If you were worried you missed the fall colors in the Sierra Nevada, you’re in luck. The fall foliage season is off to a slower start than usual this year, noted Lara Kaylor, the editor and publisher of California Fall Color.
 
“Some of the areas in Mono County that last year, on this day, were in full-color show, some of them are still green — like Sagehen Summit, which sits at about 9,000 feet, is still pretty darn green,” Kaylor said.
 
For the leaves to turn color, you need a spell of cold temperatures at night to signal to the trees that fall has arrived and to begin their colorful transition.

“We really just started getting cold nighttime temperatures about a week ago,” Kaylor continued, noting that cold nights are forecast to continue in early October. “I would expect in the next week things to really take off, but we are a bit behind schedule this year.”

Kaylor expects this year to be a vibrant display of fall color in the Sierra after a wet winter and a relatively moderate summer without long periods of extreme heat that could stress the trees.
 
“The good news is the best is yet to come,” she added. “People still have plenty of time to plan. And in today’s busy world, I feel having more time for something is a nice change of pace.”
 
Kaylor, who lives in the Eastern Sierra, recently took over the website, which provides the most up-to-date information on fall foliage conditions throughout the state. It has a network of more than 100 contributors reporting on and photographing the leaves changing colors in California. California Fall Color was handed over to Kaylor after John Poimiroo, who started the website in 2009, decided to retire.

“Everybody’s been so welcoming to me, which is great. All the color spotters have been reaching out, introducing themselves, so it’s been a really wonderful experience so far,” Kaylor noted. “And John’s been great. He kind of is mentoring me. And, you know, he’s acting as a color spotter for me as well. So I’m in good hands.”
 
With cool weather only now arriving in the Sierra, leaves are just starting to turn color in earnest at the mountain range’s highest peaks. Unlike the East Coast, where it can be difficult to predict when peak fall color conditions will arrive, it’s relatively simple in California to figure out where to view the best foliage: It descends from the highest to lowest elevations in California, Kaylor explained.

“Once it really gets going, the color tends to drop about 500 feet a week. It really spreads the color out over a monthlong period and over the entire state.”
 
What also makes leaf peeping interesting in the state is there are pockets of fall foliage in the mountains that you have to search out.
 
“One thing that’s really different in California, the colors are set up against these dramatic mountain backdrops, rather than these huge swaths of color like on the East Coast,” she said.

Mono, Plumas and Inyo counties are your best bets for seeing the changing fall colors of native California trees in the first half of October.
 
Kaylor also notes that the Eastern Sierra’s environment encourages visitors to be physically active while leaf peeping. “There are activities to do around it, like hiking and fishing, while you’re enjoying the colors around you,” she said. “So you’re being active while getting your color fix.”

If you are to head up this weekend, Virginia Lakes is one of the first areas in the Eastern Sierra to reach peak conditions. Rock Creek in Mono County and Lake Sabrina down in Inyo County are also starting to turn.
 
In about a week, Kaylor expects many prime spots in the Eastern Sierra to show colors in the aspen and willow trees. One of her favorite ways to see fall colors at their peak is hiking into Lundy Canyon in Mono County, where waterfalls and orange, red and yellow trees stretch up the mountainside. 

If you would rather drive to the color, Kaylor recommends Rock Creek Lake, which has patchy conditions.
 
In the next week or two, the aspen trees at Bishop Creek Canyon in the Eastern Sierra should approach peak conditions for autumn colors. The area is west of Bishop on U.S. Highway 395 at an elevation above 9,000 feet. There are three forks to Bishop Creek (known as upper, middle and lower), and it is possible to drive to each of them on paved roads.

Kaylor noted that color spotters this year recommend the Mount Whitney Trail near Lone Pine, which has several aspen groves that include a stunning mixture of pink, yellow, orange and lime-green leaves.
 
Next on the list is the area around June Lake near Mammoth in Mono County, which is a pleasant drive through a chain of lakes surrounded by rugged granite canyons that contrast beautifully with golden-crimson leaves.

Because the colors don’t always change precisely at the same time every year, Kaylor recommends looking at specific location reports from previous years on her website to plan your visit to the Eastern Sierra, especially since you will likely have to stay overnight if driving from the Bay Area. Alternatively, contacting a local chamber of commerce is also a good idea.
 
By mid-to-late October, the Eastern Sierra will likely be almost past its peak conditions. Next up are locations that are more of a day trip from the SF Bay Area.

The most spectacular display of fall colors within a few hours’ drive is along state Route 88, south of Tahoe through Carson Pass and Hope Valley, to see the maples and aspens. The trees should start changing color in a few weeks.

Kaylor noted that during peak conditions, leaf peepers in awe of the fall colors might ignore the traffic as they wander into the road. She recommends parking safely off the road and being careful crossing the street. Another item to be aware of is the Red Lake Creek cabin; the structure in Hope Valley is commonly used as a backdrop while taking photos of the fall colors, but it’s on private property. She recommends staying only along the public roads and not trespassing.

An unexpectedly good choice for fall foliage from the middle of October onward is Yosemite Valley. The valley is less crowded at this time of year as the sugar maple turns color. There is also pink dogwood, bright-yellow bigleaf maple, orange and red leaves on black oak trees, and cottonwood trees turning golden.

Another spot off the beaten path is the Northern Sierra around Quincy in southern Plumas County. Beautiful fall colors come from Darmera plants, bigleaf maple trees and black oaks turning orange throughout the forests. In particular, Kaylor recommends seeking out the Darmera plant, also known as Indian rhubarb or the umbrella plant, along Bucks Lake near Big Creek Road when it turns red and orange. “They have more of a rainforest feel. It’s just totally different from anywhere else we’re talking about,” she said.
 
Even after the leaves have fallen in the mountains, there are plenty of other opportunities to see fall colors in Northern California.
 
In the foothills, a top location is Apple Hill, where you can combine apple picking with leaf peeping. Another excellent location is Nevada City. The town has many sugar maples and liquidambar trees throughout its walkable historic downtown area.

The Sacramento Valley also has many other locations to catch a glimpse of the fall colors. California’s orchards, particularly walnut, pistachio and almond trees, can be beautiful. They turn color in November. Fall colors can also be viewable in forests along the American River.
 
By mid-November, the fall foliage season arrives in coastal California. There is minimal natural fall color, but several Bay Area towns also have streets lined with trees that change color, including Danville, Palo Alto, San Rafael, Campbell, Walnut Creek, Saratoga and Cupertino.

The Salinas River, a wildlife corridor running through the Central Coast ranges south of Monterey, generally turns color in November. The Santa Cruz Mountains have some fall foliage along Highway 9 through Big Basin Redwoods State Park. 

Many Bay Area public gardens or arboretums have trees that turn color, including Golden Gate Park at the Japanese Tea Garden and San Francisco Botanical Garden, as well as Tilden Park in Berkeley.

Further north, Ukiah has some foliage that rivals Vermont, and the sugar maple trees are amazing to see against a crystal clear blue sky in Mount Shasta.

Finally, the vineyards of California are another great Bay Area option. Each vineyard has a different species and variety of grapes; their leaves turn color. That means you should not be disappointed if you make a trip to wine country from mid-October into mid-to-late November.