to change the steady progression of color at Mammoth Lakes, which has now begun to descend from the high country. She reports, “More color is starting to show in Mammoth Lakes at the base of the Sherwin’s, in Town and at resort levels. Also look for color starting to break at the base of the Sherwins and near Sherwin Creek Campground, and expect to see more yellow flowing down canyons.” This week, at higher elevations, above 8,500, look for orange and yellow colors to be at full peak.
30-50% – Elevations Above 7,000
Signs of Autumn
Plumas County color spotter Richard McCutcheon (first to spot fall color on Aug. 1) reports that, “When the Buckeye tree changes, you know fall colors are not far away.”
California Fall Color Editor John Poimiroo spoke with Randol White and Patty Piper of Eat, Drink, Explore and click on this video to hear what was said:
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