Tucked on the mountainsides in the Carson Valley are golden groves of aspens and cottonwoods, still aglow with autumn color as of Monday, November 2, 2026.
The best of this color is from the intersection of Kingsbury Grade and Foothill Road near Minden/Gardnerville stretching past Centerville Lane to just past the Fay Luther Trailhead. Although many of the maples have lost their leaves, there are still a lot of red trees throughout the valley.
There’s enough color left for a peaceful country drive through the Carson Valley.
Most of the color right now stretches from 4,000 feet to 6,000 feet above sea level.
The wind is kicking up as I write this ahead of a fast-moving storm on Tuesday, November 3. That could spell trouble for the leaves, but we’ll cross our fingers they hang on for the weekend.
Northwestern Nevada Fall Color Report, November 2, 2026
Cottonwoods – Cottonwoods are half past peak, the other half showing good color. Cradlebaugh Bridge on Highway 395 between Carson City and Minden is past peak, but there is still some color that looks good when backlit.
Maples – Many are past peak but some are still hanging on to their color. Plus, there are a lot of other types of red trees taking the place of the maples.
