There’s good news and bad news about the Mount Rose Highway (State Route 431),. If you want to see aspens turning color in autumn, this is one of the closest places to Reno.
The good news? There is some fall color. At the upper reaches of the highway, about 50% of the aspens are yellow with a hint of orange.
The bad news? The other half of the trees have either lost their leaves or they don’t look as vibrant as they usually do.
And I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but the windstorm on Friday may blow off the leaves before they turn their usual red-orange. We’re hoping the leaves will overcome the wind and progress to their full potential.
A good place to view the best color is from the Tahoe Meadows Trailhead parking lot and by walking along the Tahoe Rim Trail down into Tahoe Meadows. Or you can take a flat walk a little ways on the Tahoe Meadows Interpretive Trail.
There is a grove of aspens at the turnout to Winter’s Creek that’s looking spectacular: yellow down below and orange up the hillside.
There’s a lot of traffic on Mount Rose Highway, so be careful when you pull out to take photos. Make sure your car is completely off the road.
Mount Rose Fall Color Report September 25, 2026
Upper Mount Rose Highway – Half of the trees are Past Peak, Another Half are Near Peak. This windstorm could blow off the leaves before they turn orange-red, but we’ll cross our fingers they progress to their full potential.
Winter’s Creek Turn-off on Mount Rose Highway – At Peak, 95%. Yellow closer to the road, orange higher up the hill.
Sky Tavern – Mostly green
