Although the aspens on Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive are mostly past peak, Great Basin National Park still has some color that will make you go “Wow!”. One of the places where the autumn foliage is peaking is the hillside visible from Mather Overlook on Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. It looked so pretty on October 6, 2026 that as I caught my first sight of it, I said, “Oooh! Look at that!” It’s at peak (75%). I don’t think my photos do it justice.
Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive Autumn Colors Update
Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive has come a long way from our October 1 report, when the leaves were At Peak. It’s putting on its final fall foliage show of the season but it hasn’t quite reached its final act.
There are a few places along the road where the aspens are a vibrant orange and yellow. But there were no good places to turn out to take photos.
At the top of the road there’s still patches of red-orange trees, as of October 6, 2026. They make for a great photo opportunity with Wheeler Peak in the background.
Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive closes at least temporarily during early season snowstorms. Right now, there is a storm predicted this weekend, which could bring rain and snow, so access to this area of the park could be limited soon. Plus, wind and cold temps are not a friend to the foliage.
We recommend you hurry and catch the color happening at Mather Overlook before it’s gone for the season.
Baker Creek Road Fall Color Update
Baker Creek Road in Great Basin National Park is in the Getting Better category (50%) moving over into Near Peak soon. There’s some nice color in spots, especially when the trees are backlit by the sun. In other places, the aspens are still green.
By the Timber Creek Trail and South Fork Baker Creek Trail, the trees are a mixture of Past Peak and Near Peak. It looked like many of the trees had lost half of their leaves and the other half of remaining leaves were a pale yellow. Many of the trees were a mixture of yellow and green.
This whole area including the road and trail could brighten up in the next five to seven days. But there is a storm coming in over the weekend, which could blow off the leaves, or if cold enough, freeze them.
What Happens If You Get a Flat Tire on Baker Creek Road?
Baker Creek Road is a dirt road. I know from personal experience that if you get a flat tire here, it’s going to be a long, expensive wait for a tow truck to change your tire. This happened to me today. I got a flat tire driving back from the trailhead even though Baker Creek Road is well-maintained and in very good condition.
AAA could not find any tow truck company willing to drive there. They told me I had to find one on my own and they would reimburse me. Two hours after I first called AAA, with the help of my husband back on his computer at home, I found a tow truck driver from Ely willing to make the hour-and-fifteen-minute drive from there to where I was stuck.
I highly recommend you learn from my mistake and learn how to change a tire. I was lucky this happened in a spot where I got cell service. I have a Garmin satellite device that I could have used if cell service was unavailable, but I really would have hated to do an SOS on a Garmin just to get a tire changed.
Great Basin National Park Mather Overlook, Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive, and Baker Creek Road Fall Color Update – October 6, 2026
Mather Overlook – At Peak (75%)
Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive Upper Elevations – Past Peak but some areas still looking good
Baker Creek Road – Getting Better (50%), moving soon into Near Peak.
Timber Creek Trail/ South Fork Baker Creek Trail – A mixture of Past Peak and Near Peak.
