I have a friend who will only drive up to Hope Valley in the fall after she’s called the resort to make sure the aspen leaves have reached their red stage.
The reality is that not all aspen groves turn red. Most aspens are a golden color. However, some groves turn varying shades of red from scarlet to red-orange. When they do turn red, they really turn heads and are a dramatic sight.
So what causes some aspens to turn red? In the 1970s, a few researchers from Colorado State University wondered the same thing. Here’s what they found out.
A Fun Foliator Fact about Red Aspens
The scientists placed aspen leaves into a blender and studied the resulting liquid solution. In the red and orange aspen leaves the researchers noticed the presence of a sugary red pigment.
The pigment wasn’t present in yellow leaves.
This makes sense because the pigments in trees that turn red are known as anthocyanins. Trees start producing colorful pigments like anthocyanins (red), xanthophylls (yellow), and carotenoids (orange) once the production of green pigment (chlorophyll) slows in the fall.
The scientists in the blender study also observed growing trees. They found that the red only happened in some aspens. This meant that it was probably a genetic trait.
This explanation makes the most sense to me, because in the 25 or so years I’ve been visiting Hope Valley in the fall, the same groves there turn red every year.
However, the researchers noticed something that could contradict that theory. After observing the same groves of aspens for five falls, the scientists noticed the yellow trees continued to change to yellow year after year. But one tree that was red during one fall was only red for the first year they observed it and yellow each following year.
Another Possible Reason Why Some Aspens Turn Red
Another theory that others have proposed is that late rains in the summer and early fall combined with warm days and cool nights as the leaves start to change could lead to higher red pigment content in the leaves. It’s possible that some aspen groves are genetically programmed to turn red each year, while the yellow trees that turn red only occasionally are helped along by the weather.
Where to Find Red Aspens in and Near Nevada
Finding a grove of red aspens is always a scenic sight and makes for spectacular photos. Here are some places to find them in the Silver State.
Lamoille Canyon –A large grove just above Thomas Creek Campground turns a deep red color.
Angel Creek Campground – When I was there a few years ago, the campground had a lot of trees dressed in Christmas colors (red and green).
Angel Lake Road – The section of the road that stretches from Angel Creek Campground up to Angel Lake had a lot of red-orange aspens mixed with yellow when I was there the first week of October 2021.
Hope Valley, California – Not far over the Nevada state line near Gardnerville, Nevada, Hope Valley boasts a few aspen groves that dependably turn red. The grove above the cabin on the west side of the valley turns scarlet. It’s in view from the long turn out. Be careful of pedestrians as you park in the turnout. Another group of red aspens is what I call the grand finale grove because they’re always the last grove in Hope Valley to turn. The grand finale grove is on Highway 89 less than a mile from the intersection with Highway 88. Finally, on Highway 88, a mile or less from the intersection with Highway 89, you’ll see a hillside of aspens turning red, orange, yellow, and green.
The Success Loop – Near Ely, Nevada, The Success Loop boasts a kaleidoscope of different colors, but you’ll find a large grove of deep red aspens just over the summit (if you’re coming from Cave Lake State Park). The dirt road is for SUVs and high-clearance vehicles. Read more about the Success Loop in our blog post from 2023.
If you’d like to know more about these fall color hotspots, buy our Nevada Fall Color map. The map allows you to relax and rejuvenate amid beautiful fall foliage. You’ll discover more than a dozen other places to view fall foliage in Nevada, along with descriptions of each scenic site.
