Autumn Leaves in California

Fall begins in the high country as early as mid-September when Tahoe’s meadows and hillsides begin to flame in bright hues of gold. Willows are the first to turn, soon followed by aspens. See them on the lake’s northwest shore as the foliage at Page Meadows lights up in a spectrum of yellow mixed with touches of ruby and amber. To get there, hike 1.5 miles north on the Tahoe Rim Trail from Ward Creek Boulevard. From the meadow’s edge, Twin Peaks, Grouse Rock, and Ward Peak soar above the trees.

In South Lake Tahoe, drive the Fallen Leaf Lake Road to Fredrick’s Meadow, a short distance from Fallen Leaf Lake Campground, where a vista of Mount Tallac is perfectly framed by a foreground of quaking aspens. For more leafy color, continue along the road to the Glen Alpine trailhead and walk a colorful mile along the cobbled trail to Glen Alpine Springs.

South of Lake Tahoe, Hope Valley’s dense aspen groves offer nearly psychedelic displays of yellows and oranges. Drive south through Meyers on Highway 89 to its junction with Highway 88, then toss a coin and turn left or right. You win either way—a bounty of color lines the road in both directions. To the west, especially showy aspen stands are found near Red Lake, in and around Carson Pass, and near Woods Lake. To the east lie the picturesque Norwegian-style cabins of Sorenson’s Resort. Stop here or at neighboring Hope Valley Resort for a hearty meal or to watch the aspens dance in the autumn sun.

Elevations are a bit lower in the northern Sierra, so Plumas County’s autumn palette tends to last longer than in the mountains farther south. It’s worth visiting the Lakes Basin Recreation Area for the flaming color show alone, but the region also has alpine lakes, rock-bound peaks, waterfalls, and miles of trails to explore. Take a hike at Plumas-Eureka State Park in Johnsville, where $25 million in gold was mined in the late 1880s. Visit the five-story stamp mill and miners’ boarding house then find your own gold rush in the exuberant show of oaks, dogwoods, and cottonwoods.

For leaf-peeping from your car window, Gold Lake Road (off Highway 89 near Graeagle) offers a 20-mile-long tour of aspens and willows, with showy stands found near Lakes Basin Campground.

The town of Quincy makes a perfect home base for leaf driving tours with its array of hotels and restaurants. Highways 70 and 89, between Quincy and Lake Almanor, show off a dazzling spectrum of autumn colors—watch for golden oak and chokecherry along the roadside, plus the flaming hot red of Indian rhubarb growing alongside the creek. Or travel the road to Bucks Lake for an eye-popping explosion of dogwood.

A steep, winding drive across the Middle Fork Feather River to the Gold Rush town of La Porte (population 26) rewards leaf-peepers with the yellow glow of big-leaf maples and the wine-red tones of dogwood. Quincy’s colors can also be seen on foot by walking the Spanish Creek Trail where wild grape and Indian rhubarb are plentiful. 

Starting in mid- to late-October, the grape harvest crush winds down as the leaf pageant begins its debut. Fall color in the wine country isn’t limited to trees—the verdant grape leaves of summer transform into radiant foliage in fall, with crisp coppers and ruby reds accentuating any grapes left on the vine. Witness the beauty by driving the Silverado Trail from Napa to Calistoga. Take your pick from dozens of wineries, including Frog’s Leap, Rombauer Vineyards, and Reynolds Family Winery, all worth a stop for fall scenery and wine tasting.

Many Napa vineyards have planted specimen trees like silver maples and liquidambars that dazzle in Technicolor. Make an appointment for a tour at Far Niente Winery in Oakville and you’ll get to admire its 40,000-square-foot wine-aging caves, plus its stately double row of ginkgo biloba trees. Hailing from China, these fall foliage kings are revered for their fan-shaped golden leaves that hang on long after oaks and maples have gone bare.

To see California’s native trees in autumn regalia, head to Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, south of Calistoga, and take a walk on the Redwood Trail alongside Ritchey Creek. Black oaks and big-leaf maples form a canopy over the creek that runs year-round. The big-leaf maples bear massive leaves—many bigger than your head—that turn a brilliant yellow in fall. Ferns, wild grape, and spice bush add to the color show. Climb to the top of Coyote Peak to get a birds-eye view of the entire forest. 

It’s called Oak Glen with good reason. With an elevation that’s nearly a mile high, this town, 80 miles east of Los Angeles, is home to extensive oak groves, plus apple farms, berry ranches, and plenty of old-fashioned country twang. The seasons may not seem to change elsewhere in L.A., but here, autumn is palpable in the brilliant oaks dotting the hillsides. Visit Oak Glen’s historic schoolhouse museum, surrounded by bright red maple trees, then take a hike at the Wildlands Conservancy’s Oak Glen Preserve. The preserve sits side-by-side with century-old Los Rios Rancho, Southern California’s largest apple farm. A 2.4-mile family-friendly loop leads from the preserve headquarters downhill through the apple orchards and into Oak Knoll Park. 

Oak Glen hangs its hat on harvest-themed fun. At Riley’s Farm, pick your own heirloom apples, press apple cider on a wooden cider press, or dine in an 18th-century colonial public house. At Los Rios Rancho, get lost in the corn maze or take a horse-drawn wagon ride. As autumn wears on, apple-picking gives way to pumpkin-picking, so be sure to take home a few of those lovable bright orange squashes.